Molly Preston is the Director of Institutional Grants at NVFS, where she leads private fundraising efforts through corporate, community, and foundation grants. Since joining NVFS in 2019 as a Grants Manager, she has played a key role in shaping the agency’s institutional giving strategy, collaborating closely with program teams to authentically share client stories and highlight impactful services.
Before NVFS, Molly worked in early childhood education in Washington, DC, and Virginia, fostering high-quality learning environments and strengthening family engagement.
Molly holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy with a concentration in children, youth, and family policy from The Heller School at Brandeis University. She was one of three recipients of the Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy Fellowship, which supported her internship at EdVestors, an education foundation in Boston. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Public and Interpersonal Communications with a minor in Nonprofit Studies from North Carolina State University, where she developed a strong interest in fundraising, particularly through her work with The North Carolina Symphony. She is a proud alumna of the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity.
Molly also served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with Campus Compact in South Carolina, where she helped institutionalize service-learning programs, establish an alternative spring break program, and organize a city-wide day of service in collaboration with local colleges and universities.
Throughout her career, Molly has been driven by the belief that communities thrive when people come together to share their strengths and talents for the collective good.