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Headshot of Sara Varela, a woman with long dark hair and light skin, standing outside wearing an orange cardigan

Sara Varela

Senior Training Manager, Center for Impact Finance

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Cambridge, MA

Sara Varela is senior training manager at the Center for Impact Finance at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, where she advances innovative online training and capacity-building initiatives for professionals in the impact finance field. A strategic, results-oriented bilingual (Spanish/English) professional with more than 20 years of experience in communications, community engagement, stakeholder outreach, and partnership development, she has led national public education campaigns, emergency preparedness outreach, multicultural engagement, Spanish-language translation, grant management, and communications strategy for organizations including Fors Marsh, FEMA, HHDICF, NeighborWorks America, and nonprofit partners across New England. Sara holds an MS in community economic development from Southern New Hampshire University and a BA in communications.