Shannon Sweetnam

Helping people invest in a stronger future for food and agriculture is at the heart of Shannon Sweetnam’s work. As Director of Development, she builds the relationships and philanthropic support that allow Farm Foundation to bring people together, develop future leaders, and turn ideas into action. By connecting donors and partners with opportunities to create lasting impact, she helps ensure the organization can meet today’s challenges while investing in tomorrow’s solutions.

Shannon combines more than a decade of experience in nonprofit fundraising, strategic communications, and relationship-centered development. Her background spans donor engagement, revenue diversification, major gifts, and integrated communications, giving her a holistic understanding of how meaningful relationships and compelling storytelling inspire long-term support. Before joining Farm Foundation, she led development strategy and fundraising initiatives for Health & Medicine Policy Research Group in Chicago, where she helped strengthen philanthropic engagement around complex public policy issues.

She is drawn to Farm Foundation because she believes lasting progress in agriculture depends on bringing people together around shared purpose and practical solutions. She enjoys helping connect generous supporters with work that creates opportunity for farmers, rural communities, and the broader food system.

Originally from Alabama, Shannon now lives in Lake Forest, Illinois. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and with her horse, Titan.