Dayana Silva-James, MBA

Dayana Silva-James is the Development Manager at Support The Enlisted Project (STEP), where she oversees fundraising, donor engagement, and philanthropic operations to strengthen the financial stability of military and veteran families. She brings more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, and community development.
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Her passion for mission-driven work began with the San Diego CHOICE program, supporting at-risk youth and their families through intensive, community-based services. She went on to serve in multiple leadership roles at Girl Scouts San Diego, including Director of Philanthropy Operations, where she managed fundraising campaigns, CRM systems, directed large-scale events and volunteer initiatives. Under her leadership, the Power Her Promise campaign raised $400,000 annually for three consecutive years.
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Dayana holds an MBA from Florida Institute of Technology and a BA in Women’s Studies from San Diego State University and completed the Nonprofit Management Development Program with Harvard Business Review. Fully bilingual in English and Spanish, she is dedicated to advancing equity, empowerment, and resilience in the communities she serves.