Orianna Cruz

Orianna joined the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute with nearly ten years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with a focus on education and healthcare organizations. She has raised more than $14 million throughout her career, specializing in major gifts, institutional giving, and building strategic partnerships to advance mission-driven work. Prior to joining the Meadows Institute, Orianna served as Regional Director of Philanthropy for IDEA Public Schools in Greater Houston. In this role, she led regional fundraising strategy, managed a portfolio of major gift prospects, and built a regional advisory board to expand community engagement and philanthropic support. Earlier in her career, Orianna held development roles with KIPP Texas Public Schools and MD Anderson Cancer Center, supporting education initiatives and healthcare research funding.

In her Meadows Institute role, Orianna leads major gift strategy and donor engagement efforts, managing a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects. She focuses on cultivating and securing significant philanthropic investments, developing tailored engagement strategies, and partnering with leadership to translate complex policy and programmatic work into compelling opportunities for impact.

Orianna holds a degree from The University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Houston with her husband and their two children, Cora and Eli. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and playing mahjong.