Olivia Ranieri joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) Policy unit in 2021. Drawn to the Foundation by its focus on health and racial equity, she praises RWJF leadership in fostering effective policy conversations at the federal, state, and local level. Through her work, which crosses all Foundation focus areas, she helps organize and execute the unit’s strategy and direction.
Previously, Olivia served for several years as a State Advancement Assistant with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a nonpartisan policy institute committed to pursuing policies that advance equity and improve economic opportunity for low-income families and communities. In this role, she communicated policy successes and developments from the State Priorities Partnership—a network of independent, nonprofit state policy organizations leading the way in the fight for a just and equitable future—with philanthropic partners. She also supported capacity building efforts for the 43 organizations in the State Priorities Partnership.
Prior to joining CBPP, Olivia interned with the National Audubon Society where she supported policy efforts in fisheries conservation and protecting marine monuments. In earlier roles, she worked as a policy intern with Freedman Consulting, LLC (a Washington, D.C. firm dedicated to working with clients advancing the public interest), and as a development intern with The Nature Conservancy.
Olivia holds a BA in Organizational Sciences from The George Washington University. Born in Florida, she currently resides in Washington, D.C. In her spare time she trains as a volunteer with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. She also enjoys hiking national parks, exploring the D.C. area, and painting.