Rose Filicetti
On November 10, 2025, we lost Rose. This has been a tremendously hard week for many of us; it’s unfathomable that a person so full of love, so passionate about her community, could no longer be with us.
Grief and loss, especially loss of such a vital community ally, can feel large and gaping. It is hard to grasp that Rose is gone, especially when her enduring love continues to shine brightly in the thousands of touches she had throughout our nonprofit spaces. Nonprofit Connection is a manifestation of this passion Rose had: a place where the community could problem solve together, to develop deep connections to unite us in the face of the most difficult and complex challenges our communities face. As we take this time to honor Rose’s infinitely vast gifts to the Nonprofit Community, please know Nonprofit Connection plans to honor her legacy by continuing this meaningful work.
As Rose believed, our voices are stronger together. To honor her, and tell her story, it felt right to ask Linda Bixby, a long-time friend and colleague of Rose’s, to add her voice:
"A woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and only herself."
Rose, uniquely herself and only herself, really loved people. All people. She wanted to know what we do, how we think, where we’ve been and where we’re going in our lives and our futures. If Rose were meeting and chatting with a new person, she would simultaneously be thinking of all the ways they could benefit from or contribute to a connection with some other person, group, or cause. And that’s how the Nonprofit Connection was conceived; as an outgrowth of Rose’s passion for people, and her heartfelt affinity for those determined to make a difference.
If you were fortunate enough to know Rose, you knew a person of keen intellect, deep compassion, great wit, and clear purpose. As our founder and colleague, we held Rose in the highest esteem, always willing to work harder, dig deeper, grind through the most intractable challenges, and somehow have a great time doing it. She was so generous in spirit, continually centering the contributions of others, and holding up every milestone and achievement as the work of our team. She was tough, relentless, and simply a joy.
Rose was a person of very strong opinions, whip-smart and talented in a great many leadership roles, yet she had a subtle and surprising grace in yielding to others – even those with wildly opposing views – if she believed they could teach us something, elevate a discussion, or solve a problem.
Rose embraced and championed charitable efforts far beyond NPC, committing her energy and resources to causes and nonprofits focused on human services, education, social justice, gender equality, youth empowerment, and the arts.
Her lifelong mentorship of young people and emerging leaders in nonprofits, politics, and beyond impacted hundreds of lives and futures. She urged people to trust themselves, pursue knowledge relentlessly, act boldly, and lead confidently.
This gift to future leaders was a passion, a strength, and a cornerstone of Rose’s legacy and how she will be remembered by the communities she served.
Rose embraced life with joy, delighted in her friends, loved her family fiercely, and always—always—burned brilliantly with the energy to make things better. We will miss her terribly.
Linda Bixby, Founding Board Member
Nonprofit Connection
'Wherever people gather, her deeds speak her praise."
Today, we grieve. But we also hold the incredible moments of joy, inspiration, connection, and love Rose brought to each and every one of us.
May we all be a little more like Rose, every day.
The Nonprofit Connection Santa Cruz County Board of Directors.