Leadership
Shira Tarantino is a global non-profit executive who has worked in fundraising and development since 1994, specializing in grant writing, strategic development, cause-marketing, and community organizing. A resident of Stamford, Connecticut, Shira was thrust into the gun violence prevention movement following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012, when she banded together with 13 other women in Fairfield County, Connecticut to form The ENOUGH Campaign, a civic action organization dedicated to preventing gun violence through legislative advocacy and community education. Shira is a co-organizer of the annual Stamford Vigil of Hope to End Gun Violence, a satellite event for the National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence in Washington DC (sponsored by the Newtown Action Alliance). Representing The ENOUGH Campaign, Shira has been featured in various media outlets, including Stamford Advocate, News12 Connecticut, and C-SPAN.
A dedicated community organizer, strategist, and advocate for social justice and democratic causes, Shira has lead teams in bringing an impactful collective community voice to the fore through local projects, protests, and rallies, partnering with other organizations such as March for Our Lives, Connecticut Against Gun Violence, Moms Demand Action, Planned Parenthood, Women’s March, and other community organizations.
A former senior executive at Dress for Success Worldwide, a global non-profit supporting women entering the workforce, as well as the Director of Development at New York City-based homelessness prevention organization Eviction Intervention Services, Shira’s passions include women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, civic engagement, and people’s religious freedom. She has also respectively supervised phone banks and canvassed for National Organization for Women-NYC and New York Public Interest Research Group. More recently, Shira was the Program Manager for the World Affairs Forum, which has since merged with the World Affairs Council of Connecticut. Shira is currently a development consultant for charitable organizations and corporations who demonstrate social impact.
Shira has served on non profit boards in a variety of capacities, including CT Against Gun Violence (Secretary) and the Stamford League of Women Voters.
Prior to her non-profit endeavors, Shira worked in the fashion industry in New York City as an editorial and film wardrobe stylist in addition to working as a makeup artist. Having earned an Advertising and Communications degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Shira feels creative people make excellent advocates because "we challenge conventional rules, think outside the box, and reimagine systems."
Also a graduate of the Stamford Parent Leadership Training Institute, Shira was called to study with the Stamford PLTI to deepen her relationship with the Stamford community, promote children's safety, and ignite change for a brighter future. The Stamford Pediatric Gun Safety Project is a natural progression of her work.
Shira resides in the Glenbrook neighborhood of Stamford with her family.
