Suzy Sonnenberg’s words explaining how she spends her days illustrate that the rewards to those who do good work are always beyond calculation. “Unlike most of the population, I only deal with the most wonderful, the most generous, the most giving people on Long Island,” says Sonnenberg, “Whether they are offering money to support charity or doing the work necessary to meet the needs of the most vulnerable among us, these are the people I’m involved with every day.”

As executive director of the Long Island Community Foundation, Suzy awards millions of dollars in grants, which focus primarily on helping poor children, protecting the environment and developing nonprofit leadership. In 2006, LICF distributed nearly $7.5 million to nonprofits, offering an economical and flexible way for businesses to support the organizations where their customers live and work. Last month the Rauch Foundation more than doubled the foundation’s assets, from $40 million to nearly $86 million, allowing it to nearly double its annual giving.

This March as Suzy celebrates her 20th anniversary as director of LICF (a job she found the one and only time she perused the New York Times want ads!), she’s contemplating stepping down in 2009. “I consider myself unbelievably lucky for having found a medium to do exactly what I wanted to do with my life,” she explains. “My goals have always been to make a difference in the world in whatever way I can. This position has made that possible. My hope is to continue the work beyond this job.”