Bay Area Articles
Four Facts About the Myra Reinhard Family Foundation’s California Giving
Silicon Valley real estate investor Myra Reinhard launched her own philanthropic foundation with her children in 1998. Reinhard was a founding board member for Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) and has also served on the board of … [Read more...] about Four Facts About the Myra Reinhard Family Foundation’s California Giving
Understanding the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation’s Bay Area Programs
The Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF) is a collaborative organization that provides consulting services and meets with foundation teams to review internal strategies, conduct performance reviews and facilitate board retreats. However, it’s also … [Read more...] about Understanding the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation’s Bay Area Programs
Who’s Supporting This Innovative Effort to Boost Literacy in San Francisco Schools?
Google Gets Behind Guaranteed Income to Relieve Homelessness on Its Home Turf
There is growing momentum behind the concept of guaranteed income — that is, programs that provide recurring direct cash payments to ease poverty. Pilots have been rolled out around the country — more than 150 to date — and preliminary analyses show … [Read more...] about Google Gets Behind Guaranteed Income to Relieve Homelessness on Its Home Turf
“We’ve Always Been in Spend-Down.” How a Sunsetting Family Foundation Manages the Process
Eleven years ago, Rhonnel Sotelo was interviewing for the chief strategy officer position at the Rogers Family Foundation, an Oakland-based funder primarily focused on serving the city’s public schools. During the final round, he sat across the table … [Read more...] about “We’ve Always Been in Spend-Down.” How a Sunsetting Family Foundation Manages the Process
How the Odell Fund Supports Bay Area Education and Human Services
Bay Area grantseekers may wish to familiarize themselves with the Robert Stewart Odell and Helen Pfeiffer Odell Fund, an accessible funder with a straightforward grant application process. This foundation has been operating in the San Francisco area … [Read more...] about How the Odell Fund Supports Bay Area Education and Human Services
This Public-Private Partnership Is Using Arts and Culture as a Catalyst for Racial Justice in Oakland
Cities are centers of tremendous wealth, but also deep inequality. As the world rapidly urbanizes, with more than half of the global population now living in cities, more philanthropic funders are working to develop what Susan S. Fainstein calls “the … [Read more...] about This Public-Private Partnership Is Using Arts and Culture as a Catalyst for Racial Justice in Oakland
A Guide to the Harbor Point Charitable Foundation’s Bay Area Giving
The Kaliski family is the driving force behind the Harbor Point Charitable Foundation (HPCF), a private funder based in Mill Valley, California. Bob Kaliski started this foundation as a way to give back to his community in 2004. His father, Ray … [Read more...] about A Guide to the Harbor Point Charitable Foundation’s Bay Area Giving
The Leader of This Growing West Coast Funder Is Zeroing in on the Promise and Perils of AI
A year into her new job as president and CEO of the Heising-Simons Foundation, Sushma Raman is turning her attention — and some of the foundation’s resources — to the potential risks and benefits of technology, particularly artificial … [Read more...] about The Leader of This Growing West Coast Funder Is Zeroing in on the Promise and Perils of AI
The Robin Hood of the West: Inside the Antipoverty Work of Tipping Point Community
Last year, we did a deep dive on the Robin Hood Foundation, founded in 1988 by Wall Street titan Paul Tudor Jones with the ambitious mission to eliminate poverty in New York City. Gotham’s largest antipoverty charity is very much a byproduct of New … [Read more...] about The Robin Hood of the West: Inside the Antipoverty Work of Tipping Point Community
How Does the Full Circle Fund Work in the Bay Area?
Based in the San Fransisco Bay Area, the Full Circle Fund stands out as a nontraditional grantmaker with many influential people behind the scenes. This funding group is a network of professionals who come together to help local nonprofits reach … [Read more...] about How Does the Full Circle Fund Work in the Bay Area?
A Look Inside the Tully and Elise Friedman Fund’s Bay Area Giving
A San Francisco investment banker named Tully Friedman created a philanthropic foundation with his wife, Elise, in 1997. The Tully and Elise Friedman Fund has recently reported assets over $7.6 million; however, giving has remained modest and … [Read more...] about A Look Inside the Tully and Elise Friedman Fund’s Bay Area Giving
Top Facts to Know About Charles N. Felton and Charlotte Ashley Felton Endowment
San Francisco-centric giving is a common topic we cover here at IP since the Bay Area is a philanthropy hotspot. However, one local funder that you may not have heard of here is the Charles N. Felton and Charlotte Ashley Felton Endowment, a small, … [Read more...] about Top Facts to Know About Charles N. Felton and Charlotte Ashley Felton Endowment
And the Winners Are… Here Are the 14 Innovators Chosen to “Reimagine” San Francisco
Winners of the Yes San Francisco (Yes SF), Urban Sustainability Challenge include companies with names like Posh Electric, Flower Turbines, BluumBio and Zauben. They have cutting-edge ideas, too. RainStick, for example, has created a circular shower … [Read more...] about And the Winners Are… Here Are the 14 Innovators Chosen to “Reimagine” San Francisco
A Closer Look at the Philanthropy of First Wave Tech Billionaire John Morgridge and His Family
Looking back over the history of tech, we can group the industry’s most consequential philanthropists into a series of generational “waves” corresponding to transformational advancements in the sector. The first wave included givers who presided over … [Read more...] about A Closer Look at the Philanthropy of First Wave Tech Billionaire John Morgridge and His Family
A Glimpse into the Ertz Family Foundation’s Bay Area Commitment
Here at Inside Philanthropy, we have covered various aspects of sports philanthropy along with the giving of numerous athlete donors and their foundations. The Ertz Family Foundation stands out among them because it was founded by not one, but two … [Read more...] about A Glimpse into the Ertz Family Foundation’s Bay Area Commitment
Can This Sustainability Challenge Help Revive a Struggling City?
It’s a perennial question: Can technology solve society’s many challenges — from widespread mental health crises to climate disaster? Like many people, I’m skeptical of the tech sector’s confidence in its ability to swoop in and solve entrenched … [Read more...] about Can This Sustainability Challenge Help Revive a Struggling City?
AI in Education? Salesforce Takes the Plunge
It was a clear September day in San Francisco, and guests at the Salesforce Back to School celebration, held on a terrace at George Washington High School, had a ravishing view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The event was organized to herald Salesforce’s … [Read more...] about AI in Education? Salesforce Takes the Plunge
Stephen and Ayesha Curry Tell Us About the Future of Their Philanthropy
“The Time Was Right.” How Three Funders Joined Forces to Simplify the Grant Application Process
In July 2021, San Francisco-based Vogl Consulting published a report gauging the impact of emergency funding distributed to Bay Area artists and cultural organizations during the pandemic. The study, which was commissioned by the Walter & Elise Haas … [Read more...] about “The Time Was Right.” How Three Funders Joined Forces to Simplify the Grant Application Process
Eight Questions for Ray Colmenar, President of the Akonadi Foundation
Raymond Colmenar is the president of the Akonadi Foundation, an Oakland-based grantmaker dedicated to advancing racial justice in the California Bay Area. Colmenar, who brings decades of experience in both philanthropy and public service, is … [Read more...] about Eight Questions for Ray Colmenar, President of the Akonadi Foundation
A Look at the Transparent and Accessible Community Foundation of Sonoma County
Based in Santa Rosa, California, the Community Foundation of Sonoma County (CFSC) has assets of over $227 million held in over 450 charitable funds. It has awarded over $275 million in grants since forming in 1983 and operates with a dedicated and … [Read more...] about A Look at the Transparent and Accessible Community Foundation of Sonoma County
A Family Foundation’s Legacy of Supporting Latino Communities Will Live on Through a New Fund
After more than 20 years of supporting Latinx communities in Silicon Valley, the Castellano Family Foundation (CFF) has closed its doors, sunsetting this past July. The foundation’s story is a unique one: In 2001, Alcario and Carmen Castellano won … [Read more...] about A Family Foundation’s Legacy of Supporting Latino Communities Will Live on Through a New Fund
Facing Deep Regional Inequality, Silicon Valley Community Foundation Zeroes in on Early Childhood
Silicon Valley may invoke images of sleek workplace hubs and lush, leafy compounds, but not every corner of the valley is burnished by high-tech dollars. Poverty is also a stark fact of life in this region where wealth inequality is greater than in … [Read more...] about Facing Deep Regional Inequality, Silicon Valley Community Foundation Zeroes in on Early Childhood
What Jewish Charities in the Bay Area Should Know About the Milton and Sophie Meyer Fund
Wells Fargo Trust Philanthropic Services manages grantmaking for several private foundations in California, including the Milton and Sophie Meyer Fund. This local foundation stands out for its narrow focus regarding both geography and what it backs. … [Read more...] about What Jewish Charities in the Bay Area Should Know About the Milton and Sophie Meyer Fund
Magic Cabinet: A Matchmaking Participatory Grantmaker Helps Teams of Grantees Build Capacity
The name Magic Cabinet might conjure an image of a cleaning spray that makes wood shine, or maybe some kind of AI-powered kitchen that puts away the dishes by itself. Actually, the Magic Cabinet we’re focused on is an innovative philanthropy doing an … [Read more...] about Magic Cabinet: A Matchmaking Participatory Grantmaker Helps Teams of Grantees Build Capacity
Six Questions for Cathy Cha, President and CEO of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
Cathy Cha is the president and CEO of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, a San Francisco-based family foundation that supports power-building, grassroots organizing, and policy advocacy to advance equity and justice in the Bay Area and California … [Read more...] about Six Questions for Cathy Cha, President and CEO of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
This Bay Area Grantmaker’s Pushing for Good Nonprofit Jobs. Will Other Funders Take a Cue?
On its face, the Walter & Elise Haas Fund’s new $24.5 million Endeavor Fund may not seem like a very big deal outside of the San Francisco Bay area, where its grants are focused. But considering the enthusiastic response from philanthropic … [Read more...] about This Bay Area Grantmaker’s Pushing for Good Nonprofit Jobs. Will Other Funders Take a Cue?
A Look at Venture Capitalist Burt McMurtry’s Bay Area Philanthropy
Burton J. McMurtry was a Silicon Valley venture capital investor whose firms supported companies like Microsoft, Visio, Synopsys, Sun Microsystems and SpectraLink. He was also known for serving on the Stanford University board of trustees and for … [Read more...] about A Look at Venture Capitalist Burt McMurtry’s Bay Area Philanthropy
