September 25, 2023 Can This Sustainability Challenge Help Revive a Struggling City? September 25, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Deloitte, Salesforce and the World Economic Forum launched a challenge that they hope will help revive a struggling San Francisco. But can backing social entrepreneurs really pull the city out of its “doom loop?”Read More
September 07, 2023 Stephen and Ayesha Curry Tell Us About the Future of Their Philanthropy September 07, 2023/ Ade Adeniji The NBA power couple are ramping up their giving in their adopted home city of Oakland, with a continued focus on healthy food, education and recreation for youth. We connected with them to learn more.Read More
August 30, 2023 “The Time Was Right.” How Three Funders Joined Forces to Simplify the Grant Application Process August 30, 2023/ Mike Scutari The Common App for the Arts, launched by three Bay Area foundations, consolidates each funder’s grants on a single user interface. We look at how it came together, plans for future iterations and more. Read More
August 24, 2023 Eight Questions for Ray Colmenar, President of the Akonadi Foundation August 24, 2023/ Martha Ramirez Ray Colmenar recently succeeded Lateefah Simon as president of the Oakland-based Akonadi Foundation. We spoke to him about his career, the notion of co-governance, Akonadi’s racial justice commitments and more.Read More
June 16, 2023 What Jewish Charities in the Bay Area Should Know About the Milton and Sophie Meyer Fund June 16, 2023/ Alyssa Ochs The Milton and Sophie Meyer Fund stands out for its narrow focus regarding both geography and what it supports. Here is an overview of this funder and what backs in the Bay Area.Read More
May 01, 2023 This Bay Area Grantmaker’s Pushing for Good Nonprofit Jobs. Will Other Funders Take a Cue? May 01, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe With its new $24.5 million Endeavor Fund, the Walter & Elise Haas Fund made a point of selecting grantees committed to their workers’ wellbeing. Haas is also being loud and proud about that fact in front of other funders.Read More
April 21, 2023 A Look at Venture Capitalist Burt McMurtry’s Bay Area Philanthropy April 21, 2023/ Alyssa Ochs Burton J. McMurtry was a Silicon Valley venture capital investor who created a family foundation before his death in 2018. Here are some details about the McMurtry Family Foundation to guide Bay Area nonprofits.Read More
March 10, 2023 An Overview of the Marini Family Trust’s California Funding March 10, 2023/ Alyssa Ochs The Marini Family Trust operates as a family foundation and carries out the legacy of Frank Marini, a prominent San Franciscan and philanthropist. Here’s how Bay Area groups can approach this funder for support.Read More
December 05, 2022 At 42 and Counting, Horizons Foundation Punches Way Above Its Weight December 05, 2022/ Dawn Wolfe An iconic LGBTQ community funder, the Bay Area-based Horizons Foundation has spent decades building up the grassroots. Today, though it’s still modest in size, its impact extends to the national and international stage.Read More
October 27, 2022 Who’s Behind the LS Foundation, and What Does It Support? October 27, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs Founded by a tech sector veteran, the LS Foundation prioritizes the Bay Area and has a few different interests that it focuses on. Here is some information about this funder and its Bay Area support.Read More
October 12, 2022 An Overview of the Richard and Emily Levin Foundation’s NorCal Grantmaking October 12, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs With deep roots in San Francisco, Richard Levin is a Bay Area millionaire who has been quietly involved in philanthropy for many years. Here are a few things to know about the foundation he created with his wife, Emily.Read More
August 12, 2022 An Update on the LaureL Foundation and Its Northern California Commitments August 12, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs The LaureL Foundation has shifted some of its focus and become more accessible to Northern California grantseekers. Here’s an update with what you need to know about this grantmaker.Read More
August 01, 2022 In the Housing-Starved Bay Area, a MacKenzie Scott Gift Fuels Grassroots Approaches August 01, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Thanks to a $20 million gift from MacKenzie Scott, United Way Bay Area is expanding its housing justice work. It’s one example of how the mega-donor’s unrestricted funding is being used to tackle a pressing regional need.Read More
June 21, 2022 Meet Laura Lauder, a Jewish Venture Philanthropist Committed to the Bay Area June 21, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs The Laura and Gary Lauder Family Venture Philanthropy Fund has existed since 1995. Here are some details about Laura Lauder’s approach to philanthropy to guide grantseekers in the Bay Area.Read More
May 31, 2022 A Look at How Jean and E. Floyd Kvamme Give Locally in the Bay Area May 31, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs The Jean & E. Floyd Kvamme Foundation has been around since the early 1990s. Here's a brief look at the foundation’s grantmaking and its local commitment in Northern California.Read More
May 20, 2022 Silicon Valley Community Foundation's Nicole Taylor on Women's Growing Role in Philanthropy May 20, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Leading the nation’s largest community foundation, and as the first Black woman in the role, Nicole Taylor has made equity a lodestar. Here, she weighs in on SVCF’s all-woman executive team, 2020’s challenges, and more.Read More
May 11, 2022 IP Briefing: What's Going on With Philanthropy in Northern California? May 11, 2022/ IP Staff The Northern California philanthropic ecosystem is extremely wealthy and extremely varied, with funders addressing pressing challenges like climate change and housing alongside philanthropic mainstays like education.Read More
May 02, 2022 Funder Spotlight: How the James Irvine Foundation Backs California’s Low-Income Workers May 02, 2022/ Ade Adeniji In our latest funder spotlight, we look at the origins of the James Irvine Foundation and how it’s harnessing a hefty endowment to empower California’s low-income workers, including by getting behind the labor movement.Read More
April 26, 2022 A Tale of Two Valleys: Five Ways Philanthropy Can Change to Make Silicon Valley More Equitable April 26, 2022/ Martha Ramirez A new report highlights five shifts funders can make to more effectively combat inequality. Though it’s geared toward giving in the Bay Area, its advice rings true for philanthropists across the nation.Read More
April 15, 2022 How This Women-Led Giving Circle Supports Latino Families April 15, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Based in the Bay Area, the Peninsula Latina Giving Circle is taking on the negative impacts of COVID and other stressors by funding Latino organizations close to home. Its founder sees it as a way to democratize philanthropy.Read More