Bay Area & NorCal

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?”

Artificial intelligence loomed very large at several recent Bay Area functions hosted by Salesforce. As the trailblazing corporate funder leans into AI in its education giving, are there pitfalls to consider?

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.

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. 

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.

CFSC is one of the leading community foundations in the Bay Area. Let’s dive into CFSC’s grantmaking to learn more about how to approach this accessible funder for support.

The Castellano Family Foundation, which was founded after the family behind it won the lottery, has sunsetted. But its work will live on through a new fund housed at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Silicon Valley has pockets of deep poverty — and child care deserts — alongside areas of immense, tech-fueled wealth. SVCF’s Christine Thorsteinson details the foundation’s efforts boost access to quality early education.

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.

This Bay Area and Pacific Northwest funder has a unique take on participatory grantmaking, inviting small cohorts of grantees to share flexible, capacity-building funds. Magic Cabinet’s leadership explains how it works.

We spoke with the leader of this prominent California social justice funder to discuss her career, her experience as the daughter of Korean immigrants, threats to American democracy, and more.

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.

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.

We caught up with Dr. Hanh Cao Yu to talk about how her experiences as a refugee of the war in Vietnam shaped her, what led to her career in philanthropy, her current work, and more.

This Bay Area funder moved $155 million last year for a mix of science, education, climate and more. We talked to the head of the foundation about her plans, the state of philanthropy, and what she likes to do in her free time.

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.

The tech giant has hit rocky terrain of late, but the company’s philanthropy continues to move millions. Its Catalyst Fund is supporting Black-led nonprofits promoting leadership and job skills for young people of color.

Sergey Brin’s foundation has nearly $5 billion in assets and a portfolio spanning Parkinson’s disease, science and activism. It’s not known for transparency, but we do know a fair amount about what it supports and why.

Here’s an overview of how the Margoes Foundation approaches grantmaking in Northern California, with a focus on two specific funding niches.

Gary and Gail Marino created their own family foundation after being inspired by their daughter, who was born with Down syndrome. Here are a few things to know about the Marino Family Charitable Foundation’s California giving.

Dedicated California funders are helping to design the future of aging in America by boosting new ideas, nudging along state leaders, contributing to good policy, and more.

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.

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.

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.

Salesforce’s latest round of education funding zeroes in on mental health and resilient schools. It’s praiseworthy support, but begs the question: why is so much private backing for public schools even necessary?

A market boom and billions from venture capitalist Michael Moritz have catapulted Crankstart into one of the nation’s biggest grantmakers. Here’s where the money’s headed and who’s calling the shots.

San Francisco’s Metta Fund works to improve health outcomes of older adults in underserved communities. The grantmaker is doing a lot of forward-thinking funding around racial equity, trust-based giving and reframing aging.

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.

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.

A new direct giving program aims to close the wealth gap for local artists, or at least cover supplies, with a guaranteed $1,000 a month. The cash has a surprisingly large impact, with some artists even giving a portion away.