Bay Area & NorCal

The Levi Strauss Foundation, an early funder in the fight against HIV/AIDS, continues to step up in changing times, meeting a roll-back of hard fought gains in the areas of diversity and inclusion with expanded support for the trans community. 

NBA superstar Stephen Curry and his wife Ayesha offer a case study of the new philanthropic energy in professional sports. Tapping serious wealth, they’re turning to giving early and also thinking strategically about collaboration and scale.

Dr. Fusen Chen’s foundation maintains a minimal web presence and is not particularly accessible to grantseekers. We dig deep to share some important insights about what this funder’s priorities are for grantmaking in Northern California.

Jackie Safier leads a Bay Area foundation that’s now made over a billion dollars in grants. In a rare interview, the press-shy CEO talks about her goals and how she’s steered away from political controversy involving Israel and the far right.

The Chavez Family Foundation is a San Francisco-based grantmaker that is often involved in immigration-related collaborations. Here's how local nonprofits in nine Bay Area counties can get involved with this funder.

Like a lot of tech companies these days, PayPal is keen to help diverse young workers build STEM skills, get through college and connect to economic opportunity. So how is the company’s philanthropy playing out? We get an inside look.

A few years back, the Irvine Foundation reorganized itself to empower California's low-income workers. The latest part of this work aims to rev up a key engine of economic mobility, California’s community colleges, as well as the California State University system.

Putting $30 million into homelessness research won’t get people housed immediately. But with California poised for bolder action on this crisis, Marc and Lynne Benioff are looking to ensure that resources go to evidence-based solutions that will work.

The momentum behind impact investing is being further fueled by a growing sense of urgency among funders up against large-scale equity challenges in top metro areas. The San Francisco Foundation is the latest funder looking to bring more cash to the fight.

Thirteen years ago, this couple established the Chamberlin Family Foundation, a grantmaking entity that supports causes related to education and equity. They’ve also created a nonprofit called Education Matters that focuses on West Contra Costa.

Not a whole lot is known about the philanthropy of Christopher and Andrea Borch, but they’re interesting because of their local dedication and broad interest areas.

C.J. Berry made a fortune in gold and oil but never forgot the community. Now the C.J. Berry Foundation focuses grantmaking on the regions that made the founder rich. Here are facts about this funder that Northern California nonprofits should know.

Salesforce founder Marc Benioff and his wife Lynne are among a growing number of philanthropists focused on ocean health. Like other Silicon Valley givers in this space, they see a role for tech—most recently getting behind an Ocean Solutions Accelerator.

Nancy and Joachim Bechtle are key figures in San Francisco’s nonprofit world, with a long track record of supporting many of the city’s leading cultural institutions. We take a closer look at the couple’s priorities and recent grantmaking.

As philanthropists, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan have been best known for their big ambitions around biomedical research and education. But they’ve also been major donors in their home region, with CZI moving grants to dozens of local groups.

Philanthropy is a small but important part of major projects in Seattle and the Bay Area aimed at ensuring more affordable housing and providing aid to the homeless. Where can grant dollars have the most impact in taking on these daunting challenges?

This media giant’s corporate funding arm will soon award approximately $2.5 million in 11 regions to support promising local programs addressing community challenges.

A $15 million gift to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland by Marc and Lynne Benioff will address the acute shortage of mental health services for children and adolescents in Oakland and the East Bay.

The Battery is known as an exclusive hangout for San Francisco’s tech leaders. But it’s also serious about its social mission, with a philanthropic arm that has now galvanized $15 million in giving. We recently caught up with its leaders to get an update.

We take a look at the new charitable venture of Zach Ertz of the Philadelphia Eagles, and soccer player Julie Ertz, which is focused in Philadelphia, the Bay Area, and Haiti.

After many lucrative years in the tech industry, Keith Krach is leaving his executive job to focus on philanthropy. We talk with him about a recent $1 million gift and how his career shaped his interest in nurturing “transformational leaders.”

Salesforce.org, the philanthropic arm of the software company, is known for directly backing public school districts in the cities where its employees live and work. What behind its largest gift ever to a national education nonprofit?

Last month after a contentious campaign, San Francisoc voters approved a ballot measure to tax the city’s richest companies to help the homeless. Now one of the measure’s biggest supporters is putting millions of his own money where his mouth is.

Blue Shield of California Foundation is looking to step up its game, bringing “new kinds of solutions and approaches” to complex health and equity challenges. As part of that push, it’s created a new fellowship program.

The Horner Foundation is run by family members who focus their giving on causes for kids aged 10 to 19 in Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and regions of Canada and England. Here’s what it’s up to.

With freshwater under threat across the West, foundations have stepped up work in this area in recent years. The S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, which is spending down by 2020, has been a key player on water issues.

As devastating wildfires have become the new normal in California, the state’s philanthropic community has stepped up in response, moving millions for relief. Who’s doing what with fires now burning at both ends of the state?

Lots of grant money has been flowing lately for movement building. The Akonadi Foundation is among those funders now looking to translate that energy into gains at the ballot box, as we explored in an article first published in May.

The Dorsey & Whitney Foundation, an international law firm based in Minnesota, supports the communities where its lawyers work—in a variety of ways. We take a quick look at its grantmaking, local employee engagement, and pro bono legal services.

Early childhood learning funders are focusing growing attention on helping parents get the information they need to encourage their child’s early cognitive development. A Bay Area initiative is getting a boost after a promising first run.