Ronald Whittier Family Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Ronald Whittier Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to health and education. 

IP TAKE: This is a good foundation to know for nonprofits that work with cancer patients and underserved youth in the Bay Area. This funder does not accept unsolicited proposals.

PROFILE: Established in 2000, the Ronald Whittier Family Foundation is a private foundation that is focused on the Bay Area of California. It was founded by former Intel Executive Ronald W. Whittier, who was born in San Francisco. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a B.Sc. in chemical engineering and received a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Stanford University. He joined Intel in 1970 and retired as a senior vice president in 2000.

Whittier steers the foundation with his daughter Jackie. The foundation lacks transparency and does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. Tax filings suggest the Ronald Whittier Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to health and education. 

Grants for K-12 Education

In 2000, the family established the Whittier Educational Foundation to provide under-served West Contra Costa Unified School District students a leg up in pursuing college and career opportunities through technology. TechFutures now serves to support the three Information Technology Academies (at El Cerrito, Kennedy, and De Anza High Schools) by "providing curriculum, work-based learning support, technical infrastructure support, and college/career training."  

Past grantees have included Canary Foundation, Saint Francis High School, Summit Preparatory School, and Young Dreamer Network, " a non-profit organization on a mission to empower youth to be difference makers both locally and globally through scholarships and service-learning programs."

Grants for Public Health and Access

The family also founded the FamiliesCAN program to help families dealing with cancer. The program is funded by the Whittier foundation. The primary focus of FamiliesCAN is providing financial support for patients.  The outfit also provides emotional support for patients by connecting them with a variety of cancer-related resources in the community including Camp Kesem, a camp for the children of cancer patients. The bulk of grants go directly to cancer patients, who can connect to the program though social workers.

Other grantees include Canary Foundation, Cornell University Weill Medical Center, American Cancer Society, Lucille Packard Foundation for Children's Health, and UCLA Department Of Surgery - Liver & Pancreatic Transplantation. 

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $200 to $82,908. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation gave away a little under $100,000. Learn more about past local giving in the funder's recent tax records.

The foundation keeps a low-profile and does not accept unsolicited proposals. 

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

Ronald Whittier Family Foundation
3130 Alpine Road, Suite 288 PMB 602
Portola Valley, CA 94028