Over the last seven years, crypto entrepreneur Chris Larsen has put less than $1 million into his foundation, Rippleworks — and not a cent in the last two, during which his wealth has nearly quadrupled to more than $12 billion, according to … [Read more...] about Cryptocurrency Titan Chris Larsen’s Grantmaking Is on the Rise. Where’s It Going?
Bay Area Articles
These Billionaires Are Giving Big to Modernize University of California Hospitals
In just the first half of this year, Kenneth Hao, chairman of one of the world's largest private equity firms, and his wife Kathy Chiao, have committed at least $175 million to the University of California, following years of quiet but strong support … [Read more...] about These Billionaires Are Giving Big to Modernize University of California Hospitals
San Francisco Foundation Steps Up for Local Arts Groups After NEA Cuts
Akonadi Foundation’s Ray Colmenar on Backing Racial Justice at a Fraught Time
Checking in With MacKenzie Scott’s Affordable Housing Grantees a Year Later
Beyond Linsanity: Inside Jeremy Lin’s Philanthropic Journey
How Marc Benioff Sparked a Bay Area Uproar and Turned the City Against Him
5 Things to Know About Brian Eule, the Heising-Simons Foundation’s Incoming President
Why the Fleishhacker Foundation Went All-in on Unrestricted Grants for Artists
Many Boys and Men of Color Struggle. This California Funder Network Is on the Case
Nicole Taylor on Guiding a Revamped SVCF Through a New Era of Urgency
How the Zellerbach Family Foundation Transformed Its Giving to Better Support Grantees
Eat. Learn. Play. A Sitdown with Stephen and Ayesha Curry on Giving Back
We Are California Aims to Shore Up a Blue Fortress Against Trump
The Real Story Behind the San Francisco DA’s Spats with Foundation Funders
“Legacy Matters.” Why and How This Prominent Bay Area Family Foundation Is Spending Down
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
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
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
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
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
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 … [Read more...] about 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 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
