OUR APPROACH
Our Approach continues to evolve as the landscape changes, and we learn more about the nature of the work we are doing and how to respond to it. The Board of the Foundation feels comfortable with this dynamic approach to philanthropy: we check our map and refine our journey annually.
We have however developed a few principles that are constant: we want to be involved in solutions to pressing human and global problems; we like to collaborate, especially with people who are doing innovative work; there needs to be someone in the family who finds the particular area of focus compelling.
The geographic focus of our grant making is broadly the western US with more pinpoint focus on the Bay Area of California, Colorado, and the Inter-mountain West. We evaluate and administer grants and investments in the four broad focus areas of Climate Change, Food Systems, Land & Water, and Social Justice. We often give general operating grants because we acknowledge that the best people to decide how to use our philanthropic dollars are those that are doing the actual work.
Our general operating grants allow organizations to pursue new opportunities, respond to unexpected political or environmental events, hire key personnel, or buy stamps. In some cases we’ve had long relationships with grantees. We are also excited to develop new relationships as we see fresh, innovative thinking develop. Beginning in 2018, the Foundation’s Board of Directors decided to emphasize providing catalytic start-up capital to newer organizations, or new projects within organizations in the form of three-year operating grants. We look to fund innovative solutions to big problems, and seek trustworthy, inspiring teams to carry out that work.
As a Foundation with small staff, we currently only accept proposals by invitation. To read read more about our grant making process please use this link.
