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https://www.trellisfoundation.org/about-us

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Key Operating Ideas

Trellis Foundation's approach to grantmaking reflects several key ideas involving educational systems, collaboration, and equity:

Education systems should be focused on meeting the needs of students and supporting their success, as they themselves define it.

Addressing inequities in educational outcomes requires acknowledging system failures and re-imagining systems that support success for low-income students and students of color.

Catalyzing impact requires action in addition to grantmaking, including meaningful collaboration, knowledge building, convening, and other means of drawing attention to persistent disparities, as well as driving additional focus and commitment for key systems actors to dismantle inequitable systems.

Increased economic and social mobility, particularly for populations who have not been well-served by educational systems, are among the long-term outcomes the Foundation is working to achieve.

These ideas have informed philanthropic giving for Trellis Foundation-even prior to its official launch as an independent entity. They help to shape our mission, values, and strategy.

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Operating Principles Key Operating Ideas Trellis Foundation's approach to grantmaking reflects several key ideas involving educational systems, collaboration, and equity: Education systems should be focused on meeting the needs of students and supporting their success, as they themselves define it.

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Golden Line: [example]

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For Session 2, please use the reference tools linked in Sharepoint and this Padlet to explore other foundations and share their websites. Underneath your name in this Padlet, post links to the websites of two foundations that you admire. To do so, hover over the 3 gray dots in the boxes under your name and click "Edit," then click the middle orange hexagon to add a link. For each foundation, post a Golden Line from their website that represents some aspect of their work that inspires or intrigues you.

If you're not sure about your Golden Line, think about:
-Where does the text raise questions for you?
-Where does the text confirm what you already believe?
-Where does the text make you say aha?
-Where does the text conflict with your beliefs?
-Where does the text cause you to reconsider prior assumptions?

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Agenda for the day...
1. Hang out, eat & connection question [~15 minutes]
2. Session Objectives [5 minutes]
3. Reflections on Foundations We Admire, refer to Padlet [20 minutes]
4. Mini Case Studies: Partnerships with Other Foundations (Maureen, April) [10 minutes]
5. Break [10 minutes]
6. What Kind of Foundation Are We? [45 minutes]
5. Next Steps [5 minutes]

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National partnerships and state-level initiatives are building workers' skills to meet employers' needs while also strengthening policies for adult education, job training, economic development and other resources to help individuals find and keep jobs and build careers.

Throughout the nation, the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training program equips individuals with the literacy, work and life skills they need to earn credentials and get to work.

Between 2001 and 2008, 1.37 million free tax returns were prepared at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites across the country in an effort to help families leverage the earned income tax credit without paying large fees.

Grants support paid positions for new professionals who were in the juvenile justice system. Learn about the grantees.

A recent series provides insight into the high unemployment rate among Black youth and adults - and recommends policies to improve outcomes.

A new report funded by the Casey Foundation provides insights into young workers' mental health and how employment programs and policymakers can act.

Funders Supporting the Economic Success of Families

We are committed to partnering with other funders to support investments in quality research on economic opportunities and effective policies. If your institution wants to collaborate in funding this work, contact us about potential co-investments.

Sign up to get the latest news and resources on advancing economic opportunities for families.

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National partnerships and state-level initiatives are building workers' skills to meet employers' needs while also strengthening policies for adult education, job training, economic development and other resources to help individuals find and keep jobs and build careers.

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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College Spark Washington supports the postsecondary dreams of students and their communities through grantmaking focused on dismantling racism in the education system.

We envision an education system that encourages learners to be their authentic selves and is eager and equipped to guide them towards realizing their dreams.

Our Core Values

At College Spark, our work is rooted in love for community and justice in creating educational opportunities that can transform our society. We show love by seeking to eliminate oppression and disrupting educational inequities for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. We express love in the following ways:

We believe in the wisdom of students and their communities. Communities transform their futures because solutions come from those most directly affected by racist systems.

We actively seek and embrace opportunities to support students, communities, and allies to devise and implement educational solutions. We operate with humility and recognize that we don't have all the answers. By collaborating and aligning with others, we leverage collective insight, experience, networks, and resources to more effectively advance educational equity.

We forge authentic relationships with communities and allies. Authentic relationships require us to be open to being challenged and responsive to our partners. We commit to listen, learn, and model openness and transparency.

We are an organization of continuous improvement. We embrace new ways of thinking, planning, and acting that improve the impact and effectiveness of our work. We continuously learn from experience, students and their community, each other, and our partners.

We are steady in our approach to lasting change. We have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to be relentless in our efforts to dismantle educational barriers that prevent equitable opportunity for students. We are responsible stewards of the public's trust, and we invest wisely to benefit future generations.

We are bold in our belief about what's possible and in challenging the status quo. We seek to cause good mischief by challenging education systems to be more responsive to the needs of students and their communities.

Our History

College Spark began supporting access to higher education in 1978 by managing student loan programs. In 2004, College Spark reorganized as an education grantmaker and since then we have committed more than $70 million to college readiness and degree completion programs throughout Washington state.

Improving college readiness and success among low-income students and students of color is a complex problem that requires complex and multi-faceted solutions. Our current programs include:

LEADER (Leaders in Education Advancing Diversity Equity and Racial justice) Initiative, invests $13.8 million over eight years, will focus on increasing community representation in teaching, supporting the systems changes needed to sustain these educators and leaders, and supporting the transformation toward just and equitable educator prep programs, districts, and schools.

Education Equity Fund supports schools, colleges, and community based organizations working toward antiracist practices in education to stimulate systemic change and create positive outcomes for students. Grant funding, up to $180K over three years, supports work designed to dismantle barriers to equity in education for students in high school and at community and technical colleges.

The Small Districts Fund supports small school districts with K-12 enrollments under 2,000 students with efforts that better prepare students for successful transition to postsecondary education and that improve racial equity in education.

Our Guided Pathways Initiative invests more than $8.5 million over eight years to make system-level changes that will provide students with more clarity on how to navigate the path to a desired degree. Ten community and technical colleges have been selected to implement the program.

The College-Ready Math Initiative invests $12 million over seven years to help low-income students graduate from high school with strong math skills and avoid remediation in college.  The initiative includes a variety of evidence-based strategies and programs designed to help students improve their scores on the 11th grade Smarter Balanced Assessment, which measures achievement on Common Core State Standards and which can ensure automatic placement into college-level classes.

Prior to our mission change in 2021, College Spark supported the following programs and initiatives:

An Outcomes Acceleration Fund which awarded more than $1 million each year, in grants of up to $150,000.  College Spark awarded more than 100 Outcomes Acceleration Grants totaling more than $20 million.  Information about the Fund and past recipients is available on the Outcomes Acceleration Fund page.

Ready to Rise was an initiative investing nearly $3.4 million over five years to help low-income students stay on track and graduate from college. The cohort-based program, which emphasizes peer support, served 1,000 students from three Washington communities as they attended colleges throughout the state.

College Spark also supported theWashBoard.org, a free, web-based scholarship clearinghouse for Washington residents and students attending Washington colleges. More than 250,000 scholarship seekers have registered on theWashBoard.org. Last year, more than $40 million in available scholarship awards were available.

For information about our completed College Readiness Initiative and Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count Initiative, please see our What We Learn page.

View a one-page handout of College Spark's current programs here.

"For too long, too many of our young people have been shut out of the transformational opportunities that a college education provides.  College Spark's unwavering support for programs that promote college readiness, college attendance, and college success among students of color and from disadvantaged backgrounds is changing many lives for the better."
- Ed Taylor, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs at the University of Washington and College Spark Trustee

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College Spark Washington supports the postsecondary dreams of students and their communities through grantmaking focused on dismantling racism in the education system. We envision an education system that encourages learners to be their authentic selves and is eager and equipped to guide them towards realizing their dreams.

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Golden Line: [example]

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Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation's need for talent through a broad range of credentials.

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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We believe in the collective power of young feminists to lead and transform their own communities. That's why we're the only fund run by young feminists to support and establish other emerging feminist organizations, collectives and movements. learn more about us Grantee Partners We believe in the collective power of young feminists to lead and [...]

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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https://schottfoundation.org/

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If Not Now, when? Schott is a BIPOC-led public fund that pools philanthropic funding and fuels racial and education justice movements. We can't do it without you. About Schott Schott's 2022 in review: Grantmaking by the numbers grantee victories How together we're shifting power $ 1 m Grants Awarded for Education Justice to Date 0 ...

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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Understanding our impact and being open to improvement helps us be a better partner to our grantee organizations and the leaders we engage in the Sterling Network.

We hope to generate evidence for the effectiveness of trust-based philanthropy approaches and network-based leadership practices.

We hope that being accountable and evaluating our work engenders trust.

What we are trying to accomplish with our grantmaking

We want our grantees to use our support as they see fit.  That doesn’t mean we don’t have expectations for how we can help them.

For newer grantees, our flexible funding can help them defray costs so they have "breathing room.” That, combined with participating in our convenings where they get to learn from and network with each other, can help them build capacity.

Over time, our support can help grantees have the space and resources to focus on their core work.

In addition to impacting individual organizations, we expect to have a more collective and systemic impact, boosting the health of the New York City nonprofit leadership sector.

Ultimately, we hope to help move the needle of philanthropy funding for human capital development, especially using general operating support.

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Why we evaluate our work:

Understanding our impact and being open to improvement helps us be a better partner to our grantee organizations and the leaders we engage in the Sterling Network.

We hope to generate evidence for the effectiveness of trust-based philanthropy approaches and network-based leadership practices.

We hope that being accountable and evaluating our work engenders trust.

What we are trying to accomplish with our grantmaking

We want our grantees to use our support as they see fit. That doesn't mean we don't have expectations for how we can help them.

For newer grantees, our flexible funding can help them defray costs so they have "breathing room." That, combined with participating in our convenings where they get to learn from and network with each other, can help them build capacity.

Over time, our support can help grantees have the space and resources to focus on their core work.

In addition to impacting individual organizations, we expect to have a more collective and systemic impact, boosting the health of the New York City nonprofit leadership sector.

Ultimately, we hope to help move the needle of philanthropy funding for human capital development, especially using general operating support.

How we evaluate our work:

We use three evaluation tools to assess our grantmaking impact.

Working with grantees, RSCF has developed qualitative and quantitative assessment tools that include:

Flexible Funding Impact Survey, a rubric-based instrument that examines how grantees have used our funding and the impact it's had on their organizations and programs. Grantees complete this annually.

CHAT (Check-in Analysis Tool), which replaces site visits and written grantee reporting as an annual conversation between foundation staff and grantees. The CHAT lets us hear about what our grantees are doing, how they're using our funding, and what impact our funding is having on their organizations. The CHAT also directly assesses the trust we build with grantees.

Convening surveys, that examine whether grantees find our facilitated grantee gatherings meaningful for learning, building connections, and peer exchange.

Our evaluators aggregate and share findings from each assessment tool so that we can reflect on whether we are reaching our goals, and how we might change our practice. A grantmaking impact assessment from our evaluators for 2017-18 is here.

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Approach - Robert Sterling Clark Foundation

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Understanding our impact and being open to improvement helps us be a better partner to our grantee organizations and the leaders we engage in the Sterling Network. We hope to generate evidence for the effectiveness of trust-based philanthropy approaches and network-based leadership practices. We hope that being accountable and evaluating our work engenders trust.

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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Convergence Partnership’s report, Funding Narrative Change, An Assessment and Framework, supported by The Kresge Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, outlines a framework and recommendations for funders to shift narratives via mass culture, mass media and mass movement.

According to the report, the term “narrative” is the themes and ideas that permeate collections of stories.

The report’s methodology included interviews with more than 20 foundations, including CMF members Ford Foundation and Kresge Foundation, and funder collaborative staff. The foundations selected for the report were identified as actively pursuing health equity and racial justice or related “social determinants of health” issues, including affordable housing or immigration.

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The first-ever report focused exclusively on the funding of narrative change, supported by CMF members, shares the findings of a field scan of narrative change work in racial justice and health equity philanthropy.

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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The American Indian College Fund provides financial support for Native American students and tribal colleges and universities, and also supports programs for institutional growth and sustainability and cultural preservation.

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Give the Gift of Education Important Updates What's New Join The Conversation Connect With Us College Fund scholar Manuel (Otoe-Missouria Tribe) wants to be the first in his family to become a university instructor. With your support, he has already taken and completed the first step toward ...

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Foundation Source: What is a Private Foundation?

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Foundation Source: What is a Private Foundation?

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Different Types of Foundations

Many different types of nonprofit organizations call themselves a "foundation," or use the word in their names. Here are some examples:

Public Foundation

A "public foundation" is just another term for a public charity. (Examples of public charities with the word "foundation" in their names include the Make-A-Wish Foundation and The Susan G. Komen Foundation.) These nonprofit organizations rely on donations from individuals, the government, corporations, and private foundations to fund their operations and programs.

Private Foundation

A private foundation, like a public charity or public foundation, is dedicated to carrying out a charitable mission. However, a private foundation is not a public charity because, instead of receiving public support, it is funded and controlled by an individual, family, or corporation. Examples of private foundations include The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Coca-Cola Foundation, Inc.

All private foundations share these commonalities:

They are established for charitable purposes and to provide donors with a tax deduction for their contributions.

They are managed by their own board of directors.

They receive most of their financial support from and are normally controlled by their founders.

They must make charitable distributions throughout their taxable year.

They are tax-exempt organizations, but must pay a nominal excise tax of 1.39% on their net investment income.

Although they typically make grants to public charities, they can also:
- Run programs, provide services, and conduct direct charitable activities.
- Provide aid to individuals and families for disaster relief and hardship assistance.

Non-Operating vs. Operating Foundations

There are two distinct categories of private foundations:

Non-Operating Foundations

Operating Foundations

At the most basic level, the primary difference between non-operating foundations and operating foundations is the extent to which a foundation's resources and operations are dedicated directly to charitable activities and services, and whether such operations are carried on continuously or merely sporadically.

Non-Operating Foundations: These foundations typically make grants to public charities, and they make up the vast majority of the private foundation community. They can conduct their own direct charitable activities (and make grants to individuals, award scholarships, make grants to international organizations that aren't recognized as 501(c)(3) charities, etc.), but running their own programs is not their primary focus. Generally, a non-operating foundation must make an annual distribution equal to roughly 5% of its prior year's average net investment assets. Distributions that count toward this requirement include grants to charities, certain related expenses, and, with the exception of investment expenses, necessary and reasonable administrative costs (including Foundation Source's annual fee). These foundations are the kind that Foundation Source establishes and supports.

Operating Foundations: An operating foundation predominantly undertakes charitable activities and must be significantly involved in its own projects in a continuing and sustaining fashion. (Examples might include the operation of a museum, zoo, library, or research facility.) To ensure that operating foundations are adequately engaged in directly carrying out their charitable activities, each year, they are required to spend the major portion of their investment income (85%) directly on the active conduct of their charitable operations (direct charitable expenditures). Essentially, an operating foundation makes direct charitable expenditures by conducting its own charitable projects rather than by making grants to other organizations. (For instance, rather than give a grant to a food bank, an operating foundation might purchase food directly and hire a driver to deliver it.)

Private Foundation Rules

Because private foundations are established for charitable purposes, they must comply with IRS rules to ensure that they are active, and their expenditures benefit the public. A private foundation is therefore required to make an annual distribution equal to roughly 5% of its prior year's average net investment assets. Distributions that count toward this requirement include grants to charities, certain related expenses, and, with the exception of investment expenses, necessary and reasonable administrative costs (including Foundation Source's annual fee).

In exchange for complying with these requirements, private foundation donors enjoy full control over how the foundation's charitable assets are invested and granted (and pass this control to subsequent generations in perpetuity). They are also entitled to significant tax benefits.

A donor may be able to take advantage of three main tax benefits when he or she gives to a private foundation:

1. Reduction of the donor's income tax for each year in which a contribution is made;

2. Avoidance of capital gains taxes depending on the characteristics of property contributed; and

3. Reduction or elimination of potential estate taxes.

Income Tax Savings

One of the more immediate tax benefits is that a donor will receive an income tax deduction for any amount he or she contributes to a private foundation up to 30% of the donor's adjusted gross income (AGI).

Capital Gains Tax Savings

In addition to a deduction for income taxes on gifts to a private foundation, donors may also be able to avoid paying capital gains taxes by donating highly appreciated assets to a private foundation. For example, if a donor were to give appreciated stock to a foundation, he or she would be entitled to receive an income tax deduction for the full, fair-market value of the stock. When the foundation decides to sell the stock in the future, it will pay only the nominal excise tax of 1.39% on the net capital gains.

Estate Tax Savings

When assets are contributed to a private foundation, they are excluded from the donor's estate and, as a result, are not subject to either federal or state estate taxes. For high-net-worth individuals who have a strong charitable interest, private foundations offer an opportunity to avoid paying estate taxes while simultaneously creating a lasting philanthropic legacy.

Benefits of a Private Foundation vs. a Public Charity

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are approximately 1,097,689 public charities in the United States, and perhaps just 90,000 private foundations. The reason why public foundations vastly outnumber private foundations is largely explained by financial considerations: A public charity can solicit support from the general public, government, and private foundations whereas a private foundation is funded by an individual, family, or corporation. Although Foundation Source has lowered the cost of starting and managing a private foundation, making it practical to establish a private foundation with as little as $250,000 in initial funding, public charities often have lower start-up costs and no minimal revenue requirements.

Tax Deductible Giving Limits of Public Charities and Private Foundations

Public charities must pass various support tests to qualify for their IRS status. However, compared to private foundations, public charities do have a somewhat higher limit on how much a donor may give and still receive a tax deduction.

A donor may receive up to 60% of his or her adjusted gross income (AGI) for cash donations to a public charity, and up to 30% AGI for donations to a private foundation. In practice, however, tax deduction limitations rarely present a barrier to private foundation donors. First, many donors do not reach AGI limits on tax deductions. If they do, however, contributions that exceed annual limits may be carried over to subsequent years. Second, contributions may be made both to a private foundation and a public charity, so if the maximum 30% AGI limit of cash contributions to a private foundation is reached, additional cash contributions of up to 30% AGI can be made directly to one or more public charities.

Advantages of Private Foundations over Public Charities

Beyond these differences, private foundations enjoy important advantages over public charities. The most important one of these is control. Unlike public charities, which are governed by diversified boards of directors, private foundations are independent legal entities controlled exclusively by their donors. The donors have the final say on how foundation assets are invested and spent; which charities to support; whether others share in foundation governance; and if so, how.

Moreover, because private foundations are given very broad latitude by the IRS to pursue their missions, they can effect change in many ways beyond granting to public charities. A private foundation is empowered to work through almost any entity, public or private, to accomplish its charitable objectives. In addition to supporting U.S. public charities, a private foundation may:

Make international grants.

Award scholarships (and choose the recipients).

Give funds directly to individuals for disaster relief and hardship assistance.

Make Program-Related Investments including loans, loan guarantees, and even investments in for-profit businesses.

Run their own charitable programs.

A private foundation provides both control and flexibility, making it an ideal charitable vehicle for donors who want to transform equity into purpose.

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Many different types of nonprofit organizations call themselves a "foundation," or use the word in their names. Here are some examples: Public Foundation A "public foundation" is just another term for a public charity. (Examples of public charities with the word "foundation" in their names include the Make-A-Wish Foundation and The Susan G.

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ECMC: Postsecondary Education Funders Peer Survey

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ECMC: Postsecondary Education Funders Peer Survey

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ECMC - Comparative Analysis of PS Funders

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"...please join us in welcoming the team of student parents, systems leaders, and non-profit advocates who will provide feedback on the cycle’s applications and grant-making process..."

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Today, Dr. Michelson holds more than 340 U.S. patents for medical devices and procedures, and over 953 patents worldwide. He has invested in numerous areas including real estate, timber, energy, securities, healthcare, animal welfare, and education.

Through 20MM, Michelson supports nonprofits and startups that use technology to make education more affordable and accessible.

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Catalyzing Innovation in Higher Education | Michelson 20MM Foundation

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Today, Dr. Michelson holds more than 340 U.S. patents for medical devices and procedures, and over 953 patents worldwide. He has invested in numerous areas including real estate, timber, energy, securities, healthcare, animal welfare, and education. Through 20MM, Michelson supports nonprofits and startups that use technology to make education more affordable and accessible.

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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We believe that successful movements are rooted in trust, and that trust is earned. We are committed to earning trust by keeping the promises we make, by practicing honesty and transparency in everything we do, and by taking responsibility for our assumptions, words and actions - including our mistakes.

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Marguerite Casey Foundation - Who We Are

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We believe that successful movements are rooted in trust, and that trust is earned. We are committed to earning trust by keeping the promises we make, by practicing honesty and transparency in everything we do, and by taking responsibility for our assumptions, words and actions - including our mistakes.

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Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation's need for talent through a broad range of credentials.

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Heron is a private foundation that has been around since 1992. Its mission is to help people and communities help themselves.

Since inception, the ways in which we have pursued Heron's mission have evolved - in part because Heron tries to operate as a learning organization. Today, we pursue Heron's mission by championing people, places, and enterprises who challenge broken conventions and dare to change.

Photo by Qusai Akoud

What do we believe?

We believe that economic opportunity for people and communities should be the focus of our work.

We believe that every enterprise both contributes to and detracts from the world's well-being.

We believe that enterprises are drivers of change, and therefore should be properly capitalized.

We believe that the people and institutions that make investments are complicit in the net contribution of the enterprises in which they invest.

"At its core, Heron is about empowering people and institutions. We empower collections of people because it's fundamental to the success of our society."

- Buzz Schmidt, Heron Foundation Board Chair
What do we do?

We try to use the breadth of our philanthropic toolkit to feed the agency of others. We understand that our impact is rooted in the success of our community partners.

We try to understand the total effect of the enterprises in which we invest and with whom we engage.

We try to be open-minded to new opportunities and different ways of thinking. We recognize that change often requires risk, and we support our partners in making new leaps. We refuse to be bound by paradigms that limit our collective potential and possibility.

We value the collective wisdom of our community partners, philanthropic partners, and other players in the field. We have the privilege of working at the intersection of communities and capital markets - and we try to create better feedback loops between the two.

"Our role in connecting and championing should always be grounded in purpose."

- Dana Bezerra, President of the Heron Foundation

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What do we believe? We believe that economic opportunity for people and communities should be the focus of our work. We believe that every enterprise both contributes to and detracts from the world's well-being. We believe that enterprises are drivers of change, and therefore should be properly capitalized.

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Past, Present and Future

One of the largest private funders in Oregon, Meyer Memorial Trust commits its position, resources and energies to accelerate racial, social and economic justice for the collective well-being of Oregon's lands and peoples. With current assets of approximately $1 billion, Meyer Memorial Trust has awarded grants and program-related investments in excess of $930 million to more than 3,500 organizations since it was established in 1982 from the estate of Fred G. Meyer, founder of the Pacific Northwest retail chain that bears his name.

Fred G. Meyer was a man ahead of his time. The values that guided him - to innovate, take risks, embrace diversity, adapt to changing circumstances, develop the power of the mind and contribute to economic development and parity - continue to create and inform the culture of the foundation he established, influencing what we do and how we do it.

In 2015, Meyer's grantmaking evolved to focus on four priority areas in service to a vision of a flourishing and equitable Oregon. We distributed our funding primarily through an Annual Funding Opportunity organized across a range of issues-based portfolios: Building Community, Equitable Education, Healthy Environment and Housing Opportunities.

In 2020, Meyer launched the single largest initiative in its history, Justice Oregon for Black Lives. This five-year, $25 million effort aims to deepen Meyer's commitment to racial justice by making community-informed investments in the lives of Black Oregonians.

In 2021, Meyer announced that it would be working with communities to design a new funding process and structure, with the intention of incorporating more trust-based principles, policies and practices. Guided by a new mission that is explicit in its commitment to justice, Meyer also unveiled a new strategic framework and approach: to use an anti-racist feminist lens to strengthen movements, change systems and support communities to build an Oregon that works for all.

Review a timeline of Meyer Memorial Trust

Our Vision and Values

Meyer is committed to equity, which we define as fair access to opportunities.

We strive for responsiveness and flexibility, because we recognize that although the needs of Oregon evolve over time, there is value in multi-year and, in some instances, long-term commitments in order to bring about change.

We value collaboration, because partnering with organizations, people and communities allows us to collectively identify and address key needs and opportunities.

We aim for humbleness, which guides us as stewards and advocates of Meyer's legacy in all interactions with the community.

We believe in accountability and transparency, because measuring our progress ensures our investments have meaningful impact. We hold ourselves accountable by actively monitoring, evaluating and learning.

We promote advocacy, because we recognize its crucial function as a leverage point in systems change.

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Past, Present and Future One of the largest private funders in Oregon, Meyer Memorial Trust commits its position, resources and energies to accelerate racial, social and economic justice for the collective well-being of Oregon's lands and peoples.

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In January 2022—after 21 years and more than $105 million in grants—we announced that we will be winding down our investments in LGBT Equality over the next two years. The following sections describe our more recent strategies and the work still ahead.

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LGBT Equality | Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund

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Advance full equality for LGBT people so they have the same civil rights protections other Americans take for granted.

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ChatGPT’s answer to who are the best state-based philanthropies focused on post secondary success: “ The best state-based philanthropies focused on post-secondary success can vary depending on the state and the specific focus of the philanthropy. Some of the well-known state-based philanthropies that focus on post-secondary success include: 1) The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (various states), 2) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (Texas), 3) The California Community Foundation (California), 4) The Lumina Foundation (Indiana), 5) The Pittsburgh Foundation (Pennsylvania), 6) The Seattle Foundation (Washington), 7) The Greater Texas Foundation (Texas), 8) The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (California), 9) The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation (Michigan), 10) The Stupski Foundation (California). These philanthropies typically focus on providing scholarships, grants, and support services to students to help them succeed in post-secondary education and achieve their career goals. It's important to note that this list is not exhaustive and there may be other state-based philanthropies that are equally impactful and focused on post-secondary success in your area.”

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ChatGPT’s answer to who are the best state-based philanthropies focused on post secondary success: “ The best state-based philanthropies focused on post-secondary success can vary depending on the state and the specific focus of the philanthropy. Some of the well-known state-based philanthropies that focus on post-secondary success include: 1) The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (various states), 2) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (Texas), 3) The California Community Foundation (California), 4) The Lumina Foundation (Indiana), 5) The Pittsburgh Foundation (Pennsylvania), 6) The Seattle Foundation (Washington), 7) The Greater Texas Foundation (Texas), 8) The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (California), 9) The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation (Michigan), 10) The Stupski Foundation (California). These philanthropies typically focus on providing scholarships, grants, and support services to students to help them succeed in post-secondary education and achieve their career goals. It's important to note that this list is not exhaustive and there may be other state-based philanthropies that are equally impactful and focused on post-secondary success in your area.”

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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Foundation Website Link 2 & Golden Line 2

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https://www.caseygrants.org/who-we-are

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We believe that successful movements are rooted in trust, and that trust is earned. We are committed to earning trust by keeping the promises we make, by practicing honesty and transparency in everything we do, and by taking responsibility for our assumptions, words and actions - including our mistakes.

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Marguerite Casey Foundation - Who We Are

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We believe that successful movements are rooted in trust, and that trust is earned. We are committed to earning trust by keeping the promises we make, by practicing honesty and transparency in everything we do, and by taking responsibility for our assumptions, words and actions - including our mistakes.

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The Weingart Foundation helps build the capacity of communities to advance racial, social and economic justice by transforming systems and strengthening services. Our vision is a dynamic and effective social change sector that is creating equitable systems and structures needed to achieve justice. We fund in the five Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura.

We support nonprofit organizations, collaboratives, and coalitions that engage in power building and organizing for systemic change and/or provide critical services in communities most impacted by racial and socioeconomic inequities.. These funding strategies are outlined below. While we fund a broad range of organizations throughout our service area, we have also identified several Areas of Special Interest. Our geographically-based areas of special interest include the historically underserved communities of South Los Angeles and Southeast Los Angeles. Our issue-based areas of special interest include Housing and Homelessness, Immigrant/Refugee Rights and Integration, and Strengthening Nonprofit Effectiveness.

In alignment with our focus on racial equity and building power for transformative change, we lead initiatives in youth organizing and movement leadership development. We also frequently work in partnership with others to realize greater impact.

Our commitment to equity requires that all of our policies and practices align with our focus on advancing racial and socioeconomic justice. We increasingly make mission related investments, and we exclude investments in areas like firearms, tobacco, private prisons, and activity that harms the environment.

Our equity commitment also encompasses our own policies and practices. In F.Y. 2023, we will engage in a facilitated process to interrogate and deepen our internal organizational alignment with our stated goals to advance racial equity and inclusion and to build power in communities most impacted by injustice. We will also look at the origins of the Foundation's endowment in the context of Southern California's history of racial exclusion, asking the question of what an honest accounting of our history means for us today. This internal work will inform the Foundation's planning and approach in F.Y. 2024 and beyond.

Funding Strategies

Unrestricted Operating Support

Reflecting the trust and respect we have for our nonprofit partners, multi-year Unrestricted Operating Support (U.O.S.) makes up the overwhelming majority of our grantmaking and remains our primary grant strategy to strengthen the organizational infrastructure and long-term effectiveness of nonprofits and collaboratives advancing racial, social, and economic justice. Our U.O.S. funding is designed to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, collaboratives, and coalitions advancing equity and justice. This includes nonprofits building community power and/or providing critical services in Black, indigenous, and all communities of color most impacted by racial and socioeconomic injustice. Our U.O.S. partners work in collaboration with others to achieve a larger vision, and they are also committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in their internal organizational practices. For more information, click here.

Strategic Opportunity Fund & Program Related Investments

We maintain flexibility to respond to emerging and unexpected opportunities and challenges through our Strategic Opportunity Fund (S.O.F.). Grants made through the S.O.F. will support specific programs or purposes with the overarching goal of advancing racial and socio-economic justice in existing priorities areas. The S.O.F. will continue to prioritize collaborative efforts and collective action for systemic change and power building, and particularly those projects emerging from the Committee for Greater L.A. and Bold Vision, as well as the Foundation's other areas of Special Interest. On a more limited basis, we may consider collaborative efforts that address urgent safety net needs.

We also administer a revolving Program Related Investment (P.R.I.) Fund that provides below-market, flexible financing in alignment with our focus on advancing racial, social, and economic justice. The goals of the P.R.I. Fund are to: 1) Increase access to vital services for communities facing the greatest need and pursuing systemic solutions to inequity; 2) Improve access to quality education, health care, employment, food, and immigration services; 3) Eliminate systemic barriers to capital for BIPOC- and women-owned/led small businesses and nonprofit organizations; and 4) Direct more capital to under-resourced communities in the Foundation's targeted regions. P.R.I.s will be considered for working capital, bridge loans, acquisition, and predevelopment financing, as well as equity. The Foundation will also selectively consider loan guarantees.
We make grants and loans throughout the year. In order to expedite funding to organizations and efforts aligned with our priorities as well as minimize burden on applicants, we no longer accept unsolicited requests and instead use an invitation-only process. For questions, please contact a member of our program staff.

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The Weingart Foundation helps build the capacity of communities to advance racial, social and economic justice by transforming systems and strengthening services. Our vision is a dynamic and effective social change sector that is creating equitable systems and structures needed to achieve justice.

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Glossary of Philanthropic Terms JARGO Glossary_NGI2022

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Values: We cultivate community because we know we are more powerful together. We practice gratitude. We hold ourselves accountable to achieving impact for and with the communities we serve. We relentlessly pursue equity because one’s background and identities should not pre-determine one’s opportunities.

In order to achieve our mission we must confront the role that racism and power play in reinforcing disproportionate outcomes associated with poverty.

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Building a Place of Possibility

The Bay Area is a place of possibility despite our community's challenges. Our work shows that we can live in a region where everyone has an opportunity to prosper.

Oakland-Born Advocate, Terriana Briggs Helps Homeless Youth Find a Fresh Start

Our youth homelessness initiative helps Bay Area youth move from homeless to housed. Watch how advocates connect young people with services and stable housing.

Fighting Poverty Today, Influencing Policy for a Better Tomorrow

Hear from Tipping Point Chief Program Officer, Ali Sutton, on our strategy to intervene today while also preventing the conditions that cause poverty in the first place.

Peer Mentors Break the Cycle for Homeless Youth

Before David helped youth move from homeless to housed, he struggled with housing insecurity himself. Watch how peer mentors connect young people with the services they need to move into stable housing.

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Fight Poverty in the Bay | Tipping Point Community

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Tipping Point is a nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area that finds, funds, and strengthens the most promising poverty-fighting solutions.