Blog | Voices from the Field

A Healthy Democracy Needs Local and National Funding

July 26, 2019 | Joe Goldman
For many, this moment can feel overwhelming and even paralyzing. From climate crises to the opioid epidemic and growing social divides, it can seem impossible to prioritize our philanthropic efforts. As president of a national foundation focused on the health of the American political system, I receive calls daily from family philanthropists who have added the health of our democracy Read More

Jamie Allison

July 25, 2019
Jamie Allison leads the Walter & Elise Haas Fund in partnership with trustees, ensuring that the foundation’s work expresses its values, resonates with community, and catalyzes the field. She focuses on organizational leadership, strategy, and governance. Her top priorities are to ensure that the Fund’s staff thrive in their roles and that the Fund’s practices and grantmaking advance liberation and Read More

Don Chen

July 25, 2019
Don Chen is the President of the Surdna Foundation where he leads the 100-year old foundation’s efforts to strengthen and further leverage its commitment to social justice. Prior to his appointment, Don was the Director of the Cities & States program at the Ford Foundation, where his work supported urban development initiatives to make housing more affordable, promote more equitable Read More

Joe Goldman

July 25, 2019
Joe Goldman is the President of the Democracy Fund, a bipartisan foundation working to ensure that our political system is able to withstand new challenges and deliver on its promise to the American people. He is also the President of Democracy Fund Voice, previously Democracy Fund Action. Before joining the Democracy Fund, Joe was an Investment Director at Omidyar Network, where he Read More

C’Ardiss “CC” Gardner Gleser

July 18, 2019
C’Ardiss “CC” Gardner Gleser is an advocate for social impact and racial justice work. CC began her career in the tech sector, later transitioning to non-profit work to better fulfill her purpose and passion. CC moved from working in nonprofits to the funding side to increase her impact and is now entrenched in the philanthropic sector. CC was the first Read More
Blog | Voices from the Field

Flipping The Script Through Impact Investing

July 16, 2019 | Richard Woo
In impact investing, we are witnessing the flipping of the script between the old and the new. Investors are striving to transform the mental formations (mindsets, deal sheets, and return expectations) that many times collide with the limits of natural resources, the call for equitable financial outcomes, and the health and well-being of people, places, and the planet. Read More

F. Javier Torres

July 8, 2019
Javier Torres serves as Program Director of the Thriving Cultures program overseeing a $9 million grantmaking portfolio seeking to advance the Surdna Foundation’s social justice mission. His career has been committed to building just and sustainable communities in partnership with artists and culture/tradition bearers. Prior to joining Surdna, Javier served as the Director of National Grantmaking at ArtPlace America. In Read More
Blog | Voices from the Field

Obstacles and Pathways to Greater Giving for Social Change

America’s philanthropic landscape is filled with many bright spots. In 2017, Americans gave away over $400 billion to charity for the first time. Giving has also reached historical highs amongst America’s wealthiest families. The most recent data show that households with $500 million or more in assets contributed around $45 billion to charity in 2017. Read More