FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2023
January 12, 2023
HELLMAN FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2023 COLLABORATIVE CHANGE INITIATIVE GRANTS TO THREE AMBITIOUS CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS
Focusing on Public-Private Collaborations that Promote Equity and Improve Early Childhood Care, College Matriculation, and Perinatal Care in the Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Today, the Hellman Foundation announced the latest round of grantees through its Hellman Collaborative Change Initiative, an initiative designed to support collaborations that scale bold solutions to some of the most intractable social issues in the Bay Area. The 2022 grantees were selected through a community-centric decision-making process.
The Initiative was created to honor legendary philanthropist, Warren Hellman, and his unique approach to solve our toughest systemic challenges by uniting unlikely partners across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The Hellman Foundation Board of Directors believes that authentic collaboration between cross-sector partners with diverse perspectives is central to creating and sustaining meaningful change.
“The Hellman Foundation is thrilled to partner with these collaborations that are boldly and creatively addressing deep inequities in our local healthcare and education systems,” said Susan Hirsch, Executive Director of the Hellman Foundation. “When communities and an array of partners come together with a common goal, we have the opportunity to create transformational change.”
Since 2014, the Initiative has awarded over $11 million in multi-year flexible funding and growth support to 13 groundbreaking public-private partnerships in Alameda and San Francisco counties to solve disparities and equity gaps in health, education, and opportunity. This year’s multi-year awardees are:
“These pioneering collaborations were selected for funding through a community-centric decision-making process that embodies the spirit of the Hellman Foundation: building deep partnerships with community to identify and invest in high-impact, cross-sector collaborations,” said Mick Hellman, Board Member of the Hellman Foundation. The individuals on the 2022 Community Panel included community, business and public sector leaders contributing diverse experiences to the process of identifying the next cohort of partners:
“The Initiative’s Community Panel selection process was an authentic example of how grantmakers can share power with community partners,” said Kyriell Noon, CEO of Hamilton Families. “When racial equity is embodied in the decision-making process, it centers the value of local knowledge and expertise that is the driving force of these collaborations.”
Full bios of this year’s exceptional Community Panel can be found here.
About the Hellman Foundation
The Hellman Foundation is a private foundation established in 2011, operating in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Hellman Foundation is rooted in the legacy of Warren and Chris Hellman, who modeled a version of philanthropy based in curiosity, respect, and a commitment to local communities. Today the Foundation focuses resources on expanding equity and opportunity for Bay Area communities, with current programmatic focus in health, education, and urban green space. Since its founding, the Foundation has awarded over $58 million in grants. Learn more on the Hellman Foundation website.
The Initiative was created to honor legendary philanthropist, Warren Hellman, and his unique approach to solve our toughest systemic challenges by uniting unlikely partners across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The Hellman Foundation Board of Directors believes that authentic collaboration between cross-sector partners with diverse perspectives is central to creating and sustaining meaningful change.
“The Hellman Foundation is thrilled to partner with these collaborations that are boldly and creatively addressing deep inequities in our local healthcare and education systems,” said Susan Hirsch, Executive Director of the Hellman Foundation. “When communities and an array of partners come together with a common goal, we have the opportunity to create transformational change.”
Since 2014, the Initiative has awarded over $11 million in multi-year flexible funding and growth support to 13 groundbreaking public-private partnerships in Alameda and San Francisco counties to solve disparities and equity gaps in health, education, and opportunity. This year’s multi-year awardees are:
- Oakland Postsecondary Education & Workforce Collaborative — Students that are Black, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander, Newcomer and first-generation, justice-impacted, and living with foster families are the most affected by systemic barriers that reduce college matriculation rates. This collaboration—led by the City of Oakland, local colleges and universities, nonprofits, and a business partner—will advance college matriculation, college persistence, and employment among Oakland high school graduates by increasing students' access to support with financial stability, food security, housing, and childcare.
- The Pop Up Village — Publicly-insured women, especially Black women and their families, face the greatest inequities in healthcare access, experience, and outcomes. This collaboration—representing local nonprofits, Black- and women-led businesses, UCSF Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and San Francisco City agencies —seeks to transform San Francisco perinatal care through an innovative model of low-burden, community-based, anti-racist holistic health services.
- Ready, Resilient and Rising! Network (R3) — The current system of early childhood care presents systemic barriers for low-income families to receive the support they need to thrive during their child’s early years. This collaboration—led by 16 anchor partners representing UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and Zuckerberg SF General Hospital, child welfare nonprofits, family resource alliances, managed care MediCal organizations, and governmental agencies—aims to improve the lives of all low-income children (ages 0-3) and their families in Alameda and San Francisco Counties by making the detection, prevention, and treatment of trauma and adversity a standard part of pediatric primary care.
“These pioneering collaborations were selected for funding through a community-centric decision-making process that embodies the spirit of the Hellman Foundation: building deep partnerships with community to identify and invest in high-impact, cross-sector collaborations,” said Mick Hellman, Board Member of the Hellman Foundation. The individuals on the 2022 Community Panel included community, business and public sector leaders contributing diverse experiences to the process of identifying the next cohort of partners:
- Kevin Grumbach, MD, Professor & Former Chair of UCSF Department of Family Community Medicine
- Susan Hirsch, Executive Director of Hellman Foundation
- Kym Johnson, CEO of BANANAS, Inc.
- Dan Kingsley, Managing Partner of SKS Partners
- Zea Malawa, MD, Director Physician of Expecting Justice
- Sonia Mañjon, PhD, Executive Director of LeaderSpring
- Melanie Moore, PhD, CEO of Oakland Thrives
- Kyriell Noon, CEO of Hamilton Families
“The Initiative’s Community Panel selection process was an authentic example of how grantmakers can share power with community partners,” said Kyriell Noon, CEO of Hamilton Families. “When racial equity is embodied in the decision-making process, it centers the value of local knowledge and expertise that is the driving force of these collaborations.”
Full bios of this year’s exceptional Community Panel can be found here.
About the Hellman Foundation
The Hellman Foundation is a private foundation established in 2011, operating in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Hellman Foundation is rooted in the legacy of Warren and Chris Hellman, who modeled a version of philanthropy based in curiosity, respect, and a commitment to local communities. Today the Foundation focuses resources on expanding equity and opportunity for Bay Area communities, with current programmatic focus in health, education, and urban green space. Since its founding, the Foundation has awarded over $58 million in grants. Learn more on the Hellman Foundation website.