Latest News at NCG

Sometimes a name only tells part of the story. When people hear that I lead Northern California Grantmakers, they often envision a membership that serves the greater Bay Area. It’s understandable, as people frequently use the two terms frequently, presuming that NCG is synonymous with Bay Area. It is not. To be clear, our 220 institutional and 4,000 individual members are distributed throughout and serve the 48 northernmost California counties, from Kern County to the Oregon border. This region is larger than any U.S.

When the team conceptualized the theme for the 2024 Annual Conference, Imagine & Act, we knew there was potential for it to be a momentous gathering. The conference experience began to fall into place with plans to inspire action, stretch the thinking, and sharpen the practices of attendees. What we couldn’t predict when we built this space, is how it would be filled by all of you.

Slated for Tuesday, June 18, 2024 in Downtown Oakland at the Oakland Marriott City Center, this year's conference theme, Imagine & Act, resonates deeply with the current landscape of philanthropy.

My partner and I recently engaged in the annual ritual that is paying U.S. income tax.

This past week, Joe Brooks joined the ancestors, bringing to a close a powerful life and career whose impact extended deep into Bay Area philanthropy, and well beyond. Joe’s legacy in this field is vital and active through the dozens of leaders whose lives he touched in more than five decades of public service – including my own. 

Drumroll please, for our newest team member Huong Nguyen-Yap, who as the Northern California Grantmakers’ first Vice President of Equity and Justice will be accelerating racial equity efforts not only for NCG but for the philanthropic field. 

One of the things I love about being President of NCG is how powerfully I am reminded of the privilege and responsibility of the position. Leading the organization whose charge it is to strengthen philanthropic practice in Northern California has never had more meaning than it does today.

Our team recently returned from a Summer refresh, where we pumped the brakes on the remarkable array of activities we are cooking up and allowed the team to recharge in anticipation of the second half of the year. It’s part of our commitment to centering wellness in racial equity, and while time off alone can’t address all the challenges facing workers in these existential times, it’s a good start.