Economic, Social, & Racial Justice
John and Andie are committed to building community voice and power, which are essential to advancing lasting social justice and systemic change that benefit all people. Because of this core belief, they have grown their giving portfolio to support community development, advocacy, narrative change, and research. This work is focused on longer term outcomes, compared to the rest of their grantmaking portfolio. While measuring the impact of these investments takes time, it is an area that they believe needs greater investment if we want to achieve an equitable future for all. Through this area of grantmaking, Andie and John believe they can make outsized contributions to achieve equal rights and opportunity for women and people of color.
This area of work began by first investing in a collective of community non-profits in East San José, who were not only meeting the needs of the community during a global pandemic, but also empowering people to partake in civil engagement and advance the community’s demands for greater justice. This group of grassroots nonprofits, known as the ¡Sí Se Puede! Collective, has since deployed tens of millions of dollars directly to the community it serves, and has modeled a powerful example for how an alliance of organizations can come together to affect real, durable change.
While we were making our initial investments, the nation was also grappling with a larger reckoning around its racist past — leading to even deeper self-reflection about our own privilege. We feel a deep obligation to help transform the system from which we’ve benefited for the benefit of all — regardless of identity.
John Matthew & Andie
Through this grantmaking portfolio they have also played a pivotal role in supporting the launch of the nation’s first anti-racist research center, where leading experts in the field are working together to understand and address the complex challenges that arise within a nation that has never addressed the sins of its racist past.
