The latest perspectives, news, reports, and resources from around the Foundation.
Last month, Don Chen spoke with Dennis Price of Impact Alpha about the Surdna Foundation's impact investing strategy. Below is an excerpt—Read the full conversation on Impact Alpha. Surdna Foundation’s Don Chen: High-risk, high-reward impact…
Surdna is proud to join 480+ funders in sending the US Department of Commerce a clear message: Don't cut the census short. On August 5th, more than 480 philanthropic organizations, alarmed by the announcement that the U.S. Department of…
How can philanthropists learn from protesters and reimagine the formula for making change on racial justice? In this Stanford Social Innovation Review article, Mekaelia Davis, director of Surdna’s Inclusive Economies program, examines…
During the period of January-June 2020, 169 grants totaling $22,116,243 were approved by the Surdna Foundation staff and board to further the Foundation’s mission of fostering just and sustainable communities in the United States – communities…
Casey Pechan of Fluxx Labs recently told the story of how Surdna shifted its grantmaking strategy to rapidly respond to the COVID-19 crisis and the needs of our grantees. Below is an excerpt of Casey's blog post, which you can read in full — and…
If there was ever a moment for cultural strategy and investment in Black, Indigenous, and artists of color, it is now. Amid a global pandemic and a national uprising against systemic racism, we are witnessing the power of artists, cultural…
How can we meet this moment? We must begin by solving the crisis of imagination. In this Stanford Social Innovation Review article, Deanna Van Buren, co-founder and design director of Designing Justice + Designing Spaces, and F. Javier…
The United States is convulsing in protest, revulsion, and profound grief over the sickening killing of George Perry Floyd. At the Surdna Foundation, we are grieving not only because of the cold-hearted homicide of yet another unarmed Black man…
Dear Grantees, During these uncertain and stressful times, I want to reaffirm our commitment to you, share an update about our COVID-19 response, and offer our resolve for the years ahead. Many of the issues laid bare by the pandemic are the…
Peter Bourne Benedict, 1936 - 2020 It is with great sadness the Surdna Foundation reports the passing of Peter Bourne Benedict on April 25, 2020, at 84 years of age. Peter was a major figure at Surdna for some 30 years. He joined the…