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Driven by optimism about the resilience and hopefulness of the human spirit.
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Driven by optimism about the resilience and hopefulness of the human spirit.
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Our Vision
We believe that a community’s ability to thrive is determined by the combination of equitable opportunity, dedication, and heart. An equitable world is one in which all people can flourish and reach their full potential.
Our Mission
Sand Hill Foundation is driven by optimism about the resilience and hopefulness of the human spirit. We partner with and fund locally-based organizations to strengthen economic stability and wellness for families with low income, and to advance advocacy efforts that create a more sustainable environment in our home community of San Mateo County.
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Our Vision
We believe that a community’s ability to thrive is determined by the combination of equitable opportunity, dedication, and heart. An equitable world is one in which all people can flourish and reach their full potential.
Our Mission
Sand Hill Foundation is driven by optimism about the resilience and hopefulness of the human spirit. We partner with and fund locally-based organizations to strengthen economic stability and wellness for families with low income, and to advance advocacy efforts that create a more sustainable environment in our home community of San Mateo County.
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Our Values section
Our Values
Compassion
We all want our children and
families to thrive. Our efforts are rooted in a deep belief in the power of compassion. Through care, we build community.
Growth
We are committed to helping
both proven and promising nonprofits build on their core strengths, innovate, and continuously learn in order to address evolving local needs.
Trust
We uplift the community
wisdom, history, and diverse perspectives of the people who call this place home.
Nimbleness
We seek to respond quickly to
new and emergent community concerns, recognizing that needs change over time, as do those best suited to meet them.
President’s Letter: 30 Years of Caring
Hitting the 30-year milestone provides me both an opportunity to reflect on the past and anticipate the future. I think about the values upon which Sand Hill Foundation was founded in 1995 and how those values have endured and evolved. Those values include respect for grantees, nimbleness, trust, and compassion. I am pleased to say that we still hold those values dear and that they are reflected in the work we do every day. How do I know that? A recent survey with our grantees said as much: “The Sand Hill Foundation staff is responsive, helpful, and treats us as the partners we are in building our community.” I am very proud of statements such as this and know that all of us at the foundation work hard to develop relationships based on trust and openness.
In the 30 years of grant making in San Mateo County, I have come to appreciate the power of partnership in ways that I could not have anticipated. I witness how our grantee partnerships allow us to be both financial supporters and thought partners, reciprocally learning from one another. We embrace partnership also by encouraging our grantees to work together – to learn from each other, cross-refer clients, and support each other as colleagues through efforts such as our Wellness Partnership. Systems of care can change for the better when people work together.
Tom Ford, my late husband, always talked about the importance of local giving. “We need to support the communities in which we live and work” was his motto and we have not strayed from that ethos or practice. Sand Hill Foundation is proud to be part of this vibrant, beautiful, diverse and dynamic place and we are committed to continuing to help those who help our community – right where we live and work.
With gratitude and respect,
Susan Ford Dorsey
President
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Joining Forces for Greater Impact
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
In 1996, Tom Ford was the well-known real estate developer responsible for creating the environmentally-friendly properties along Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, California, and making them home to the renowned venture capital firms that fuel Silicon Valley’s innovation economy. Susan Ford Dorsey explains about her late husband, “Tom gave a portion of his own investment in his properties to the community foundation endowment. He said, ‘This real estate interest will generate income on an annual basis and it will increase in value over the years.’ And that’s exactly what happened.” The Sand Hill Endowment Fund now constitutes 56% of the entire Silicon Valley Community Foundation endowment – a remarkable legacy to the community that demonstrates the power of thinking long-term. The funds allow SVCF staff to pursue flexible grantmaking that is responsive to community needs, this year and for years to come.
News & Resources
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Board of Directors
Susan Ford Dorsey
President
As President of Sand Hill Foundation, Susan Ford Dorsey directs philanthropy for the organization. Read More
A leader in philanthropic activities and community service, she is dedicated to preserving our natural environment and improving the lives of local families.
Susan serves on the boards of Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health and Environmental Defense Fund. She also sits on various advisory committees at Stanford University, including the Freeman Spogli Institute, Hoover Institution, and the School of Humanities and Sciences’ advisory board. Her past board service has included Menlo School, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Children’s Health Council, Common Sense Media, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Prior to leading Sand Hill Foundation, Susan was the founder and president of Health Innovations, a healthcare consulting firm specializing in business development, strategic planning, and marketing.
Susan Lockwood
Vice President
Susan Lockwood has been on the Sand Hill Foundation board since the organization’s inception in 1995, and currently serves as Vice President. Read More
She recently retired as Chief Financial Officer of Ford Land Company, a real estate development and management firm founded by Tom Ford. She has broad experience in real estate finance and accounting.
Susan completed her undergraduate degree in Business Administration at the University of California at Berkeley and holds a CPA license in the State of California. She was born and raised in Menlo Park, where she lives with her husband.
Michael C. Dorsey
Director and Treasurer
Michael C. Dorsey has 20 years of impact investing experience, having co-founded the Bay Area Equity Fund (now DBL Partners) and managed two funds for the Westly Group. Read More
He has been on the Sand Hill Foundation board since 2017 and has served in past on the boards of Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco and United Way Bay Area.
Michael now co-manages the Innovations for Impact Fund, an early-stage investor in social impact companies, concentrating in health and wellness, sustainability, and longevity. He invested at an early stage in Tesla, Solar City, Revolution Foods amongst others, and recently in Shared-X, Antora, Biocellation, and Carbon Lighthouse. He sits on the corporate boards of Medicines 360 and Bright Heart Health.
Prior to co-founding the Bay Area Equity Fund, Mr. Dorsey worked as an investment banker for two decades. He served as Head of Technology Investment Banking of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and Cowen & Co. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and an MBA from Yale School of Management. He is married to Susan Ford Dorsey, President of Sand Hill Foundation.
Our Staff
Ash McNeely
Executive Director
ash@sandhillfoundation.org
Ash leads the Sand Hill Foundation team in grantmaking strategy, special initiatives, and investment planning. Read More
Inspired by continuous learning and collaboration, Ash serves on San Mateo County’s United for Youth Steering Committee and is a member of several grantmaking collectives including the Frontline Justice Fund at Tides Foundation. She sits on the board of Mission Asset Fund, and board emeritus of Horizons Foundation and Accion Opportunity Fund. Ash hired Pacific Foundation Services to assist Sand Hill Foundation in 2008 and is now a longtime member of their program staff, serving as senior philanthropic advisor for other family foundations that partner with the firm. She has participated in numerous national forums, advising on philanthropic trends and strategy at the Council on Foundations, Grantmakers for Education, Institute for Private Investors, and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations.
Prior to her work at Sand Hill Foundation, Ash spent four years in the Philanthropic Partnership Group of the Pew Charitable Trusts primarily focused on environmental policy, eight years leading advised fund grantmaking for philanthropic families at Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and ten years in performing arts marketing and development. She has been a visiting lecturer at Stanford University, Harvard Business School, and Colorado College.
Ash received an M.B.A. in nonprofit management from Golden Gate University and graduated summa cum laude from Vassar College. When not enjoying all this wonderful work, Ash can be found outside with family, friends, dogs or horses.
Contact Ash McNeely at ash@sandhillfoundation.org.
Evan Jones
Program Officer
evan@sandhillfoundation.org
As a Program Officer, Evan believes in the impact and promise of the social sector and the people who make that promise a reality. Read More
Prior to joining Sand Hill Foundation in 2023, Evan served as the Executive Director of the Mid-Peninsula Boys & Girls Club (MPBGC) (now part of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula) where he helped expand MPBGC’s impact and footprint in San Mateo County. He has worked in Bay Area nonprofits since 2009 and was one of the first youth developers at Opportunity Impact (now part of Mo Magic) in San Francisco’s Fillmore neighborhood. Evan has advised Bay Area nonprofits as a board member and consultant serving on the boards of Facing History & Ourselves, Bay Area as well as the Avery Fuller Welch Foundation for Children and is a Silicon Valley Multicultural Awards fellow.
After receiving his A.B. in history from Dartmouth College, Evan taught high school History and English in the Boston Area. He attended Georgetown Law School where he worked on the Annual Review of Criminal Procedure and as an intern for the Honorable Robert Merin of the DC. Superior Court as well as Earth Justice in San Francisco. Evan lives in San Francisco’s Visitation Valley neighborhood where he can be found enjoying McLeran Park or working on his San Francisco native plant garden. Evan is a native of Washington D.C and hopes to see the day that D.C. has equal representation in the House and Senate.
Contact Evan Jones at evan@sandhillfoundation.org.
Darlington Martor
Grants Manager
darlington@sandhillfoundation.org
Darlington joined Sand Hill Foundation in June 2024 as Grants Manager. Read More
Prior to joining PFS, Darlington worked at BioMADE as a Senior Proposal Administrator and at the James Irvine Foundation as a Grants Associate. His responsibilities included tracking all incoming proposals, supporting the grant reporting process, maintaining the integrity of the grants database, and providing clerical and customer support for grants administration.
Darlington was born in Liberia during the early years of the civil war. He and his mother escaped the atrocities there and became refugees in Dananne, Ivory Coast, in 1997. Darlington later moved to the United States in 2003, sponsored by the United Nations Resettlement Program. Darlington graduated from Connecticut College with a B.A. in International Relations and a double minor in Economics and History. He continued his education at Concordia University, Irvine, earning his Master of Arts in International Studies.
Apart from his professional endeavors, he co-founded Anything Is Everything, a U.S.-based non-profit dedicated to youth development in Liberia, a cause he is deeply passionate about and committed to. His commitment to making a difference is driven by his experiences as a former refugee, and his impact extends far beyond the office walls.
Contact Darlington Martor at darlington@sandhillfoundation.org.
Jessi Misslin
Senior Program Officer
jessi@sandhillfoundation.org
Jessi has managed Sand Hill Foundation’s Wellness funding portfolio since 2013, including the oversight of the Wellness Partnership Initiative. Read More
This program provides long-term support for multi sector collaborations focused on increasing access to high quality mental health services for young people and their families. Her passion for youth mental health stems from her experience in both the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors focused on the intersection of mental health and the arts, youth development, and outdoor education. As Vice President of Program & Engagement, Jessi is a member of the management team at Pacific Foundation Services, the philanthropic advisory firm supporting Sand Hill Foundation. In her role, she oversees the firm’s program team, who provide tailored grantmaking support services including programmatic design, research, and analysis, while promoting values-based and grantee-centric practices.
Prior to joining Sand Hill Foundation and Pacific Foundation Services, Jessi spent seven years working with out-of-school-time organizations, including Summer Search, 826 Valencia, and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities. She is also one of the founding members of Open Roads, a creative outdoor education organization. Jessi currently sits on the board of WithAll, a national organization promoting healthy body image and the prevention of eating disorders in young people. She has participated in the Arts Loan Fund Steering Committee, through Northern California Grantmakers and completed the Berkeley Executive Leadership Program through the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Jessi completed her undergraduate studies at Minneapolis College of Art & Design and holds a Creative Nonfiction Writing Certification from the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Outside of work, Jessi can be found cheering on her two sons from the sidelines of a court or field, enjoying her husband’s amazing cooking, or attempting a new hobby, like watercolor.
Contact Jessi Misslin at jessi@sandhillfoundation.org.
Our History
A Legacy of Giving Back in San Mateo County
Our Founding
Sand Hill Foundation is a private family foundation established by the late Tom Ford and Susan Ford in 1995. The Foundation emerged from Tom’s lifelong passion for giving back to the local community he loved. As a real estate developer, he was ahead of his time when, in the late 1960s, he built the environmentally-sensitive and now iconic properties along Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, California.
Today, Susan Ford Dorsey carries on the Foundation’s work in Tom’s memory in collaboration with the board of directors, guiding philanthropy, serving on nonprofit boards, and adapting the organization’s focus in response to community needs.
Sand Hill Road and Giving Back
As one of Silicon Valley’s founding fathers, Tom Ford’s development of the office corridor along Sand Hill Road in the late 1960s helped build the collaborative ethos that fueled the region’s early growth.
Sand Hill Road represents the collegial spirit of Silicon Valley’s history, bringing together businesses in venture capital, banking, and finance. But the deals that flowed due to the proximity of business interests weren’t the only factor in shaping the Valley.
Tom’s dedication to both community development and the preservation of natural space in and around Sand Hill Road would also have a lasting effect on making the Valley what it is today.
Tom initiated a practice of donating 25 percent of rent received from the Sand Hill Road office development to nonprofit organizations serving the broader community. He galvanized other business leaders and helped build a culture of giving in Silicon Valley, making Sand Hill Road a center for not only business innovation but also for philanthropy.
“Happiness comes not from hard words like money and power, but from misty words like honor, love, loyalty, trust and faith.”
— Tom Ford’s guiding principle