For Sand Hill Foundation, this past year has been one of listening, learning, rethinking our practices, and considering new ways to meet the needs of our local communities. We conducted surveys, engaged a strategic planning consultant, and spent much time considering our priorities and approaches. It was exciting and illuminating.

COVID-19 has stressed and challenged us all. However, the physical and mental toll of the pandemic on families with few resources has highlighted the imperative to tend to people and neighborhoods with the highest needs. Going forward, we will focus our attention on these areas of greatest need in San Mateo County, supporting the organizations that are best positioned to serve them.

In addition to rethinking our grants program, we spent time considering our endowment resources. How are our foundation’s assets invested? Can we put those dollars to work to improve our community and the world? While we already have moved 50% of our assets into values-aligned investments, the recent sale of the 3000 Sand Hill Road properties (which my late husband, Tom Ford, developed in the 1960s) made this opportunity all the more relevant because the cash generated needed to be invested.