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Author: Heising-Simons Foundation

Leading with Trust in Local Grantmaking

In fall 2021, members of the Foundation’s Community and Opportunity (C&O) team took part in a Remote Learning Series offered by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) with a focus on community-driven funding. The goal of our participation in this pilot was to better support local grantee partners as they build the power of residents in San Jose, California to influence local policy and systems change.

New Science Grant Expands Opportunity for Astronomers to Explore Potential of Vera C. Rubin Observatory

  The Heising-Simons Foundation is pleased to announce a grant of just under $900,000 to provide scientists in astronomy with the opportunity to kickstart research programs in time for the highly anticipated opening of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in 2024. The grant is managed by Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO), a global robotic telescope network …

Grantees in the News, April 2021

The Heising-Simons Foundation is proud to regularly see its grantee partners featured in media outlets across the country, providing an expert voice on a timely issue or being highlighted for their accomplishments and hard work. Here are some news items that have featured our grantees in March 2021.

Board Chair Liz Simons Delivers Remarks on Her Justice Journey

I’d like to tell you a little story about a moment in time, years ago when I was a new teacher in Oakland, California, and I took my 5th/6thgrade class on a field trip to the old prison on Alcatraz Island. The children were wind-blown and exuberant from the ferry ride, and the island was stunning in the cold sunshine; we were tourists in this prison land from long ago.

Racial Equity in Journalism Fund Awards $3.6 Million to News Organizations Led By and Serving Communities of Color

The Racial Equity in Journalism (REJ) Fund at Borealis Philanthropy announced today that it has awarded $3.6 million in grants to 28 news organizations serving communities of color across the country.

Constructing a 3D Map of the Universe with Unprecedented Detail

An extraordinary quest to construct a 3D map of the universe and explore the mysteries of dark energy is beginning today at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), an international science collaboration managed by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will capture and study the light from tens of millions of galaxies and other distant objects in the universe.

Is the U.S. Ready to Take Bold and Equitable Climate Action?

In April, President Joe Biden convened the Leaders Summit on Climate where 40 world leaders gathered virtually to discuss actions needed to address climate change. At the summit, President Biden announced a new target for the U.S. to cut its economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions in half from 2005 levels by 2030.

Heising-Simons Foundation Joins the Care for All with Respect and Equity (CARE) Fund

The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic recession have revealed what many working families with young children and those of us in the early childhood education field have known for years: equitable access to high-quality early childhood education is not only important for the learning and development of young children, but it is also essential infrastructure for our economy.

An Unprecedented Public Investment in Children, Families, and the Early Childhood Education Workforce

Last week, the White House announced the American Families Plan (AFP), a proposal focusing on investing in child care and early education, K-12 education, higher education, and tax policy. It represents the most significant, broad-based federal investment in education and families since the New Deal.