California Endowment

We envision a “California for All” that leads the nation as a powerful and conscientious voice for wellness, inclusion, and shared prosperity.

In support of this, we will invest in three bold ideas in the decade to come:

People Power
Developing young and adult leaders to work inter-generationally to raise up the voice of marginalized communities and promote greater civic activism as essential building blocks for an inclusive, equitably prosperous state.

Reimagined Public Institutions
Transforming our public institutions to become significant investors in, and champions of, racial and social equity, and in the healthy development and success of young people for generations to come.

A 21st-century “Health for All” System
Ensuring prevention, community wellness, and access to quality health care for all Californians.

We are advancing health and racial equity in California, here are our focus areas:
HEALTH SYSTEMS
Our health system works best when every Californian has access to quality and affordable health care.

JUSTICE REINVESTMENT
Re-imagining a criminal justice system that centers on prevention and healing.

INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Our communities and neighborhoods thrive when policies advance health and racial equity for all Californians.

POWER INFRASTRUCTURE
Building Power in resilient communities across the state for a stronger California.

SCHOOLS
Academic achievement, inclusive learning environments, and health go hand in hand.

California Regions:
North, Central, Los Angeles, South

Supporting People Power to Achieve Health Equity for All Californians
Starting in 2021, our 10-year, $2 billion plan advances the vision of a more equitable California
By empowering the work of nonprofit organizations and government entities through grant-making, we’re striving towards a state that is a healthier place to live, free from social inequality and racial injustice; one that can become a model for the rest of the nation.
Where we live, our race, and our income each play a big part in our health status and life expectancy.
Research shows that in many areas nationwide, a mile can mean 15 more years of life for someone living in an affluent neighborhood as compared with someone living low-income disinvested neighborhood, just several blocks away.
The unfair reality is that the odds are stacked against low-income communities and communities of color.
Because of a legacy of racial and economic segregation, anti-immigrant policy, and a host of other historical “isms,” there are many communities in California where the neighborhood environment conspires to harm residents. These environments lack basic health protective amenities like parks, grocery stores, decent schools, jobs, housing, and the list goes on.
However, these neighborhood and community environments are not natural; they are man-made, and thus can be unmade.
We are empowering organizations to change that reality within California because we believe that neither race, geographic location, gender, or sexual orientation should restrict access to a healthy life.