At the start of this year, I rejoined The California Wellness Foundation as Vice President of Public Affairs, stepping back into a community united by a shared commitment to advance health and wellness for all Californians.
Returning to Cal Wellness felt like reconnecting with family, a reunion grounded in shared purpose. This homecoming has been a powerful reminder that the path to health justice is not walked alone but is paved by countless hands, hearts, and voices working together toward a common vision.
At Cal Wellness, our mission lives at the intersection of health and racial justice. We believe that leading requires listening to those closest to the problems who are best equipped to guide us toward solutions. Whether farmworkers in the Central Valley striving to secure basic necessities, or families at the southern border clinging to hope for a better future, our work is driven by the voices of those on the front lines.
Philanthropy must be more than a transactional exercise in writing checks. It is an act of service informed by community. It is about locking arms with those who stir the waters of change, amplifying bold ideas that ignite impact. It is about affirming the dignity, worth, and boundless potential of every community we serve, channeling love into action.
To our grantee partners and grant seekers: Thank you for your resilience, your trust, and the critical lessons you share. You inspire us, hold us accountable, and consistently remind us of our “why:” to catalyze the power, potential and leadership of the communities we serve toward creating a healthier and more equitable California.
Celebrating Progress
Progress takes time, and while we’re proud to share some highlights from this year at Cal Wellness, we’re steadfastly mindful of the work that remains to achieve a multiracial, equitable future.
Under the leadership of our new President and CEO Richard Tate, we’re reimagining wellness and evolving to support Californians in confronting new and ongoing challenges.
By prioritizing a community-first approach, we took meaningful steps to support programs and initiatives that reflect the needs and aspirations of those we serve. We amplified important stories and highlighted grantee work including ending the incarceration of girls, celebrating our Native grantmaking, and leadership within Latino communities. Additionally, we convened community leaders in spaces like immigrant rights retreats, fostering dialogue and strengthening collective impact. These efforts illustrate not just what we do, but how we see the world — through a lens of collaboration, equity, and deep-rooted community engagement.
We strive to use every asset we have, including our $1 billion endowment, in service of equity. This year, we helped mobilize philanthropy in expanding mission-aligned investing through this call to action co-authored by Richard Tate and allied foundation CEOs. We’re proud that 90% of our endowment dollars are managed by women and people of color who share our values.
This year, our Cal Wellness team experienced extraordinary growth and made a number of key hires across departments whose diverse experiences and perspectives are enriching our work. Additionally, we were thrilled to announce two new board members, whose community-centered leadership will guide our path forward.
Listening, Learning, and Growing as One
Listening to and learning from the community has been at the heart of our actions this year.
We invited feedback from grantee partners and grant applications, and their input helped us refine our practices and deepen our responsiveness to the field. We launched a new grants management system designed to better serve grantees, rolled out a comprehensive grantmaking guide, and hosted a grantmaking boot camp to support our partners.
We also organized learning tours across California, allowing us to meet local leaders and experience firsthand the conditions facing communities in the Central Valley, the San Diego borderlands and other diverse places.
Within our organization, staff participated in a series of Learning Labs, delving into key topics such as racial equity, power-sharing and what it means to be a responsive philanthropy. These sessions strengthened our internal capacity and staff relationships essential to advancing our strategies for health equity.
Finding Resilience Through Every Challenge
The recent presidential election illuminated both enduring challenges and new opportunities in our national journey toward justice. History has taught us that perseverance, compassion, and collective action can guide us toward a brighter future. At Cal Wellness, we see this moment as a call to action, reaffirming the urgency and significance of our mission.
In response to the need to safeguard progress toward wellness and justice, the Cal Wellness board of directors has approved over $50 million in community investments in 2025. Our grantmaking will place a greater emphasis on immigration justice, reproductive health, community violence prevention, and power-building movements.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we turn our focus to the coming year, we are filled with a sense of purpose and possibility as the foundation enters a time of strategic planning to define the next chapter of our work at Cal Wellness.
This election has reminded us that while our work may be long-term and systemic, the fierce urgency of now cannot be ignored. We look forward to building on the momentum of 2024 and continuing to leverage all our assets – grantmaking, endowment investments, convening power, influence and voice – in support of health and wellness for all Californians.
Here’s to holding onto hope, embracing the work, and walking boldly into the future with love, resilience, and action.
Onward.
