THE GORDON AND BETTY MOORE FOUNDATION

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation was established in September, 2000 and seeks to develop outcome-based projects that will improve the quality of life for future generations. They fund primarily large-scale initiatives which cover a portfolio of grants. Currently these initiatives encompass three areas of interest to the Moores: environmental conservation, science and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Their newest undertaking, the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative is intended to measurably improve the quality of nursing-related patient care in acute care hospitals within the five Bay Area counties: San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda and Marin.

The Nursing Initiative focuses on creating a model system for expanding the nursing workforce and improving the quality of nursing staff. This is being accomplished through multiple grants to Bay Area organizations during the next 3-5 years. Projects created by these organizations seek to ultimately improve nursing care by a variety of strategies including:

·          Increasing the RN workforce

·          Training more new RNs

·          Increasing RN retention rates

·          Developing and implementing optimal nurse staffing models

·          Developing and implementing best clinical practices

For more information on the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Nursing Initiative visit their website: www.moore.org

The California Endowment

The California Endowment is a private, statewide health foundation that was created in 1996 as a result of Blue Cross of California's creation of WellPoint Health Networks, a for-profit corporation. This conversion set the groundwork for our mission:

The California Endowment's mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians.

Guiding The Endowment's work is a Multicultural Approach to Health, which is defined not only by race and ethnicity, but financial status, cultural beliefs, gender, age, sexual orientation, geographic location, immigration status, and physical or mental abilities. This approach seeks to mobilize the talents, cultures and assets of California's diverse populations to improve the quality of our health systems and to promote health at the level of communities.

"At The California Endowment, our multicultural approach to health is reinforced through investments made in local communities. Our work involves a dual focus: grant making and policy and advocacy. This work focuses on four program areas Access, Work Force Diversity, Cultural Competence and Disparities in Health - as well as two special initiatives: Agricultural Worker Health and Mental Health.”

For more information on The California Endowment and their Multicultural Approach to Health, or any of their other programs visit their website:  www.calendow.org

THE SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION

In 1948, a small group of forward-looking civic leaders, led by the late Daniel Koshland, started The San Francisco Foundation with the help of a small founding grant from The Columbia Foundation. "Mr. Koshland and his colleagues sought a vehicle to pull the community together to create pride and unity and improve quality of life," says current Foundation CEO Sandra Hernández, MD, noting that this basic mission continues to this day.

From these visionary beginnings, The San Francisco Foundation has become one of the nation's largest community foundations with $800 million in assets. This growth reflects both strong fiscal stewardship and a vibrant philanthropic spirit in San Francisco and the Bay Area. The Foundation continues to build on Mr. Koshland's vision with its $65 million in annual grantmaking, its Koshland Neighborhood Program, Community Leadership Awards, various neighborhood and affinity based initiatives, community convenings, and other programs designed to work with community leaders and nonprofits to improve the quality of life in the Bay Area.

The San Francisco Foundation addresses community needs by supporting innovative ideas and strengthening existing nonprofit organizations that lack sufficient resources or infrastructure. As a regional community foundation serving San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties, it focuses in the areas of community health, education, arts and culture, neighborhood and community development, the environment, and social justice.

Important and successful efforts catalyzed by the Foundation's support include: KQED, The Trust for Public Land, Bridge Housing, and On Lok Senior Health Services. "The San Francisco Foundation and the organizations we work with reflect the diversity of the Bay Area's residents and communities," adds Dr. Hernández.

For more information on the San Francisco Foundation and the types of programs which they support and fund please visit their website at www.sff.org