Business Details
47 Years
experience
Empowering Social Justice Through Feminist Philanthropy
We are a statewide public foundation dedicated to achieving racial, economic, environmental, and gender justice by centering communities most impacted by systemic injustice. Our work amplifies grassroots leadership through grants to community-led organizations, policy advocacy training via the Sols Policy Institute, and convenings that unite advocates, policymakers, and donors. Since 1979, we have redistributed resources and power to women and gender-expansive leaders building movements for justice.Our trust-based grantmaking prioritizes multi-year funding for organizations addressing systemic inequities rooted in white supremacy and heteropatriarchy. Through intersectional feminist philanthropy, we advance policy solutions in healthcare, housing, criminal justice, and economic equity while acknowledging our responsibility as stewards of land historically occupied by Indigenous peoples.
Services
Grantmaking
Policy Advocacy Training
Community Mobilization
Leadership Development
Intersectional Philanthropy
Details
- Year established: 1979
Highlights and features
- We prioritize trust-based, multi-year funding for grassroots organizations
- Our Sols Policy Institute co-creates legislative solutions with community leaders
- We redistribute resources toward communities marginalized by systemic oppression
- We mobilize networks across sectors for collective policy advocacy
- Our work centers Indigenous land rematriation and decolonization efforts
What people say
Transformative grantmaking
Strong policy impact
Community-centered focus
Services
Intersectional Feminist Grantmaking
We provide multi-year funding to grassroots organizations led by women and gender-expansive individuals. Our trust-based approach prioritizes communities affected by systemic oppression through racial capitalism and heteropatriarchy. Grants support movements for justice in healthcare, housing, and economic equity.
Sols Policy Institute
This program trains advocates to co-create legislation with policymakers. Fellows develop policy solutions addressing California's systemic inequities in criminal justice, healthcare access, and economic systems through grassroots organizing and legislative engagement.
Community Mobilization
We connect leaders across sectors to strengthen networks for social change. Our convenings unite advocates, donors, and policymakers to share knowledge and coordinate efforts toward racial, economic, and gender justice in California.
Leadership Development
Our programs cultivate grassroots leadership through skill-building workshops and mentorship. Participants learn policy advocacy strategies, narrative-shifting techniques, and community organizing methods to advance systemic change.
Land Acknowledgment Initiatives
We recognize stewardship of 100+ Indigenous tribes on California lands we occupy. Annual Shuumi Land Tax payments to Sogorea Te Land Trust support rematriation efforts while our programming centers Indigenous leadership in environmental justice movements.
People
Stephanie Green
Chief Strategist, Partnerships
Drives strategic partnerships to advance feminist philanthropy through collaborative networks and donor engagement initiatives across California's social justice ecosystem.
Nicola Schulze
Sr. Director, Communications
Leads narrative strategy to amplify grassroots movements, focusing on storytelling that connects policy advocacy with lived experiences of marginalized communities.
Marisol Franco
Director of Policy Programs
Manages Sols Policy Institute's legislative agenda, fostering collaboration between grassroots organizers and policymakers to create equitable housing and criminal justice reforms.
Jane Lin
Director of Institutional Partnerships
Builds funder collaborations to expand resources for gender justice initiatives, focusing on systemic change through institutional philanthropy networks.
Questions
What makes your philanthropy approach unique?
Our intersectional feminist model redistributes power through trust-based grants and centers Indigenous sovereignty while challenging traditional philanthropy's oppressive norms.
How do you select grant partners?
We prioritize grassroots organizations led by and for marginalized communities, focusing on systemic change through multi-year funding commitments.
What policy areas do you focus on?
We advance legislation in economic justice, housing equity, criminal justice reform, and healthcare access through our Sols Policy Institute partnerships.
How can I support your work?
Donate through our website, join our mailing list for advocacy opportunities, or participate in our community convenings focused on systemic change.
Do you accept unsolicited grant applications?
We primarily work with established partners but maintain periodic open calls for specific initiatives focused on our priority justice areas.
Videos
