Led in large part by the leadership of the Ford Foundation a year or so ago, a generational shift in the business of philanthropy is accelerating, with a firm emphasis on transformative social & economic impact for long-underserved populations. One of the largest foundations in the Pacific Northwest announced this week that they too have turned their focus “on areas where inequity gaps are the largest”.
The 65 grants made through The Meyer Memorial Trust’s Building Community portfolio aim to improve conditions for communities of color, Oregonians living on low incomes and other marginalized populations. These grants will work to accomplish that. They will strengthen leaders, networks and organizations that break down barriers and build the power of Oregon’s diverse communities.
At VeraCloud we applaud Meyer’s high-impact transition and share the Ford Foundation’s belief “that social change is best served by a strong, diverse community of people dedicated to advancing human dignity and challenging inequality” At VeraCloud we have built our tools and our company to serve the public, private, and non-profit sectors to enable and make it easier for diverse businesses, large and small, to collaborate more equitably in the $500+ Billion US marketplace of taxpayer-funded public sector spending.
At VeraCloud:
· We believe technology has the potential to disrupt norms, overcome barriers, and accelerate change, as long as everyone has access to it.
· We know that entrepreneurs play a critical role in creating jobs, growing our economy and strengthening our communities.
· We see that when companies and government direct their resources with focus and intention, amazing change can happen.
· We’re driven to give everyone a fair shot—especially those underrepresented and disadvantaged groups among us.