Message From Our CEO
As we celebrate 15 years of formal grantmaking, I sense the longer history of growth and learning of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation today. Our dedication to our values and to connecting through shared purpose, especially with our grantees and the communities we support, has guided every step of our way.
Reflecting on 2023, it’s clear how listening and collaborating opened doors to new possibilities. In Education, we joined a collaborative of literacy funders focused on helping California’s multilingual learners thrive in school. In Health, we made new grants to organizations led by and for people of color that are at the forefront of addressing disparities for researchers, clinicians and patients of color. And our Arts Program partnered with two Bay Area funders to create the very first Common Applications for the Arts, which I’m thrilled is being embraced by more funders.
Connection and learning also strengthened our ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. In June, we launched a new website that prioritizes accessibility for people who are visually impaired, are hard of hearing or have motor impairments. Internally, our staff fostered trust and belonging by developing skills to address implicit bias, showing up with curiosity and really listening. I marveled at how our entire organization has embraced our Learning and Evaluation Framework, which is integral to building a philanthropy rooted in trust, mutuality and transparency.
Jennifer Rainin, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
“We continue to learn as we build trusting, more equitable relationships with our grantees and partners.”
—Jennifer Rainin, PhD, Chief Executive Officer
One of my greatest pleasures in 2023 was connecting through in-person gatherings. I felt a profound sense of our shared purpose during our Innovations Symposium and celebrations with our Arts and Education grantees. These events reinforce the importance of our partnerships. The whole Rainin Foundation team deeply appreciates these opportunities.
The Foundation’s 15th anniversary in 2024 is a new inflection point for us. Building on Kenneth Rainin’s legacy of innovation and collaboration, we continue to learn as we create trusting, more equitable relationships with our grantees and partners. Equipped with deeper connections and strengthened by our shared goals, we feel poised to face the challenges and opportunities ahead.
As you read Turning Points, I hope you are as inspired by our grantees’ progress in the Arts, Education and Health as I am.
The Rainin Foundation team is grateful to move forward with you.
Jennifer Rainin, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Thank you grantees and partners for an inspiring year of growth and learning.