All posts in Communications

Yes, that was “our” Mitch Kapor on last night’s Black in America 4: The New Promised Land – Silicon Valley on CNN. Mitch and Kapor Capital were major supporters of the NewMe Accelerator featured in the documentary.

The pre-screenings of BIA4 set off a controversy in the blog/Twittersphere about diversity in the information technology industry, especially regarding the distribution of startup capital to entrepreneurs of color and women founders. CNN posted a response here, and Mitch wrote a compelling post here.

Regardless of the illusions of meritocracy in Silicon Valley – that anyone can get financed, one just has to be smart and work hard – those of us who have an expansive vision for a functioning USA must press to ensure that underrepresented people of color and women are in the game, and that their brilliant ideas for job-and-services-generating business ventures are also capitalized and supported. Not only is this a matter of fairness, but it’s a smart business decision – we need all hands on deck to get this economy moving again.

Based in part on the experiences over the summer with NewMe, our board has charged the Foundation with beginning to explore how we can support the diversification of info tech and how tech tools can be used to further the impact of social justice work. Please stay tuned for more information about how this will unfold in 2012.

(And yes, we did get to meet Soledad O’Brien when the crew was in our offices taping! I’m a fan!)

Just wanted to share some exciting work that has been happening at the Kapor Center. Last Thursday, ten entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to an audience of venture capitalists, tech types, and other interested onlookers (I belong in the latter category) as well as a camera crew. This was no ordinary pitch session; it was the culminating event of the NewMe Accelerator, an incubator for top quality African American-founded tech startups. Such a forum is a rarity in the mostly white and male world of Silicon Valley and information technology, so much so that CNN is producing a segment on NewMe to include in their Black in America series to air in November (and yes, I did get to meet Soledad O’Brien, who seems wonderfully friendly and very, very smart).

Mitch Kapor is one of the supporters and advisors of NewMe, as are our brother companies Kapor Capital and Bronze Investments. This is part of the Kapors’ larger commitment to leveling the playing field for people of color (particularly those underrepresented in science and tech) and low-income communities.

While NewMe doesn’t directly involve the Foundation, we certainly stand to benefit from the tools and the connections that these entrepreneurs are creating. So don’t sleep on AisleFinder, kloud.co, Fetchmob, BeCouply, Cued, Pencil You In, Playd, Central.ly, Vouch, or Gokit! You heard it here first!

(Shout out to the three entrepreneurs from North Carolina, my home state!)

Kapor Foundation Key Partner organizations are eligible to receive up to 30-35 hours of communication help with particular types of projects from our internal communications team.  Details about the types of support they provide and a link to the online application can be found HERE on our website.  You can also see examples of some of the KEI Creative team’s work HERE on their site.

We accept technical assistance requests twice a year with the last deadline for this year on August 15, 2011.  We will only be able to work on a handful of projects, and the deadline is fast approaching.  So, if you have been considering using this service, please give the Director of Assistance & Advising a call as soon as possible so that you can get your request in before the deadline.  This is a competitive process, and projects will be selected based on the timeline of your project and the availability of our Creative team.

Image source: RenWeb blog site

Thanks for the congrats and support following the recent SF Chronicle profile as a 2011 Changemaker (Nonprofits Work for Social Justice, Not for Credit, July 3). I wanted to make sure that we recognize certain community partners, so I sent the following note to the Chronicle:

“I am honored to be included the company of the fantastic Bay Area leaders considered to be  ‘Making A Difference.’ But of course we don’t accomplish anything singlehandedly. Out of respect to the Foundation’s benefactors and community partners, I’d like to clarify a few points.

The Kapor Foundation annually makes $2 million in grants to nonprofits working in one of these three issue areas: a democratic green economy, civic engagement, and the College Bound Brotherhood, which was the focus of the Chronicle profile (we also make another $2.2 million in grants for math and science education, workplace inclusion, and larger equity work).

David Thomas, the graduate mentioned in the article, is a participant in the Young Scholars Program, one of the 15 organizations which the Kapor Foundation has supported through the College Bound Brotherhood grantmaking. It is through their hard work that students like David get the preparation they need to succeed in college.

All of our work would not be possible without the support and guidance of Mitch and Freada Kapor, who are entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and activists. I am grateful to them, our staff, and our larger nonprofit community partners; together, we’re working for equality and justice for all.”

(Above photo by Lacy Atkins, SF Chronicle. See the entire Changemakers 2011 video here. Thanks to Ms. Regina Jackson and the summer staff of the East Oakland Youth Development Center, where the photos were taken.)

Aspiration, a San Francisco-based organization that helps nonprofits and foundations use software tools more effectively and sustainably, is hosting a free training called: Building a Social Media Dashboard.

We’re excited to share that Mitch and Freada Kapor were interviewed and featured in the Fall 2010 edition of Responsive Philanthropy, the quarterly journal of the National Center for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). This article is an insightful glimpse into what drives their perspectives on philanthropy, both the sector and the personal practice.

NCRP promotes philanthropy that serves the public good, is responsive to people and communities with the least wealth and opportunity, and is held accountable to the highest standards of integrity and openness.  Read the full article HERE. (And never mind that photo – we were just jokin’ around.)

The time has come to get out there and vote!

It’s been a crazy two years since the historic presidential election of President Obama.  Since then, we’ve seen the passage of national health care reform,  the rise of the tea party movement, and the economic crisis strike across the country.  We’ve also seen negative campaign ads, local critical mass, and all kinds of parties to make sure we make it out on election day.  And now the time has come.  A number of our key partner organizations are at the forefront of local and national civic engagement efforts including the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, San Francisco Rising, Oakland Rising, and Voto Latino.  Below are some voter resources, including two voter guides from the League of Women Voters & The Ballot as well as organizational voter guides from the Ella Baker Center and Oakland Rising

League of Women Voters

The Ballot

Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Voter Guide

Oakland Rising