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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!)

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.)

Today was Carmen Rojas’ last day at the Kapor Foundation. Her exuberance and steadfast dedication to social justice will certainly be missed by her colleagues. We wish Carmen well in her new endeavors and look forward to seeing her new justice work take shape.

I wanted to share more information on our grantmaking plans during this transition.

We will continue our Green Access and VoICE grantmaking, although we are delaying new conversations about grant support until the fall. We’re going to re-set our grant request deadlines to October 31st for any remaining 2011 requests and December 15th for requests to be considered in early January 2012. This will help us to firm up our program direction and staffing. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause in your development planning.

For Fall cluster key partner organizations, final reports and renewal requests are still due by August 1, 2011. We’re prepared to make these grants in accordance with our original September timetable.

For grant requests that were submitted by the May 18th deadline, we aim to have responses by mid-July. Stay tuned!

And yes, we’ll most likely hire another program staff person after first completing an organizational needs assessment. Check our blog here over the summer for any announcement about a position search.

Please contact us with any questions.

Yes! We’re very happy to be among the initial co-signers of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy‘s new campaign, Philanthropy’s Promise, which impels grantmaking institutions to commit “at least half their grant dollars for the intended benefit of underserved communities, broadly defined, and at least one quarter of their grant dollars for systemic change efforts involving advocacy, community organizing and civic engagement.” Not only will this commitment help to channel grant dollars to communities most in need, it also offers a smart strategy for helping to maximize philanthropy’s collective impact! The Kapor Foundation is proud to join the 60+ other grantmakers, including many of our Bay Area colleagues, who have made this commitment.

Learn more about the initiative here: PhilanthropysPromise.org!

Read our statement here (pdf): Kapor Foundation’s Commitment

People, I have to say that if you’re in the house for the College Bound Brotherhood Graduation Celebration this Wednesday at the Oakland Museum, you’re in store for a beautiful evening! We’re building on the past celebration and on the momentum from this year’s Brotherhood activities. The event is close to being sold out, though! Click here for last minute registration!

In a bit of cross-purposing (and at the risk of shamefaced self-referencing), check out the opening column for the summer edition of Northern California Grantmakers’ newsletter, the theme of which is Coming Into Your Own. For each newsletter, the wonderful folks at NCG ask a member to write a welcome message, and I had the honor this past month.

On a related note, I feel that the Kapor Foundation is coming into its own in understanding how we want to contribute to larger movements for social justice and equality. Stay tuned for more on that tip later this month (hopefully…).

Hope  you can join us at this free event! Please spread the word to any and all graduating African American young men in the Bay Area who are heading to college in the fall. We want to celebrate their achievements! To register, click here.

College Bound Brotherhood Graduation Celebration
Wednesday, June 8
The Oakland Museum

Are you a graduating black male student who is heading to college in the fall or know someone who is? Contact jdavis@mkf.org and be recognized at the celebration!

Through the College Bound Brotherhood, the Kapor Foundation seeks to expand the number of young black men in the Bay Area who are prepared for a college education.

More information coming soon!

Here’s a view of the President from Mitch’s seat in yesterday’s Facebook Town Hall in Palo Alto, as mentioned in the Wall Street Journal.

Too bad that guy in front of Mitch has such a big head.

(Photo by Mitch Kapor)