Social Justice Bond

Social Justice Bond is sponsored by The California Endowment. This $300 million fund (2021-2024) supports Community Power Infrastructure, Climate Resiliency, Health Systems, and Research/Evaluation to advance racial justice and health equity in California.

Bonds - The California Endowment Hit Enter to search or ESC to close Funding 'good Troublemakers' Who Are Creating Systemic Change Explore our Grantees Dashboard In 2021, The California Endowment issued a historic $300-million Social Bond to advance racial justice and health equity in California in the decade ahead.

Inspired by a quote from the late Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America,” the Social Bond funds the people and the organizations doing exactly that – creating good trouble to impact systemic change. We call them the “Good Troublemakers.

” This investment came out of years of research It was also created in response to a worldwide reckoning on racial equity and the disproportionately negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on communities of color. It is Dr. Robert K.

Ross, President and CEO of The California Endowment’s intention of a Beloved Community that makes the Social Bond a step forward beyond conventional grantmaking to meet the moment and commit to investing in innovative, long-term solutions throughout California. One of the most important lessons The Endowment learned over the past decade of listening and responding to partners is that “it begins and ends with people power.

” The Social Bond grantmaking process was guided by the practice of trust-based philanthropy and the recognition that people closest to the problem have the best understanding of the solutions. What is the goal of the Social Bond?

The Social Bond will advance racial justice and health equity in California over the next ten years, focusing on three key goals: Developing young and adult leaders to work intergenerationally to raise up the voice of marginalized communities and promote greater civic activism as essential building blocks for an inclusive, equitably prosperous state.

Reimagined Public Institutions Reimagined Public Institutions Transforming our public institutions to become significant investors in, and champions of, racial and social equity, and in the healthy development and success of young people for generations to come. A 21st Century “Health for All” System A 21st Century “Health for All” System Ensuring prevention, community wellness, and access to quality health care for ALL Californians.

These three goals focus on four priority areas – defined by the community as areas where resources are most needed to support powerbuilding efforts. The California Endowment is proud to support “Good Troublemakers” in California who are building power to make healthy change for all.

In this video you will hear from community organizers and power builders who are being supported to build a network of power throughout the state with resources from our historic $300 million Social Bond.

Strengthen and grow power-building infrastructure that centers organizing for transformative systems change Network of innovative regional and statewide centers Capital that supports exponential growth More BIPOC-led grassroots organizing groups Create a health system that advances racial equity by addressing prevention and coverage, strengthening community governance and building a diverse health workforce pipeline.

Dedicated funding mechanisms to accelerate health system transformation and workforce diversity Statewide and local infrastructure for policy advocacy and campaigns for community-centered and community-led health system reforms People Power and Community Collaboratives Policy and Advocacy Infrastructure Democratized Data and Information See Health Care System Transformation in Practice Invest in communities most affected by the harmful impacts of climate change Practices and policies that prioritize racial equity, and honor tradition and culture A galvanized climate justice movement that values marginalized voices and communities Regional approaches that connect to a unified climate action agenda Climate and Environmental Justice Long-term Community Recovery and Resiliency Rural, Tribal, and Unincorporated Communities See the Steps We're Taking Towards Climate Resiliency Grow strategic knowledge, learning capacity and data infrastructure to support powerbuilding for systems transformation Community-centered learning Collaborative learning networks Tested theories of powerbuilding An expanded bench of the next generation researchers/evaluators Sustainable statewide learning networks Learning Network Capacity Knowledge and Assessment of Power Innovation, Learning and Strategy How are Grantees Selected?

The Endowment’s leadership and program teams will be responsible for selecting the grantees.

Proposal Application Process Subject matter experts review grantee and Program-Related Investment (PRI) partner proposal applications Grantee proposal applications evaluate prospective grantees based on a number of criteria including, but not limited to, (i) the issues their organization/project addresses, (ii) geographic focus and/or communities and populations their organization/project intends to support, (iii) long-term goals, (iv) existing revenue sources, (v) potential impact, (vi) prior experience and (vii) diversity goals and efforts.

Proposals for grantees will be thoroughly reviewed to ensure The Endowment complies with all legal requirements (including, but not limited to, Internal Revenue Code requirements and U.S. anti-terrorism laws) for charitable giving.

The Endowment has designed its grant making process – from preparation of the grant recommendation to processing final reports – to conform to applicable legal standards and The Endowment’s procedures and standards. Grantees will be monitored by The Endowment on an ongoing basis through visits, meetings, and written reports. The Endowment tracks the net proceeds of the Social Bond.

Until distributed, the net proceeds of the Bonds will be held in a segregated account at The Endowment’s custodian bank. Bond proceeds will be transferred, as needed, to an operating account for disbursement.

A register will be established and managed by the CFO and his Finance department staff to record on an ongoing basis the allocation of the net proceeds of the Bonds to grantees Reporting will be posted on the website and will include recipients, location, subject area, and population served.

The Endowment currently reports on its grant-making by listing all of its grants and grantees on its website, updated monthly, as well as Form 990-PF tax filings, with ongoing updates on the work conducted in furtherance of its mission (https://www. calendow. org/).

Information contained in The Endowment’s website is not part of this Offering Memorandum and is not incorporated by reference herein. All updates on the expenditure of bond proceeds are voluntary. What Is The Impact Of The Social Bond?

Over the next several years, the Endowment will continue supporting the Good Troublemakers – nonprofit organizations advancing racial justice and health equity in California for systemic and policy change.

Working together with partner organizations to develop proposals for approval by the foundation’s Board of Directors To learn more about The Endowment’s progress on the Social Bond, click the button below for an update from President and CEO Dr. Robert K. Ross and Board Chair Bishop Minerva Carcaño.

Hear from Dr. Ross & Bishop Carcaño As the Social Bond project moves forward, the Endowment will continue to focus grantmaking on areas of greatest need, where inequity is highest, and to align with the community on goals and needs. Together, we will create good trouble to impact systemic change, create a more equitable and racially just California and achieve a Beloved Community.

Frequently Asked Questions Social bonds are loans contracted from private funding to support new and existing projects that achieve positive social outcomes.

The California Endowment’s Social Justice Bond is a $300-million fund that provides a long-overdue opportunity to invest in much-needed organizational and power infrastructure to advance and sustain efforts to secure health, wellness and racial equity for California and Californians. What is Power Infrastructure?

Power infrastructure is defined by the Grassroots Policy Project & PIVOT as “The people, systems and resources that provide the underlying foundation or basic framework needed for a long-lasting robust power-building ecosystem for transformative change. It includes the skills, capacities, organizational forms, resources and apparatuses to drive the agenda and build movement power.

” In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic and its devastating impact on communities of color, along with the nation’s reckoning on racial justice, The Endowment seeks to substantially increase the impact of organizers and grassroots groups who are doing civic engagement work on the ground by providing the necessary funding for powerbuilding.

The Endowment’s grantmaking in the coming years will provide new, dedicated support for the infrastructure and institutional needs of organizations in California driving transformational changes in health, public education, criminal justice, and community development systems and policies. How do you measure the return on a Bond, and how will The Endowment report this impact?

The Endowment’s Social Bond specifically aims to advance social justice – racial and health justice specifically – by way of investing in infrastructure, the health workforce, climate resiliency and Power infrastructure to achieve policy solutions that create opportunities for health, wellness and access to healthcare for all.

The Endowment intends to report on the grants financed through the Social Bond along with its other grantmaking activities on its website, which will include: In addition, we are conducting a formal evaluation of the Bond to assess its near-term and long-term impact. What has happened with the Bond over the last year?

Since February of 2021, The Endowment has established a Bond committee, developed a grant assessment rubric, brought on consultants and an advisory committee, engaged directly with communities, partners and other stakeholders while creating strategy frameworks for its grantmaking priority areas.

The Endowment has committed to having 50 percent of the underwriting work supported by BIPOC-owned and women-owned firms – including Black-led underwriting firms Loop Capital and Siebert William Shank who partnered with JP Morgan to move the investor recruitment and execution phase forward. How much funding does the Bond allocate, and over how much time?

The Social Bond will issue grants within the first three years to support nonprofit organizations and/or coalitions. When and how will The Endowment pay back the Bond? Principal repayment will be made at maturity in 2051, with funding from investment assets.

What makes the Bond different from other investments from The Endowment? 2020 was a historic time period – the COVID-19 pandemic; the unjust killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor (along with many other Black people killed by law enforcement); and the persistence of white supremacy – that unearthed deep inequities in the nation’s systems.

The Social Bond represents a dedicated commitment to supporting infrastructure and power-building movements for social justice and health for all Californians. This is not a time for philanthropy as usual – this moment calls for unprecedented action for systemic transformation.

The Endowment’s Social Bond is a commitment to make historic investments in building power and agency in communities and to dismantling racist systems that impede health and civic engagement. Through investing in lasting support, The Endowment seeks to address the ongoing harm of racist policies and practices and accelerate the impact of its partners far beyond traditional grantmaking.

How does the Bond specifically uplift bold ideas and advance movement and power infrastructure in California for the next 10 years? The Endowment will fund organizations, programs and projects that are working toward long-term power-building and infrastructure.

This includes “institutionalizing” or “endowing” collaborations that support grassroots community organizing and leadership development, building economic power by investing in the health workforce and strengthening policy and advocacy networks. Where will Bond funds be allocated, and how are those choices made?

After a year of intense planning, The Endowment strategically determined priority areas to expand and strengthen the infrastructure for health, equity and racial justice across California. The Bond funds are allocated and invested across these priority areas: Health Systems (Coverage, Health and Wellness, Workforce) Resilient Communities (Climate Resiliency) Who is eligible to receive a grant from the Bond?

Each Bond project will be assessed based on the same criteria: Transformative System Change How can people apply for grant funding from the Bond? Have any grants for the Bond already been issued? Yes, initial grants have been issued to seven collaborative efforts – including the California Black Freedom Fund, Latino Community Foundation and Foundation for California Community Colleges.

Additional grantees were announced in September and November 2022. While there’s much more to be done, The Endowment has made substantial progress toward actualizing this vision in a historic way in tandem with community partners and initial grantees.

Over the next year, as we embark on this next phase of the Social Bond, The Endowment plans to finalize the frameworks, identify projects the Bond will fund, evaluate them against its criteria and work with partner organizations to develop proposals for approval by the Endowment’s Board of Directors. How will the bond proceeds be used?

The Endowment will have broad discretion as to its use of the proceeds of the Social Bonds, provided that such use complies with The Endowment’s tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and The Endowment’s classification as a private foundation. Unveiling Our 2025 Annual Report The California Endowment is proud to present our 2025 annual report.

Read about the work we are supporting and our partners who are changing California to a state of belonging and inclusion.