Most people in the field know about social justice leading family foundation funders including Nathan Cummings, Surdna, Libra, Arca, Mary Reynolds Babcock, Hill-Snowdon, Overbrook, Jessie Smith Noyes and McKnight foundations plus Unbound Philanthropy, Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Melville Charitable Trust, Moriah Fund and others.

In recent years, there’s an important new entity on the scene that’s quietly making a huge difference. You’ve probably never heard of them if you don’t live in Washington, California or Arizona. It’s the Satterberg Foundation.

The Satterberg Foundation was created and named by the founder, Virginia Satterberg Pigott Helsell. Virginia and her husband, Bill Helsell, spent the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s bringing together the children of their blended family and committed to ensure that connection far into the future.

Our mission of promoting a just society and a sustainable environment is critical,” said Sean Boyd, a board member. “A society that builds trust in the public and private institutions that protect people’s rights, health and their environment by treating everyone fairly and with respect creates a neighborhood, community and a world that we all want to live in. When this mission statement was adopted it was with incredible and sadly necessary foresight that the founding board members saw the role the [the foundation] could play in helping alleviate some of the inequities of the world.

What I find most impressive about the foundation is that in just the past few years the foundation has funded 183 organizations in Washington and California with multi-year general operating support grants.

Another thing I find impressive about the Satterberg Foundation is that they have committed themselves to a 10% payout — double the legal requirement.

In addition to their core support grants and their high payout, the foundation’s board has other interesting and impactful ideas to advance equity.

Read about the full article about the Satterburg Foundation by Aaron Dorfman at the National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy.