|
Exponent Philanthropy
recognized
Yvonne Gonzalez, CEO of the
Knapp Community Foundation
and Carmen Castellano,
with the 2020
Outsized Impact Award.
The award honors Exponent Philanthropy member
organizations whose style of philanthropy is achieving
greater than expected impact.
The Knapp Community Care Foundation in Weslaco, Texas is a
health conversion foundation created in late 2012 that
provides grants for services within the Rio Grande Mid
Valley. As a legacy foundation, it invests in health-related
activities.
In eight years, the Knapp Community Care Foundation has
committed over $31MM for prevention and wellness, direct
health services, and behavioral health. A significant part
of Ms. Gonzalez strategy has focused on creating
relationships with partners who strive to make holistic and
sustainable change in the community.
"Under Yvonne Gonzalez’s leadership, the Knapp Community
Care Foundation moved from being a charitable organization
to one that is strategically philanthropic," said Henry
Berman, CEO of Exponent Philanthropy. "Her forward thinking
brings more funding to better the health of Rio Grande Mid
Valley communities in holistic and sustainable ways."
In addition, Exponent Philanthropy awarded the Outsized
Impact Award posthumously to Carmen Castellano, co-founder
and past president of the San Jose, California-based
Castellano Family Foundation. Castellano was a devoted wife
and mother, community advocate, philanthropist and the
inspiration behind the foundation and its founding mission.
The foundation has awarded $6.5 million in grants to support
arts and culture, education, leadership development, and
diversity in philanthropy, focused on Latinx and other
people of color in San Jose and Silicon Valley.
“Carmen Castellano was a fierce advocate for more diversity
in philanthropy, highlighting the lack of funding to Latinx
communities, urging donors to fund grassroots efforts, and
requiring grantees to have boards that reflected the
communities they served,” said Berman. “She helped amplify
Latino voices and left a lasting legacy in philanthropy.”
Before she passed away, the Castellano Family Foundation
released its Blueprint for Change, a comprehensive report on
the lack of funding and other equity issues impacting Latinx
communities and nonprofit leaders in Silicon Valley. The
call to action in the report represents the culmination of
her impact on philanthropy as a staunch advocate for
diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The Outsized Impact Awards were announced during Exponent
Philanthropy’s 2020 member meeting, held virtually this
year. A membership committee reviewed nominations, selected
finalists, and a public voting process determined the award
recipients. |