PinnedThe Local Giving Movement Is YoursBy Catherine Crystal Foster, CEO and Co-Founder A curious byproduct of this COVID era is the warping of time. Did that conversation happen just a few months ago, or was it two years ago? Has it really been forever since we gathered in front of the office whiteboard, or does…Philanthropy8 min readPhilanthropy8 min read
Jan 26, 2022How Philanthropic Partnerships Can Create Lasting ProgressRead my latest in Inside Philanthropy.Philanthropy1 min readPhilanthropy1 min read
Sep 22, 2021Lessons for Local Philanthropy: What We’ve Learned, Part IIIBy Aude Anquetil, Director of Strategic Partnerships Magnify Community began as a small and nimble philanthropic innovation lab in late 2018, working with urgency and a three-year time horizon to start to change norms around local giving in Silicon Valley; make local giving easier, more rewarding and high-impact; and catalyze…Philanthropy9 min readPhilanthropy9 min read
Aug 25, 2021Why Do We Give?By Catherine Crystal Foster, CEO and Co-Founder The answers range from the personal to the pragmatic. Some givers are motivated by faith or family values. For others, it’s the sense of responsibility that comes from sudden wealth or exposure to need. Still others are moved by gratitude and a desire…Silicon Valley5 min readSilicon Valley5 min read
Jul 27, 2021Silicon Valley’s Kids Need Us NowBy Catherine Crystal Foster, CEO and Co-Founder School’s out, and that leaves educators and families both deeply relieved and very concerned. It’s not news to anyone that the last year and a half tested the patience, technical capacity, and creativity of everyone involved with our schools. For many students, it…Philanthropy4 min readPhilanthropy4 min read
Jun 23, 2021Growing the Local Giving MovementBy Catherine Crystal Foster, CEO and Co-Founder Of all the abundant resources we have in Silicon Valley, the most important is our people. Their creativity, talent, drive, and generosity are what make this place more than just a stretch of land between ocean and bay. Magnify Community has always been…Silicon Valley4 min readSilicon Valley4 min read
May 20, 2021Invest in Silicon Valley Arts and Culture — Its Recovery Is Our OwnBy Catherine Crystal Foster, CEO and Co-Founder In good times and bad, food keeps us alive, shelter keeps us safe, but arts and culture keep us human. When COVID first struck, arts and culture organizations were among the first to close their doors. For more than a year, curtains remained…Silicon Valley5 min readSilicon Valley5 min read
Apr 30, 2021Lessons for Local Philanthropy: What We’ve Learned So Far — Part IIChapter 4: Progress and the Road Ahead By Catherine Crystal Foster, CEO and Co-Founder In the spirit of transparent learning, Magnify Community is sharing the next set of our reflections on what we’ve learned from our work to date, as we reach the last phase of our three-year experiment in…Silicon Valley5 min readSilicon Valley5 min read
Apr 30, 2021Lessons for Local Philanthropy: What We’ve Learned So Far — Part IIChapter 3: Lessons and Limits in Donor Organizing By Catherine Crystal Foster, CEO and Co-Founder In the spirit of transparent learning, Magnify Community is sharing the next set of our reflections on what we’ve learned from our work to date, as we reach the last phase of our three-year experiment…Silicon Valley7 min readSilicon Valley7 min read
Apr 30, 2021Lessons for Local Philanthropy: What We’ve Learned So Far — Part IIChapter 2: From a Pledge — and a Pandemic — to a Model of Donor Organizing By Catherine Crystal Foster, CEO and Co-Founder In the spirit of transparent learning, Magnify Community is sharing the next set of our reflections on what we’ve learned from our work to date, as we…Silicon Valley6 min readSilicon Valley6 min read
