We have been angered and grieved by the events of the past days and weeks — which for many in our communities represent injustice and violence that have been felt for a lifetime. We stand in solidarity and condemn the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many more who have been killed by unjust and racist systems.
SV2 is a community which seeks to listen and learn, give, and act together. Our vision is a more equitable and sustainable Bay Area and world where everyone thrives. This vision will only be realized by recognizing and addressing systemic injustice and inequity.
It is not enough to do no harm. This moment calls for restoring relationships and reimagining broken systems. It will take commitment from us all to do the work, to educate ourselves, to speak up, and to fight racism in all its forms. We are heartened by the ways our community is already doing this and are deeply inspired by these efforts.
Over the coming weeks and months, here are some steps we are taking to listen and learn, give, and act together:
- We are listening to your updates and calls to action
- We are committed to integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in our collaborative grantmaking and impact investing
- Our new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion working group will be actively moving forward next steps for SV2 as a whole
- We continue to provide Beyond-the-Dollars support to our Grantees and Impact Investees
- In all our endeavors, we will strive to be empathetic of all that is happening and how that impacts us individually and collectively
In Solidarity,
Alison Elliott Linda Lazor
Board Chair Chief Executive Officer