Threshold 2010 Annual Report

7/30/2019 Threshold 2010 Annual Report

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To be a powerful and visible model of conscious, effective philanthropy.

To create a fertile training ground that supports the full and authentic expression

of our passions and purpose.

To be a dynamic forum for learning about social issues and the people working to

address them.

To cultivate and continually renew the heart and soul of our community.

To be a vibrant, growing and diverse multi-generational membership organization.

To transform wealth into an instrument of change.

mission smn 2

our mission


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about Threshold

Threshold provides a place where people with signicant nancial resources, a commitment to social change and an

interest in their own emotional, psychological, and spiritual development can come together to scheme, dream, learn,

work, play and see what happens. We have observed that social change ows from personal growth so we work on our

inner lives and social responsibility simultaneously.

Threshold meetings are an ongoing experiment an evolving form designed to encourage members to discover their

most meaningful work and purpose, and engage in the world from that place.

Threshold Foundation serves the social change movement through collaborating with and funding innovative national and

international nonprot organizations and individuals working towards social justice, environmental sustainability, humane

economic systems and peaceful coexistence.

Member volunteers administer the foundation with the assistance of Tides, which is located in San Francisco. Granted

funds are raised annually with almost all donations coming from the membership. New members join Threshold primarily

through a personal relationship with an existing member or by referral from a membership committee.

Information about submitting a grant request to Threshold Foundation can be found on page 20 of this report and at

www.thresholdfoundation.org.

Threshold is a community of individuals united through wealth, and a progressive

foundation mobilizing money, people and power to create a more just, joyful and

sustainable world.

o so 3


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news from the yearIn 2010, the Threshold Community continued to evolve its grantmaking programs. Nevertheless, one of the things that I have found to be ever

constant, is our commitment to funding the new and cutting edge projects of the progressive non-prot world. Indeed, my elevator speech

has started to include the phrase, Thresholds grants are the Venture Capital money in the progressive non-prot world. Our return on

investment is the knowledge that we are supporting dynamic social change groups reaching for justice and a sustainable world. Its a fun

speech to giveand Im sure Im the envy of many corporate leaders who have to defend their prots !

ur Standing Committee Grants and process: Some news and highlights of the year include the extraordinary number of Letters of

Inquiry (LOIs) received for this grantmaking cycle. Over 700 LOIs for Thresholds two grants committees (Sustainable Planet and Justice &

Democracy). These were narrowed down by our committees and the Tides Foundation staff to 24 essential and exciting grants. As we looked

at our own sustainability, however, we realized something had to change. We have moved to an invitation-only process for the 20102011grantmaking cycle. The hope is to help both the grantees and the committees reduce the arduousness of the process while still retaining the

quality of our grants. We will reevaluate this process in future years to see what we liked and what we didnt, and to make adjustments.

Another highlight of the year were multi-year grants. We know they are benecial for the grantseeking community. The trick has always been

how to have nancial integrity around not promising something you dont yet have in the bank. In this case, the Justice and Democracy

committee decided it was more important to commit to multi-year funding than granting all of their money in the same year. We will look

forward to receiving feedback from the grantees and committees at the end of the 2011 cycle on how the process worked for both.

Grantees: Then there were the grantees themselves. I wont be able to highlight them all, but these were highlighted by the committees

when they were asked to identify some that could use additional funding at year end:

Juste ad Demay:

Air Trafc Control and Education Fund

www.atctower.net

Community Conferencing Center

www.communityconferencing.org

Families and Friends of Louisianas Incarcerated Childrenwww.fic.org

Sustaabe Paet:

Earthworks Oil and Gas Accountability Project

www.earthworksaction.org/aboutogap.cfm

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibilities

www.peer.org

Save Americas Forestswww.saveamericasforests.org


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om sin 5

These are just a few of the grantees that we have funded this year. All are part of the progressive movements cutting edge that Threshold looks

for and has historically supported. Countless hours go into these evaluations and they are an incredible perk that members of the community

can benet from in implementing their own giving plans. Please take a minute to explore some of these links to familiarize yourself with the work

our committees do in our name. And the next time youre at a meeting and sharing a meal with someone on a committee please ask them what

they are excited about right now. I promise you, you wont be disappointed.

Funding Circes: Threshold also continued with its Funding Circle projects in 2010. These have evolved into areas of partnership with other

foundations and groups in the outside world. They have deepened our exibility to respond to timely issues and have increased the depth and

complexity with which we give. The two Funding Circles are Liberty Hill Foundations Queer Youth Fund and the Election Integrity Funding Circle.

The Queer Youth Fund FC is a partnership we have with the Liberty Hill Foundation www.libertyhill.org. The Queer Youth Fundawards $100,000

multi-year grants to innovative and effective leadership development or organizing projects that empower GLBTQQ youth to improve societal

conditions affecting them and that make a long-term difference to their movement. The Funding Circle is innovative in that activists have full

voice and vote in making the grants decisions along with the donors.

The Election Integrity FC is one of the only groups in the nation funding projects that address whistle blower protection, citizen exit polls to

engage civic participation, and meaningful prosecution of election fraud crimes.

Its wonderful to have these two groups as part of our mix of progressive funding

ndowment Investing: The other meaningful area to speak of is our ongoing commitment to walk our talk in how we invest our endowment.

Our program-related investments further our social change mission by making funds available to community organizations that help low-income

individuals in the US and around the world. In addition, our equity securities use a socially responsible screen. Threshold has and will continue

to stay deeply connected to our mission of a just and sustainable world through how we manage our endowment.

Nearly all of Thresholds grants come from current donations of our members who actively engage with each other in authentic community. We

are grateful to all of our members who invest large amounts of their personal time and energy into our community and these wonderful grants

committees that work for social change through our grantees who serve on the front lines of creating such change.

With love, respect and gratitude,

Michele


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Following a two-year process of change and development, Threshold launched

a newly re-designed Grants Program in 2007. We established two Core

Committees: Justice & Democracy and Sustainable Planet, and introduced a

new philanthropic form for Threshold: Funding Circles.

The Justice & Democracy and Sustainable Planet Committees are the more

permanent, institutional xtures in Thresholds philanthropic constellation.

Funding Circles are authorized in a yearly charter process and remain in the

foundations orbit for a more limited scope of work or length of time.

For more information about current Core Committee and Funding Circle

guidelines and funding criteria, please visit the Threshold Foundation website at

www.thresholdfoundation.org.

Threshold Foundation2010 grants list

ns om 6


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justice and democracy $331,527Threshold Foundation envisions an authentic participatory democracy through which socialjustice can be achieved, and believes that when engaged in the political decisions that affect

their lives, ordinary people are central to making possible that change. The Justice & Democracy

Committee seeks to ensure human rights for youth impacted by the criminal justice and drug

policy systems, and political rights for those in historically disenfranchised communities.


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si n mo 8

Air TrAffic conTrol EDcATion fnD SN FNIS,

www.atctower.net

The ir Trafc ontrol Education Fund (T) helps musicians activate

their enormous fan bases on issues vital to progressive social change.

It serves an artists air trafc control that instills capacity, efciency, and

coordination in ar tist-cause collaborations.

$30,777 ollaborating with Musicians Project

BlockS TogEThEr IG, IL

www.blockstogether.org

Blocks Together targets the root causes of poverty and inequality, creates

neighborhood stability by ensuring that needed resources are invested in

the community, and unites residents on the basis of equality to engage in

building a social and economic justice movement.

$16,375 Graduate Dont Incarcerate ampaign

colorofchAngE.org BEELE,

www.colorofchange.org

olorfhange.org exists to strengthen Black mericas political voice.Its goal is to empower membersBlack mericans and alliesto make

government more responsive to the concerns of Black mericans and to

bring about positive political and social change for everyone. Its members

are united behind a simple, powerful pledge: we will do all we can to make

sure all mericans are represented, served, and protectedregardless of

race or class.

$60,000 2-year grant for Deepening Engagement Project

coniT confErEncing cEnTEr BLTIME, MD

www.communityconferencing.org

The ommunity onferencing enter () is a conict transformation

and community justice organization that provides ways for people to

safely, collectively and effectively prevent and resolve conicts and crime.

Through partnerships with people, neighborhoods, governments and

institutions, helps Maryland communities resolve conicts and

crimes within their own communities.

$30,000 General Support

EqAliT fEDErATion SN FNIS,

www.equalityfederation.org

Equality Federation is a national alliance of state-based lesbian, gay,

bisexual and transgender advocacy organizations. It works to achieve

equality for LGBT people in every state and territory by building strong and

sustainable statewide organizations in a state-based movement.

$30,000 Building Stronger and More Ef fective Statewide LGBT

rganizations Project

ExAlT oTh BLN, N

www.exaltyouth.org

Exalt ouths mission is to transform the lives of youth along the spectrum

of criminal justice involvement by equipping them with the skills and

experience necessary to become self-sufcient, self-fullled, productive

members of society.



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si n mo 9

fAiliES AnD friEnDS of loiSiAnAS incArcErATED

chilDrEn NEW LENS, L

www.fic.org

Families and Friends of Louisianas Incarcerated hildren (FFLI) is a

statewide membership-based organization that ghts for a better life for all

of Louisianas youth, especially those involved in or targeted by the juvenile

justice system. s mothers and fathers, grandparents, siblings, cousins,

aunts, uncles and allies, FFLI believes in and implements a model of

organizing that is people and community centered, and is explicitly anti-

racist.


inSighT PriSon ProJEcT SN FEL,

www.insightprisonproject.org

Insight Prison Project (IPP) is a community organization that believes

community members need to play an active role in the prisons

surrounding a community. IPP is dedicated to creating and conducting

effective programs for inmate rehabilitation and to support the

reinstatement of rehabilitation as a core operating principle within the

penal system.$30,000 Insight ut Program

lATinA iniTiATivE DENE,

www.latinainitiative.org

Latina Initiative (LI) is a non-partisan voter outreach and civic engagement

organization whose mission is to cultivate, support and maintain the civic

involvement of Latinas in olorado. LI is the premier nonprot increasing

civic engagement of the Latina community.


EDiATion WorkS MEDFD,

www.mediation-works.org

Mediation Works (MW) empowers individuals and organizations to resolve

their differences peacefully. MW teaches conict resolution skills and

provide mediation services, thereby building understanding and respect in

our diverse community.

$38,000 2-year grant for estorative Justice Programs

PfronT ProgrAS / hAr rEDcTion ThErAP cEnTEr

BENII,

www.upfrontprograms.org

UpFront Programs works to reform the national adolescent drug

prevention, education, and treatment world through ef fective direct

services, trainings, and technical assistance based on its experience of

successful programming in urban, rural, and reservation-based programs.

$25,000 General Support and apacity Building


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sustainable planet $389,740How do we meet the needs of people now without compromising the needs of future generations?

How do we bring all human activities into harmony with nature for the benet of all beings?

To face these questions, we must transform both human culture and technology to live within

the physical limits of the local and global ecosystems. Most urgently, this implies protecting

threatened ecosystems to preserve biodiversity and prevent extinction. This in turn will require

addressing global ecological issues such as climate change,

empowering local and indigenous communities and

deploying new clean technologies.


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ssin n 11

1Sk AcTion fnDTM P, MD

www.1sky.org

The mission of 1Sky ction Fund is to support the work of its sister

organization 1Sky Education Fund to build a diverse nationwide movement

and convince the federal government to take bold action to tackle the

climate crisis and harness the enormous economic opportunity of energy

efciency and the renewable energy economy as soon as possible.

$18,480 Field rganizing and ill dvocacy for a lean Energy Future

Project

AlliAncE for SSTAinABlE colorADo DENE,

www.sustainablecolorado.org

The mission of lliance for Sustainable olorado is to achieve

environmental, economic and social sustainability in olorado through

building broad support among individuals, nonprot organizations,

businesses and government. It provides the nucleus for a statewide

sustainability movement for olorado and a model for sustainability

movements in other states.


APPAlAchiAn cEnTEr for ThE Econo AnD ThE

EnvironEnT LEWISBUG, W

www.appalachian-center.org

ppalachian enter for the Economy and the Environment (EE) is a

regional nonprot organization dedicated to protecting the communities

and natural resources of ppalachia and to developing a sustainable

economy for the region. The enter provides legal representation and

policy assistance to citizens and grassroots organizations.


BioSPhErE fonDATion BIG PINE,

www.biospherefoundation .org

Biosphere Foundation supports research and education about our Earths

biosphere. Its Planetary oral eef Foundation (PF) conducts research

to address the coral reef crisis. PF has pursued an unprecedented

global mission to preserve coral reefs through innovative programs in

science, technology and education.

$30,480 Planetary oral eef Foundations Indonesian onservation

Project

cAliforniA cliATE AnD AgriclTrE nETWork /

occiDEnTAl ArTS AnD Ecolog cEnTEr SEBSTPL,

www.calclimateag.org

alifornia limate and griculture Network (alN) is a coalition that

advances policy solutions at the nexus of climate change and sustainable

agriculture.

$25,480 alNs B32 Lobbying Efforts


12/29

ssin n 12

ciT SlickEr fArS LND,

www.cityslickerfarms.org

ity Slicker Farms mission is to empower West akland community

members to meet the immediate and basic need for food security for

healthy, organic food for themselves and their families by creating high-

yield urban farms and backyard gardens. Its programs provide healthy,

affordable food, improve the environment, and give West akland

residents tools for self-reliance.


coniT EnvironEnTAl lEgAl DEfEnSE fnD

MBESBUG, P

www.celdf.org

The ommunity Environmental Legal Defense Fund (ELDF) provides free

and affordable legal and organizing assistance to grassroots, community-

based organizations working to protect their quality of life through

protecting the natural environment, building sustainable communities, and

asserting local control over corporations.

$38,480 ommunity Water Project

corPWATch / TiDES cEnTEr SN FNIS,

www.corpwatch.org

orpWatch counters corporate-led globalization through education

and activism. It works to foster democratic control over corporations

by building a diverse movement for human r ights, labor rights, and

environmental justice.

$38,480 orpWatch and Borealis entre for Environment and Trade

esearchs joint project to track the corporate ow of anadian tar sands oil

EArTh EconoicSTM, W

www.eartheconomics.org

Earth Economics is devoted to advancing and applying the science of

ecological economics to promote healthy ecosystems, communities, and

economies, while also working to halt the globalization of unsustainable

economic policies. Focusing on the areas of toxics, forests, sheries,

and global trade policies, they achieve their goals through organization,

education, and advocacy.

$27,980 aluing Ecuadors Intag egion Project

EArThWorkS WSINGTN, D

www.earthworksaction.org

Earthworks is dedicated to protecting communities and the environment

from the destructive impacts of mineral development, in the U.S.

and worldwide. It fullls its mission by working with communities and

grassroots groups to reform government policies, improve corporate

practices, inuence investment decisions and encourage responsible

materials sourcing and consumption.

$37,480 il and Gas ccountability Project


13/29

ssin n 13

friEnDS of ThE EArTh AcTion WSINGTN, D

www.foeaction.org

Friends of the Earth ction (FoE ction) provides extra political muscle

on legislative battles to its sister organization, Friends of the Earth, which

is part of a network of afliates in over 70 nations. FoE ction not only

ghts for laws and lawmakers that will do the right thing on environmental

issues, it also helps the public join in the political battle.

$32,480 Lobbying for Strong Federal limate Policy

PBlic EPloEES for EnvironEnTAl rESPonSiBiliT

WSINGTN, D

www.peer.org

Public Employees for Environmental esponsibility (PEE) is a national

alliance of local state and federal resource professionals. PEEs

environmental work is solely directed by the needs of its members.

PEE works nation-wide with government scientists, land managers,

environmental law enforcement agents, eld specialists and other

resource professionals committed to responsible management of

mericas public resources.

$25,480 oals chilles eel: ombustion Waste Project

SAvE AEricAS forESTS fnD WSINGTN, D

www.saveamericasforests.org

Save mericas Forests Fund was established in 1992 to address the

growing educational needs of the grassroots forest protection movement.

Its mission is to protect and restore mericas last wild and natural forests.

The Fund has worked to build bridges with labor organizations and to

inspire previously uninvolved mericans to participate in the creation of

U.S. forest protection policy.



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The Election Integrity Funding Circle seeks

to ensure that every American can vote, that

votes will be counted as cast, and works to

eliminate voter suppression and barriers to

voting. The Funding Circle targets specic

efforts to protect the democratic process

from threats of election manipulation

and fraud through: whistle blower

protection; citizen exit polls to engage civic

participation; and meaningful prosecution of

election fraud crimes.

election integrity $183,500


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ion ini 15

BlAck Box voTing ENTN, W

www.blackboxvoting.org

Black Box oting is a grassroots civic participation organization founded

to encourage independent action around voter fraud, although it does not

control or directly organize. Instead, it works in solidarity with relentless,

clever, loosely allied people, taking actions they have gured out for

themselves, using common sense and whatever resources they can bring

to bear.

$26,080 Tipping Point Project

colBS inSTiTTE for conTEPorAr JornAliS

LUMBUS,

www.freepress.org

olumbus Institute for ontemporary Journalism is dedicated to

promoting media independence through alternative and diverse voices.

Its outlets are the internet, a bimonthly journal, book publishing, radio

programs and video production.

$35,080 Election Protection Project

ElEcTion TrAnSPArEnc coAliTion / inTErnATionAl

hAniTiES cEnTEr STTSBUG, N

www.etcnys.org

Election Transparency oalition is dedicated to educating and organizing

the citizens of New ork State and beyond, to maintain, and when

necessary, restore citizen oversight and public control of our elections.

$23,080 ETs Lawsuit to alt Software-based oting

ThE SnriSE cEnTEr TE MDE,

www.democracyandelectionintegrity.org

The Sunrise enters Grace Institute for Democracy and Election Integrity

will be responsible for issuing awards to election supervisors and possibly

Secretaries of State for Innovative Work in the Field of Election Integrity.

$17,100 The Grace Institutes Election Transparency ward

vElvET rEvolTion WSINGTN, D

www.velvetrevolution.us

elvet evolution () is a 501(c)4 organization founded for the purpose

of providing a means for citizens and organizations to mobilize to create

a clean, transparent and accountable government. Its major focus is

exposing and correcting problems with electronic voting machines and

their tabulators.

$43,080 Protect ur Elections ampaign

vErifiED voTing fonDATion LSBD,

www.veriedvotingfoundation.org

eried oting Foundation (F) is a non-partisan nonprot organization

championing transparent, reliable and publicly veriable elections. Its goal

is to enable voters to have unqualied and justied condence in election

results.

$39,080 Joint Project with ommon ause Education Fund and oter

ction to hallenge Internet oting


16/29

liBErT hill fonDATion SNT MNI,

www.libertyhill.org

Liberty ill Foundations Queer outh Fund awards grants to innovative and effective leadership

development programs or organizing projects that empower GLBTQQ youth to improve societal

conditions that affect them and that make a long-term difference to their movement.

$126,013 Queer outh Fund

Through this funding collaborative, a diverse donor and activist

committee makes multi-year, $100,000 grants to grassroots, local,

state or national nonprot organizations located anywhere in the

United States working to improve the quality of life among gay, lesbian,

bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (GLBTQQ) youth.

queer youth fund $126,013


17/29

informal funding

2010 grants$236,615

occurs at Threshold meetings and raises funds for organizations

presented by members to members. These are closed funding cycles and as such do not accept

unsolicited letters of inquiry.


18/29

inom nin 18

AirlinE ABASSADorS inTErnATionAl MSS BE,

www.airlineamb.org

$11,300 ambodia World Family rong ep School

BlE PlAnET rn fonDATion EDWD IT,

www.blueplanetrun.org


clEAn PoWEr noWNNIS, M

www.cleanpowernow.org


conTAinErS To clinicS DE, M

www.containers2clinics.org

$7,690 2 site in Port-au-Prince

floriDA voTErS coAliTion / vErifiEDvoTing.org

SUT MIMI, FL

www.oridavoters.org$11,650 Florida oters oalitions project, Securing Floridas Elections

gloBAl fAil villAgE EL EIT,

www.globalfamilyvillage.org

$9,575 Infant/Toddler, Eldercare, and aregiver Training program in

Bungamati, Nepal

grEEn SciEncE Polic inSTiTTE / SociAl AnD

EnvironEnTAl EnTrEPrEnErS BEELE,

www.greensciencepolicy.org

$10,350 Green Science Policy Institutes Safe ids ampaign

klAATh rivErkEEPErSLND,

www.klamathriver.org


krE AToll conSErvAncNLULU, I

www.kureatollconservancy.org

$10,350 Winter eld camp

lovE SErvE rEEBEr fonDATion MLIBU,

www.ramdass.org

$13,200 am Dass Sustainable Teaching Project

oAklAnD fooD connEcTion LND,

www.foodcommunityculture.org$13,050 General Support

ozArk BoTAnicAl gArDEn, inc. BIE, M

www.one-garden.org

$12,650 Seed Solution to unger Program


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inom nin 19

rAvEnITI, B ND

www.raventrust.com

$8,900 Beaver Lake ree Nations legal action against tar sands oil

production

SATAnA inSTiTTE FEELND, W

www.satyana.org

$8,400 Gender econciliation Initiative

STonEWAll coniT fonDATion NEW , N

www.stonewallfoundation.org

$6,600 Queer Wellness Fund

TiDES fonDATion SN FNIS,

www.tidesfoundation.org

$13,250 Tides elief and econstruction Fund for elief Efforts in aiti

TrAnSPArTiSAn cEnTEr / nATionAl inSTiTTE for SciEncE,

lAW AnD PBlic PolicWSINGTN, Dwww.transpartisancenter.org

$6,800 Transpartisan enters Salon Series

PAA zEn cEnTEr SNT FE, NM

www.upaya.org

$13,450 Nomad linics in umla, Nepal

viSionAr ArTS AnD EDiAPTS,

www.youthempoweringyouth.us

$8,500 outh Empowering outh Program

WElcoE hoE ProJEcT / Arion inSTiTTESLND,

www.thewelcomehomeproject.org

$12,400 oices of ets lm project

WoEnS EDiA cEnTEr NEW , N

www.womensmediacenter.com

$10,450 Progressive Womens oices Program

cA of Arin SN FEL,

www.ymcasf.org/marin

$11,150 Marin ounty outh ourt

oTh for EnvironEnTAl SAniTSNT U,

www.yesworld.org

$8,600 World outh Leadership Jam, in collaboration with onsciousollaborations


20/29

GS pCSS

The annual grant cycle begins in September with the submission of

Letters of Inquiry (LI) by organizations interested in seeking grants from

Threshold Foundation. Threshold members may sponsor organizations

with a letter of recommendation or organizations may submit an unsolicited

LI. Threshold Foundation does not match organizations with Threshold

members for sponsorship in the grantmaking process, but all LIs

are given an initial review. From the LIs the grant committees invite a

limited number of organizations to submit a proposal. fter reviewing

the proposals, the grant committees select a subset of organizations

for a site-visit and evaluation. nce the site-visit and evaluations are

complete evaluations are reviewed and grant committees nalize their

grant recommendations to the ircle (Board of Directors) in June. Grant

agreement and funds are disbursed at the end of July.

G ypS SIzS

Threshold Foundation provides grants for general operating expenses

as well as special projects. We do not give emergency or discretionary

grants outside of the annual grant cycle.

Grant amounts typically range from $5,000 to $25,000.

rganizations seeking grants must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or

501(c)(4) lobbying status from the IS or must be exclusively organized for

charitable or educational purposes, inside or outside the United States.

pplyIG F G

The rst step in applying to the annual grant cycle is to submit an online

Letter of Inquiry through our website at www.thresholdfoundation.org.

Note that guidelines for applying to the annual grant cycle often change,

as we are continually trying to improve our process based on feedback

from grantees and committee members. Therefore, we recommend

that grantseekers visit the Threshold Foundations website in ugust for

the most up-to-date information regarding the deadline and application

process for the following years cycle.

information for grantseekersThreshold Foundations annual

grants program includes two Core Committees the Justice & Democracy Committee and the

Sustainable Planet Committee and a number of Funding Circles, which change on an annual

basis. For current information about Core Committee and Funding Circle guidelines and funding

criteria, please visit the Threshold Foundation website at www.thresholdfoundation.org.

ns is/inomion 20


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rgra elated ivetet a ut

cc iteratal $55,000Boston, M www.accion.org

peratve ud f new glad $20,000

mherst, M www.cooperativefund.org

& $50,000

Bloomeld, NJ www.eandco.net

terpre rprat f the elta $25,000

Jackson, MS www.ecd.org

ua/cc ppalacha evelpet, ic.uty a ud ( rp.) $20,000

Berea, www.headcorp.org

ittute fr uty cc $25,000

Springeld, M www.iceclt.org

he a ud $20,000

lbuquerque, NM www.loanfund.org

natal ederat f

uty evelpet $50,000

New ork, N www.natfed.org

endowment investment reportThe endowment investment principles of Threshold Foundation complement its philanthropic goals.The entire portfolio has a social investment focus with positive and negative screens: seventy percentis in socially screened stock, bonds, and cash with Boston ommon sset Management, alvert,Miller/oward Investments, and Trillium sset Management; twenty percent is in Program elated

Investments, primarily ommunity Development Loan Funds that are listed here; the remaining ten

percent has been designated for high growth, venture-type investments.

rgra elated ivetet a ut

new aphreuty evelpet $25,000

oncord, N www.nhclf.org

opprtuty ace netwrk $100,000

Philadelphia, P www.opportunitynance.net

t aptal $20,000

ambridge, M www.rootcapital.org

self-elp redt $25,000

Durham, N www.self-help.org

self-elp terpre $45,000

isalia, www.selfhelpenterprises.com

shared iteret $25,000

New ork, N www.sharedinterest.org

shrebak acc $25,000

Ilwaco, W www.eco-bank.com

dwet ft

ou can make an endowment gift to

Threshold Foundation through a charitable

trust, real estate gift, or by means of a

bequest in your will. Because grantee

organizations, grantee needs and other

conditions change over the years, it will

often avoid legal complications if simple

unrestricted language like the following isused in wills:

I hereby give and bequest ___________ to

Threshold Foundation, a not-for-prot tax-

exempt public charity founded under the

laws of the State of New ork, having as

its principal address P Box 29903, San

Francisco, alifornia 94129-0903, for the

general purposes of Threshold Foundation.

If you want to discuss the language of your

bequest, or if you want more information

on planned giving possibilities (including

real estate gifts), the staff or ircle (Board

of Directors) would be happy to meet with

you. To schedule a meeting contact the

Foundation Manager at 415-561-6400.

innis 21


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independent auditors reportBoard of DirectorsThreshold FoundationWe have audited the accompanying statements of nancial position of Threshold Foundation (the Foundation) as of December

31, 2009, and the related statements of activities and cash ows for the year then ended. These nancial statements are the

responsibility of the Foundations management. ur responsibility is to express an opinion on these nancial statements based on

our audit. The pr ior year summarized comparative information has been derived from the Foundations 2008 nancial statements

and, in our report dated September 11, 2009, we expressed an unqualied opinion on those statements.

We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of merica. Those

standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the nancial statements are

free of material misstatement. n audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in

the nancial statements. n audit includes consideration of internal control over nancial reporting as a basis for designing audit

procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of

the Foundations internal control over nancial reporting. n audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and

signicant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall nancial statement presentation. We believe that our

audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the nancial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the nancial position of ThresholdFoundation as of December 31, 2009, and the changes in net assets and its cash ows for the year then ended, in conformity

with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of merica.

Signed

Fontanello, Dufeld & take, LLP

ertied Public ccountants

44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2019

San Francisco, 94104innis 22


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balance sheetStatements of Financial PositionYEAS EDED DECEMBE 31, 2009 AD 2008 2009 2008

ssetsCash and cash equivalents $ 258,560 $ 288,818

Pledges receivable 5,950 18,525

Deposits 10,650 25,280

Other assets 9,159 11,543

Investments 2,211,618 2,250,824

Program related investments 490,000 535,000

tal aet 2,985,937 3,129,990

Liabilities

Grants payable 350,000

Accounts payable 11,866 10,942

efundable deposits 63,700 9,500

tal lablte 75,566 370,442

Net ssets

retrcted et aet

General operations 471,871 385,458

Designated for grantmaking pool 138,256 164,399

Designated for endowment purposes 2,251,094 2,170,166

tal uretrcted et aet 2,861,221 2,720,023

eprarly retrcted et aet 49,150 39,525

tal et aet 2,910,371 2,759,548

tal lablte ad et aet $ 2,985,937 $ 3,129,990

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innis 24

income & expense Statements of Activities eprarly 2009 2008YEAS EDED DECEMBE 31, 2009 AD 2008 retrcted etrcted tal tal

Support and evenueGrants and contributions $ 1,496,672 $ 49,150 $ 1,545,822 $ 1,911,572

Conference revenues 167,064 167,064 144,645

Investment income/(loss)

Interest and dividends 63,591 63,591 117,156

Investment fees (16,390) (16,390) (20,962)

et realized gain/(loss) (108,069) (108,069) (142,409)

et unrealized gain/ (loss) 372,538 372,538 (427,619)

1,975,406 49,150 2,024,556 1,582,383

et assets released from restriction 39,525 (39,525)

tal upprt ad reveue 2,014,931 9,625 2,024,556 1,582,383

Expensesrgra ervce

Grants 1,360,128 1,360,128 2,609,084

Conference expenses 221,512 221,512 24,660

etwork communications 99,562 99,562 180,613

tal prgra ervce 1,681,202 1,681,202 2,814,357

supprtg ervce

Grantmaking support 99,019 99,019 99,324

Board/corporate support 93,512 93,512 126,549

tal upprtg ervce 192,531 192,531 225,873

tal expee 1,873,733 1,873,733 3,040,230

hange in Net ssets 141,198 9,625 150,823 (1,457,847)et assets at beginning of year 2,720,023 39,525 2,759,548 4,217,395

et assets at end of year $ 2,861,221 $ 49,150 $ 2,910,371 $ 2,759,548

2009 xpee

Grants72.6%

Conferenceexpenses 11.8%

etworkcommunications5.3%

Grantmakingsupport 5.3%

Board/corporatesupport 5%

2009 eveue

Grants andcontributions75.8%

Conferencerevenues 8.4%

Investmentincome/(loss)15.8%


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innis 25

cash flows Statements of Cash FlowsYEAS EDED DECEMBE 31, 2009 AD 2008 2009 2008

ash ows from operating activitiesChange in net assets $ 150,823 $ (1,457,847)

Adjustments to reconcile change in net assets tocash used in operating activities:

et investment income/(loss) (311,670) 473,834

Contibuted stock (71,056) (194,296)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Pledges receivable 12,575 (3,200)

Deposits 14,630 8,457

Other assets 2,384 4,707

Grants payable (350,000) 350,000

Accounts payable 924 466

efundable deposits 54,200 (12,660)

net cah ued peratg actvte (497,190) (830,539)

ash ows from investing activities

Purchase of investments (750,145) (745,606)

Proceeds from sale of investments 1,172,077 1,382,444Increase in program related investments (25,000)

edemption of program related investments 70,000

net cah prvded by vetg actvte 466,932 636,838

Net change in cash and cash equivalents (30,258) (193,701)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 288,818 482,519

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 258,560 $ 288,818


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2010 Board of Directors

mchele re, President

ta rury, ice President and Secretaryavd ll, Treasurer

ae ll, Director

rag arwd, Director

avd ll, Director

rud ke, Director

mary alder wer, Director

sa te, Director

aura Waera, Director

2010 Staff

za segler, Foundation Manager

avd alze, Member Programs Manager

ug seckger, ssociate Foundation Manager

yce ag, Foundation ccountant

stephae lt, Event oordinator

And other staff of Tides

htgraphy

Tim Jones (p.17), Weston Milliken (cover, 7, 10),

Marian Moore (p.45, 14, 16, 28, 29), shraf Sarawi (p.26)

raphc eg

Ison Design

o/s 26


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in memoriamEllen Camin

Ellen amin died peacefully at home on the beautiful, fullmoon lit night of ugust 24, 2010, after 3 1/2 years of ovarian

cancer, just shy of 75. She was a beautiful spirit; she touched many people with her generosity, kindness, curiosity, strength

and determination. Ultimately, the testament to her life, in addition to her extensive accomplishments, is in who she was and

the lives of so many who she touched so very deeply. She was born September 24, 1935 in Sacramento, . s a young

girl, Ellen loved the outdoors; her childhood was lled with horseback riding, hiking, and visiting Lake Tahoe. t age 16 she

had polio, and this experience only intensied her independence and strength of will. She lived a full and active life; playing

tennis, hiking in the ascades, traveling to Europe, sia, frica, ustralia, and laska. er love of nature and her stewardship

of the earth were integral to her character. Ellen graduated from Stanford University in 1957. She met George Ghilarducci

there and they married in 1959, moving to Tacoma to raise a family. In 1973 she and George trekked across central sia

and the Middle East, and this sparked an interest in spiritual development, and philanthropy that lasted throughout her

life. In 1975 she obtained a Masters in Social Work from the University of Washington and became an administrator at a

mental health agency. She later founded the Tacoma rea Living Lightly ssociation, co-founded the ascadia evolving

Loan Fund, served on the board of In ontext magazine, became involved with the hinook Learning enter (now Whidbey

Institute), briey serving as its director, and joined the Donuts at its second meeting, also serving on its Board, although

the Grants ommittes remained her favorite. fter the death of George in 1989, Ellen moved to Whidbey Island, W. In

1995 she married Bernie amin, and began a new phase of her life on the island. She was a founding member of the ircle

of aring, a support group dealing with issues of aging, and formed rich friendships through her Full Moon Group and The

Lorian ssociation. nd there were always her contributions. s she was in ospice in our home we were overwhelmedby those who wanted a few moments with her. She was deeply spiritual and toward the end

she experienced a life lesson shift. She leaves her husband, Bernie amin, three children, seven

grandchildren and many other friends and family.

Ellen was a closet painter and she left a stunning body of work. The painting attached is titled

Whats Next? and it was done just before the nal bout began around March of last year.

er portrait was from a igh School eunion about 15 years ago.

With deepest love,

Bernie Camin


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Henry Dakin

We will all miss enry Dakin who died ugust 25, of pancreatic cancer. e

was a great man and a true leader, in his own humble way. enry was a real

citizen diplomat. e organized some of the rst Space Bridges with the

Soviet Union during the cold war. e housed many cutting edge non-prots

in the 1980s and 90s in his building on Sacramento Street in San Francisco,

putting on events, lming them and supporting them nancially. e provided

ofce space for Soviet psychic healers like Larissa ilenskaya and published

her writings on parapsychology, telepathy, healing and non ordinary ways of knowing. e was a great friend and

supporter of so many people and organizations.

I (arriett) always stayed with enry and ergilia when I was in San Francisco. e always seemed to be happy, bouncy,

jubilant as he puttered around his home, doing things on his computers, having fun. We always seemed to be giggling at

breakfast in the morning. I cant remember exactly how it would start. ed tease me or ergilia and wed start laughing.

r hed ask me if I remembered when the president of Monsanto, Bob Shapiro got a pie put in his face at the State of the

World Forum. Wed talk over exactly what happened, all the messy details and soon we were giggling. ll the rest of the

morning, these irrepressible giggles would keep coming up like bubbles coming up in a deep lake.

e always wanted to know what was happening with Donuts, or at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, or on my latest trip to

ussia, or in the linton White ouse. e was so curious, interested, wanting to know everything, especially anything that

would get us to laughing. ed tell me all the latest on the Esalen Soviet merican Exchange Program and who was doing

what. Wed gossip about the wild characters we worked with, like Joseph Goldin from Moscow who lived in enrys ofce

for awhile, making endless calls back to Moscow, eliciting even more chuckles.

enry had a great life. e had a very nice and playful relationship with his wife, ergilia, whom he adored. e raised three

wonderful daughters, Julia, ose and driana who worked in our azakhstan ofce of IS. enry supported many very

special people and got involved in all kinds of great causes. Many of us adored him and we will miss him deeply.

Harriett Crosby

in memoriam


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David Pillsbury Becker

David Pillsbury Becker died on November 26, 2010 at the Gosnell Memorial ospice in Scarborough, ME. e was born in lbany, N on

ctober 15, 1947 and educated at The lbany cademy, the Taft School, and Bowdoin ollege from which he graduated in 1970 with a

degree in history. While there, he discovered the Bowdoin Museum of rt and began developing an interest in ar t and especially printmaking.

In 1983 he received a Master of rts degree from New ork University. In addition to receiving a hester Dale Fellowship at the Metropolitan

Museum of rt in New ork, David did coursework at the University of irginias are Book School in 1999 and 2009. David was most

recently employed at the Boston Museum of Fine rts where he was the Pamela and Peter oss urator of Prints and Drawings.

David demonstrated exceptional organizational and political abilities in his professional career as a collector and curator of prints, drawings,

and rare books. is publications include The Imprint of Place: Maine Printmaking 18002005, Old Master Drawings at Bowdoin College, and

numerous scholarly articles.David was a trustee of Bowdoin ollege, aymarket Peoples Fund, and the Maine hapter of the Nature onservancydonating an island

off the Maine coast to their care. e nancially and politically supported many other progressive social change organizations including the

straea Foundation and the Proud ainbow outh of Southern Maine (PSM).

n early supporter of the Gay & Lesbian Liberation Movement, as it was then known, David served on the Working Group on Funding Lesbian

and Gay Issues of the National Network of Grantmakers, and the Board of the Lesbian and Gay ommunity

enter of Boston. Later, while on the board of the Maine ommunity Foundation, David was instrumental in

establishing the Maine Equity Fund whose mission is to provide funding for further development of lesbian,

gay, bisexual, and transgender organizations in Maine. David also founded UT Fund for Gay andLesbian Liberation, with a $500,000 grant in 1990. No fan of entitled donors making grant decisions, David

required that the Funds advisors be activists representing grassroots organizations.

Davids activist philanthropy in the greater community was recognized by The Maine Lesbian/Gay Political

lliances (now Equality Maine) Great Pioneer ward in 1994 and by Maine Initiatives Golden Grower

Philanthropist ward in 2001.

David is survived by his brother, John J. Becker of Pittsboro, N and his sister, atherine B. Finney of

Philadelphia, P and ten nieces and nephews. David leaves many friends and professional colleagues

around New England, the US and beyond.

Weston Milliken

in memoriam

Documents

Threshold 2010 Annual Report