Stanford GSB Alumni
Working Together to Fight Poverty

Since its inception, Project Redwood has provided $4.5 million in financial capital and in kind support to help almost 1 million people worldwide improve the quality of their lives.

 

Please watch the above video to learn more about Project Redwood

Jorge Fernandez Compatible Technology Site Visit

Funding, Expertise and Connections

 

Project Redwood provides small grants to support projects where our contributions will help validate the grantee’s purpose and achieve sustainable scale. We call this “catalytic capital.”

We support these grants with the expertise of our volunteer community of GSB Alumni who have tremendous skills, knowledge, and experience they can lend to early-stage organizations. When our own expertise is insufficient, PRW volunteers reach out to their networks to bring the right resources to bear.

The total value of grants we make is based on the donations that we receive from our contributors who are made up of Stanford GSB alumni, alumni from the greater Stanford community, and others who believe that our approach has a great impact on the fight against poverty.

Testimonials

“Like many organizations seeking social and environmental justice, Development in Gardening (DIG) began with a vision of what the world could be. From our gardens, we saw abundance, a world in which vulnerable bodies, communities and environments could be healed and sustained. But, visions and dreams are nothing if not nurtured. PRW came alongside DIG early in our evolution, and we are so grateful they did. Not only did they provide critical financial investment but they also provided expertise, networks, and mentorship that incubated our vision and carried it forward in ways we could not have done alone. They challenged and helped refine our model, they made introductions to new partners and thought leaders, they created a safe space for us to grow.  More than anything they stuck with us over the years, throughout a variety of growing pains and evolving leadership. They understand that ideas aren’t born perfect but must be shaped and encouraged, adjusted and adapted and we are deeply grateful for their continued partnership as we move closer to realizing this vision for the world we share.”

Sarah Koch, Executive Director, Development in Gardening

 

“Project Redwood has been a critical partner of ours throughout the years. The support that their team has provided us is unparalleled and transcends beyond just a funding partner to a multi-dimensional investor, mentor, and ally.

They have provided critical multi-year funding for our programs which has helped us to scale our model and increase our impact. In addition to their investment, each grantee is matched with a mentor, and our mentor Jorge Fernandez, has provided us with invaluable ideas and advice to help us approach our work from a different angle. This mentorship has turned into a close friendship and also led several members of the PRW team to travel down to Nicaragua to see the investment in impact that they have made first-hand. We have found that their due diligence application process was surprisingly helpful in understanding different ways to report the impact that we are generating. Very early in the pandemic, the PRW team realized our organization’s fund gap and quickly stepped in to provide unrestricted funding to support our program in a time of need. We are fortunate to be a part of the Project Redwood family and have them as a close partner of ours.”

Wes Meier, CEO, Emerging Opportunities for Sustainability (EOS)

Social Entrepreneurs

Project Redwood supports social entrepreneurs that possess a passion to improve the lives of the most impoverished. We specifically target those entrepreneurs still in the early stages of fulfilling their vision, aware that they need both financial support and thoughtful guidance to productively take their startup venture to the next level.

 

 A few of our Current Social Entrepreneurs

Clockwise from upper left:

Aaron Ebner of Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development

Amelia Hopkins Phillips of SOMO

Allen Woods of MORTAR and

Jackie Frazier of The Hope Project

2022-2023 Project Grantees

Click here to view

SID Uganda

Students at ICA Cristo Rey Academy in San Francisco

Results Oriented

Intentions are good, but success counts. Project Redwood takes a small amount of capital, invests it wisely and supports the projects with our expertise and connections.

  • Improved the lives of over 975,000 people
  • Over $4,500,000 invested
  • 71 organizations have been funded for 146 projects in 29 countries
  • Funded income-producing ventures of aspiring entrepreneurs in impoverished villages and cities
  • Supported job training programs for students in the US and around the world
  • Educated disadvantaged youngsters and teens

For more information, click here for our latest Annual Report.

Rewarding

Project Redwood is all about a sense of community and the belief that the shared appreciation for our Stanford connections and friendships is the foundation for a unified purpose and one that is gratifying to pursue together.  Imagine a job whose purpose is to help others, whose employees are all exceptional and motivated by the end goal and not competitive self-interest, and where everyone works collaboratively together. That’s what you get when you participate in Project Redwood.

PRW is entirely run by members who volunteer their time and expertise to ensure we can share ideas, follow effective processes to solicit and screen projects, and monitor progress to their goals. Every project is sponsored by a member and taps nonfinancial support from other members to help a grantee succeed.  We work virtually, with occasional in-person gatherings, thus keeping our overhead low and increasing the impact of donations.

Testimonial

In 2012, after several years of supporting PRW by simply writing an annual check, I finally had the time and felt the need to increase my level of engagement. Sponsorship continues to be one of my most rewarding endeavors by providing intellectual challenge, regular interaction with classmates, and real programmatic impact. Overall it’s been incredibly gratifying.

Ken Inadomi

Ken Inadomi and Melinda Wolfe with myAgro staff and farmers in Senegal.

Stanford GSB Alumni

Project Redwood was founded by a group of alumni from the GSB Class of 1980. It is entirely volunteer-run.  Having proven its model and built a strong foundation, Project Redwood has expanded to include active volunteers and donations from other GSB classes. We would love to see Project Redwood become a part of the GSB culture and a long-term institution.

The full potential of this alumni-driven model is yet to be realized.  We look forward to having you join in this effort to identify and support social entrepreneurs.

Please join us!

Interested in Learning More

Get contacted by a GSB Alumni

 

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8/10/23 Update