The Nia Community Foundation (NIACF) is a left-of-center organization that invests in businesses and organizations led by women or persons of color through grants or loans. It originally focused on the Oakland, California area but now works more widely. Its areas of focus include environment sustainability and equal economic outcomes. ¹

NIACF was founded in Oakland, California by Kristin Hull from money derived from the sale of her father’s stock trading business and subsequent investment firms that she has founded since. Day to day management is outsourced to Foundation Source, a firm that claims to be the largest provider of support services to private foundations. ²

NIACF has given grants to organizations such as the Tides Foundation; Tides Center; Khmer Girls in Action (KGIA); and the Mosaic Foundation. ³

Organization

The Nia Community Foundation (NIACF) is a left-of-center organization founded and led by Kristin Hull. NIACF supports organizations led by women and persons of color that are focused on equal social outcomes, environmentalism, and left-progressive economic ideas, often in and around Oakland, California, though it has recently broadened its geographic focus. Its name “Nia” is a Swahili word for intention and purpose. ⁴

NIACF is managed by Foundation Source, a third-party manager of multiple foundations, that provides startup advice, advisory, legal, accounting, and multiple other functions to allow a foundation to focus on generating revenue public relations, and grant making. ^{5 6}

Leadership

NIACF was founded and is led by Kristin Hull, who is the sole board member. Following the sale by her father of the family stock trading business in which she worked, she served as president and chair of the Hull Family Foundation, founded Nia Community Investments, Nia Global Solutions, and Impact Hub Oakland (since renamed Evolve Oakland), an organization that provides workspace for entrepreneurs of color. She also founded Money Doula, a blog that offers her personal coaching and investment consulting. Hull is on the board of directors for the Mosaic Project and Community Action Fund for Women of Africa (CAFWA), an organization that assists African women in conflict areas. She is an advisor for Playworks, the Nicholson Foundation, To Someone (an email marketing company), and Gender Equity Now, an organization that offers action plans for companies that promote equity and inclusion. ^{7 8 9}

In a National Observer interview, Hull stated that early in her career she noted that men and Wall Street did not invest in women and people of color, and decided to do something about it. In 2020, Hull published an article on LinkedIn titled “An Investors’ Guide to Investing for Racial Equity,” in which she defined ways for individuals to dismantle so-called “white privilege” and systemic racism. ¹⁰

On Twitter, Hull advocates for the prohibition of forced arbitration as a tool of racism and the inclusion of human rights issues in company due diligence. ¹¹

Finances

NIA Community Foundation generated $331,389 in 2019 revenue and had expenses of $273,610, including $225,121 in contributions, gifts, and grants. ¹² Net assets at the end of the year was $5,514,015. ¹³

NIA Community Foundation receives virtually all its income from the Hull family and Hull family trusts. In 2018, gifts from two Hull trusts totaled $3,655,001, while Blair Hull contributed $250,000 and Kristin Hull another $873,237. ¹⁴

Grants

NIACF gave $12,500 in grants in 2019 to the left-of-center Tides Center and the Tides Foundation, and $5,000in 2017 to the Khmer Girls in Action (KGIA). ^{15 16} KGIA is a left-wing organization that is part of the Check the Sheriff Coalition, which seeks the resignation of the Los Angeles County sheriff and an investigation of the department by California authorities. ¹⁷

The Mosaic Foundation, which provides diversity educational programs, received $40,000 in 2018 and 2019, while the left-of-center Threshold Foundation, an organization that promotes social and environmental equal outcomes, received $30,221. ^{18 19}

1. “Mission & History.” Niacommunity. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://www.niacommunity.org/mission.
2. Elizabeth McSheffrey. “CEO of Nia Community Fund Dishes on White Men, Wall Street, and Impact Investing.” National Observer. December 12, 2016. https://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/12/12/news/ceo-nia-community-fund-dishes-white-men-wall-street-and-impact-investing.
3. Nia Community Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019. Part XV, Line 3.
4. “Mission & History.” Niacommunity. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://www.niacommunity.org/mission.
5. Nia Community Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019.
6. “Tools & Resources for Private Foundations.” Foundation Source. September 2, 2021. https://foundationsource.com/.
7. Evolve Oakland. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://www.evolveoakland.com/.
8. “Kristin Hull.” Nia Impact Capital. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://www.niaimpactcapital.com/kristin-hull.
9. “Home.” Niacommunity. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://www.niacommunity.org/.
10. Elizabeth McSheffrey. “CEO of Nia Community Fund Dishes on White Men, Wall Street, and Impact Investing.” National Observer. December 12, 2016. https://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/12/12/news/ceo-nia-community-fund-dishes-white-men-wall-street-and-impact-investing.
11. Twitter. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://twitter.com/kristinhull?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor.
12. Nia Community Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019 . Part I, Lines 12, 26, 25.
13. Nia Community Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019 . Part II, Line 16.
14. Nia Community Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018. Part I, No. 1, 2, 3, 4.
15. Nia Community Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019. Part XV, Line 3.
16. Nia Community Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017. Part XV, Line 3
17. “About.” Check the Sheriff Coalition. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://www.checkthesheriff.com/about.
18. Nia Community Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019. Part XV, Line 3.
19. Nia Community Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018. Part XV, Line 3.