The Shared Ascent Fund is a left-of-center nonprofit organization based in Sacramento, California, that advocates left-of-center principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and alleges that there is a “growing threat to our democracy.” ¹ The Shared Ascent Fund  claims to recognize the “the exclusionary practices upon which our modern society is built: elitism, racism, sexism, ageism, and other forms of oppression and discrimination,” and works to “break down those systemic social, cultural, and economic inequities to help advance a new reality in which decision making and leadership are representative of the diverse communities that comprise our nation.” ²

The Shared Ascent Fund’s board is composed of several prominent left-of-center philanthropists, including Christopher Elliman, the CEO of the Open Space Institute; Steve Daetz, who is the president of the Sandler Foundation; and Jason Burnett, a trustee of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Avi Garbow is the president of the Shared Ascent Fund, and he previously worked as general counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency. ³

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Shared Ascent Fund supports left-of-center principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in its operations. The organization claims that it “provides sustained support for efforts that confront the growing threat to our democracy, with an emphasis on advancing economic, racial, and gender equity.” ⁴

Shared Ascent Fund also claims to recognize “the exclusionary practices upon which our modern society is built: elitism, racism, sexism, ageism, and other forms of oppression and discrimination.” It affirms, “Through our work, we seek to break down those systemic social, cultural, and economic inequities to help advance a new reality in which decision making and leadership are representative of the diverse communities that comprise our nation.” ⁵

Operations

The Shared Ascent Fund gave a grant of more than $5,000 to the Center for Tech and Civic Life as part of its Support American Democracy program. ⁶

On July 7, 2020, the Shared Ascent Fund received a $50,000 grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to “support SAF’s project on the U.S. Internal Revenue Service private letter ruling on the (c)(3) and (c)(4) organizational relationship.” ⁷ The Shared Ascent Fund is partnered with the Resources Legacy Fund and the Fund for a Better Future. ⁸

People

Avi Garbow is the president of the Shared Ascent Fund. ⁹ Garbow is also the president of the Resources Legacy Fund and the Fund for a Better Future. ¹⁰ Garbow previously worked as an environmental advocate at sportswear company Patagonia and as general counsel of the EPA. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia School of Law. ¹¹

Other board members include Christopher Elliman, the CEO of the Open Space Institute; Steve Daetz, the president of the Sandler Foundation; and Jason Burnett, a trustee of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. ^{12 13}

Finances

In 2021, the Shared Ascent Fund reported total revenue of $8,676,213 and total expenses of $4,894,961, and it had $4,357,054 in total assets at the end of the year. ¹⁴ In 2020, the Shared Ascent Fund had $ 1,739,897 in total revenue and $2,593,602 in total expenses, and it had $199,745 in total assets at the end of the year. ¹⁵

1. Shared Ascent Fund. “About Us.” https://sharedascentfund.org/. Accessed June 24, 2023.
2. Shared Ascent Fund. “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement.” https://sharedascentfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/SAF-DEI-statement.pdf. Accessed June 24, 2023.
3. Avi Garbow, “Avi Garbow.” LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/avi-garbow-12a36a45. Accessed June 24, 2023.
4.  Shared Ascent Fund. “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement.” https://sharedascentfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/SAF-DEI-statement.pdf. Accessed June 24, 2023.
5. Shared Ascent Fund. “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement.” https://sharedascentfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/SAF-DEI-statement.pdf. Accessed June 24, 2023.
6. Center for Tech and Civic Life. “Key funders and partners.” https://www.techandciviclife.org/key-funders-and-partners/990s/#. Accessed June 24, 2023.
7. William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. “Shared Ascent Fund.” https://hewlett.org/grants/shared-ascent-fund-for-501c3-resource-collaborations/. Accessed June 24, 2023.
8. Resources Legacy Fund. “Partner Organizations.” https://resourceslegacyfund.org/partner-organizations/. Accessed June 24, 2023.
9. Shared Ascent Fund. “Who We Are.” https://sharedascentfund.org/#Who-We-Are. Accessed June 24, 2023.
10. Avi Garbow, “Avi Garbow.” LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/avi-garbow-12a36a45. Accessed June 24, 2023.
11. Avi Garbow, “Avi Garbow.” LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/avi-garbow-12a36a45. Accessed June 24, 2023.
12. Shared Ascent Fund. “Who We Are.” https://sharedascentfund.org/#Who-We-Are. Accessed June 24, 2023.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2021. Part VII. https://sharedascentfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Shared-Ascent-Fund-990-2021.pdf. Accessed June 24, 2023.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2021. Part I. https://sharedascentfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Shared-Ascent-Fund-990-2021.pdf. Accessed June 24, 2023.
15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2021. Part I. https://sharedascentfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Shared-Ascent-Fund-990-2021.pdf. Accessed June 24, 2023.