The Younger Family Fund is a philanthropic vehicle created by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Wiliam “Bill” Younger.  ^{1  2  3} While Younger’s giving had largely been focused on medical research, faith-based organizations, colleges and universities, and community-based human service organizations, the next generation of his family has reportedly shifted the Fund’s focus to “education, health care, economic opportunity, and social justice.” ⁴

Background

The Younger Family Fund was the philanthropic vehicle of Silicon Valley venture capitalist William “Bill” Younger and as of 2025 was being run by his family. ¹ As of 2025, its executive director was Julie Aleman, Younger’s daughter. ⁵

The organization was originally created by Younger in 1996 as the “Younger Family Foundation.”  ⁶ That foundation closed in 2015, and Younger transitioned his giving to the Younger Family Fund, a donor-advised fund at Fidelity Charitable. ⁷

From 1981 to 2021, Younger was a managing director of Sutter Hill Ventures, one of the oldest venture capital firms in California’s Silicon Valley.  ²  Some of the firm’s higher-profile investments included Nvidia, Palm Computing, and Facetime Communications, which was purchased by Apple. ² In 2006, Forbes ranked Younger 13^th on its “Midas List” of top-tier venture capitalists. ³

Younger said he ran his philanthropy on a venture capital model, where “you find a great leader who has a world-class idea. And then you help them get to the next level.” ⁸

The YFF has signed on to the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project’s principles of “trust-based” grantmaking, including limiting compliance and control requirements, simplified paperwork, and prioritizing multi-year, unrestricted funding. ^{9  10}

Grantmaking

During its operation as a standalone private foundation, the Younger Family Foundation donated to organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Lakeland College, Prison Fellowship Ministries, the Salvation Army, and the Boy Scouts of America. ⁶

After completing its transition from a standalone 501(c)(3) private foundation to a donor-advised fund (DAF) in 2015, the Younger Family Fund was no longer legally required to disclose its grant amounts or recipients.  ⁶

In a 2021 article in the Wall Street Journal, the Fund’s focus areas were listed as “education, health care, economic opportunity, and social justice.” ⁴

According to a blog posted on Fidelity Charitable’s website, recipients of Younger Family Fund’s giving in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic included La Casa De Las Madres, LifeMoves, Latino Community Foundation, San Francisco Community Foundation, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. ¹¹

The Youngers have endowed the Younger Family Professorship at Stanford Medicine, which makes support available to a basic science faculty member “who is conducting biomedical research that could lead to clinical applications of widespread benefit.” ¹²

In 2014, Younger gave $2 million to support heart attack research at Gladstone Institutes, an independent research institute affiliated with the University of California San Francisco. ¹³

1. Younger, William. “Bill Younger.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-younger-b8064a1/.
2. Reisinger, Jeremy. “Funding With Sutter Hill Ventures.” The Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2003. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB104790869842553900.
3. “#13 ^ (2005 Rank: 60) William Younger Jr, VC.” Forbes, 2006. https://images.forbes.com/lists/2006/99/DJXB.html.
4. Weil, Dan. “The New Face of Charitable Giving During the Pandemic.” The Wall Street Journal, January 22, 2021. https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/the-new-face-of-charitable-giving-during-the-pandemic-11611334800.
5. “Julie Aleman.” Julie Aleman – Professionals in Christian Philanthropy. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.pcpcommunity.org/contacts/julie-aleman.
6. “Younger Family Foundation.” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, 2016. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/391097290.
7. “How One Family Gave Quickly and Effectively to Fight Covid-19.” Fidelity Charitable. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.fidelitycharitable.org/articles/how-one-family-gave-quickly-and-effectively-during-crisis.html.
8. “Giving Matters | Brenda and Bill Younger.” Stanford Medical Center. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://med.stanford.edu/medicalgiving/why-giving-matters/brenda-and-bill-younger-unleashing-innovation.html.
9. “Meet the Moment.” Trust-Based Philanthropy. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org/meet-the-moment.
10. Trust-Based Philanthropy Project homepage. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org/
11. “Unprecedented Times, Unconventional Giving.” Fidelity Charitable. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.fidelitycharitable.org/articles/unprecedented-times-unconventional-giving.html.
12. “Seven Stanford Medicine Faculty Members Appointed to Endowed Professorships.” Stanford Medicine, December 6, 2017. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2017/12/seven-stanford-faculty-appointed-to-endowed-professorships.html.
13. Bruzzese, Stephanie. “$2 Million Gift Boosts Gladstone Heart Research.” Gladstone Institutes, June 19, 2014. https://gladstone.org/news/2-million-gift-boosts-gladstone-heart-research.