Wayne Jordan is the founder and president of Jordan Real Estate Investments and a major donor to Democratic political and left-of-center advocacy causes. Along with his wife, Quinn Delaney, Jordan is the co-founder and secretary-treasurer of the Akonadi Foundation, a left-of-center racial-advocacy grantmaking group primarily focused in Oakland.
Jordan and Delaney have raised and personally donated millions of dollars to Democratic political action committees and candidates over the last 20 years. They have extensive associations with former President Barack Obama, having been early donors to his first presidential campaign, having also raised and donated funds to his second presidential campaign, and having donated over $1 million to the Obama Foundation.
Career
According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, in 1996, Wayne Jordan listed himself as employed by Contra Costa College, a community college in San Pablo, California. Shortly after, he had also listed his employment as “real estate developer” and “attorney.” [1] In 1998, Jordan founded Jordan Real Estate Investments, a real estate company based in Oakland, CA with projects throughout the United States. [2] Jordan’s wife, Quinn Delaney, has been listed as an employee of Jordan’s company on FEC records. [3]
Jordan has sat on the boards of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Color of Change, Rock the Vote, the ACLU Investment Committee, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. [4]
Jordan is a member of Donors of Color [5] and has worked with Democracy Alliance. [6]
Early Philanthropy
Wayne Jordan and Quinn Delaney began their philanthropy by setting up a donor-advised fund through the Tides Foundation, which advised them on begin large-scale charitable giving. Initially, they targeted community support groups for Black youth, but they later evolved to support broader left-progressive social goals. [7]
Akonadi Foundation
In 2000, Wayne Jordan and Quinn Delaney co-founded the Akonadi Foundation in response to the passage of Proposition 21 in California, which made sentencing tougher on juvenile criminals in an effort to reduce gang violence. Delaney and Jordan expressed the view that Proposition 21 was racist against non-white youth. [8] The organization’s mission is to support the development of powerful social change movements to eliminate structural racism.” [9]
Since its founding, the Akonadi Foundation has given 1,900 grants totaling $43 million to racial-advocacy groups primarily located in the Bay Area. [10]
Nearly all the Akonadi Foundation’s funding comes from its co-founders. In 2019, all donations to Akonadi came from Jordan and Delaney, amounting to over $4 million. Nearly all the rest of the foundation’s $7 million in revenue that year came from its endowment and the sale of assets. [11] [12]
Political Donations
Since 1996, Wayne Jordan has made over $7.5 million in federally reportable contributions to Democratic candidates and PACs. [13] As of mid-2018, Jordan was the only Black individual to appear on the list of top 100 political donors since 2009. [14]
The largest recipient has been American Bridge 21st Century, an anti-Republican PAC created by David Brock, which has received over $700,000 from Jordan. Hillary Clinton received over $637,000 for her 2016 presidential run. Other large recipients include Forward Majority Action, a Democratic PAC which supported candidates in preparation for 2020’s Congressional redistricting, which received $250,000. Black Men Vote, received $200,000 in 2021. AB PAC and Color of Change PAC have received $125,000 each. [15]
Jordan and his wife, Quinn Delaney, have hosted fundraisers for U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA). [16]
In 2008, Jordan and Delaney were jointly one of the largest donors to Barack Obama’s (D) presidential campaign, and they hosted a fundraiser at their home. They were also major donors to his 2012 presidential campaign and hosted at least one fundraiser which the president attended. [17] [18] Delaney and Jordan have given over $1 million to the Obama Foundation. [19]
Also in 2008, Delaney and Jordan raised $4 million for the American Civil Liberties Union. [20]
Delaney and Jordan are long-time supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris (D). The couple gave $12,500 to Harris when she ran for California Attorney General in 2010. [21] In 2015, Delaney gave $5,400 to Harris’s U.S. Senate campaign. [22] In 2020, Delaney and Jordan formed the People Standing Strong PAC, which spent $1.6 million to support Harris’s unsuccessful presidential campaign. [23] Delaney also gave $2,800 to Harris’s campaign. [24]