Six years ago, Hidden Leaf Foundation began a new chapter as we welcomed Supriya Lopez Pillai as Executive Director, taking the baton from Tara Brown who had led the foundation for seventeen years.  Supriya brought with her deep experience and relationships in the field built over decades of work in both movements and philanthropy for social justice.  She also brought her own years of transformative practice, embodying in her life and work the integration we support and believe in. According to Karie Brown, board chair, “Supriya helped Hidden Leaf evolve from a ‘hidden’ leaf to a bold and visible experiment in liberatory philanthropy. She guided Hidden Leaf toward stronger trust-based grantmaking; helped us invest more of our endowment in regenerative economies, center spirit more fully, and partner more actively with other funders to support transformative approaches within justice movements.” Before Supriya joined the foundation, Hidden Leaf gave $1 million in grants.  During Supriya’s tenure, the foundation saw an increase in its endowment due to careful stewardship of our assets as well as significant asset transfer from the David A. Brown Trust into Hidden Leaf.  Further, the board and staff, informed deeply by the field, embraced a trust-based approach to our giving as well as one that looked at all of the financial tools in our toolbox as a philanthropic institution.  This resulted in an increased payout of 8% for five years alongside a five-year grantmaking program that, when completed, will result in $15 million in low-barrier, long-term support to the field.  This commitment includes a game-changing integrated capital approach, which provides grants alongside non-extractive, community-led investments. We hope that our integrated approach will be catalytic in creating and sustaining change for those leading the way toward a healthier, inclusive, and equitable future. During Supriya’s tenure, we have expanded our commitment to racial justice and a just transition, believing that spirit is at the center of creating a world in which people and planet can flourish. As our work evolved, we needed to be in our own practice as an organization; turning the gaze back on ourselves, we asked how we could best align and leap toward the changes needed now?  Part of our practice included democratizing our board and decision-making.  The family asked Supriya to join us as our first independent, community board member.  We then expanded on this commitment by inviting Alta Starr, a somatics practitioner, movement veteran, former funder and Director of Training with BOLD (Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity) to join us.  We intend to continue living into these principles of democracy grounded in spirit, care for people and planet, as we thoughtfully bring on broader Brown family membership, especially the next generation. Supriya shares, “From the beginning, I have shared profoundly in the work of the Hidden Leaf Foundation, including the deep respect for the communities we have the privilege to serve and who fight on the frontlines of social and environmental change every day. I thank the Brown sisters, Tara, Karie and Kristen, for entrusting me to shepherd the beautiful vision they co-created with their father, Dave Brown. I am grateful to the team of Hidden Leaf–the phenomenal staff and our incredible advisors–along with the board, who work so solidly together, delivering on a big, bold vision.”  Our work will continue to deepen and evolve because of the ways in which Supriya touched it. Supriya leaves us to join the Libra Foundation and Tao Rising LLC. We see this, too, as an evolution of the bigger work we are all a part of.  “Supriya brings love, delight and joy to all that she does. We will miss her dearly. We are truly excited that Supriya will be leading Libra Foundation. Colleagues from Libra have been important funding partners for Hidden Leaf, especially as we have more deeply aligned our investments with our values and as we participate in organizing philanthropic partners. We look forward to continuing this work with Supriya in her new role,” says former Executive Director and current Hidden Leaf board member, Tara Brown. Because we are in the midst of a five-year grantmaking program and have done deep work to set the course for our longer-term strategy, the foundation is in a place of great stability.  We will turn to onboarding an interim leader before we embark on a search for a new Executive Director.  We thank our grantee partners, philanthropic allies and the wider ecosystem we feel so indelibly a part of for your partnership, resilience and grace.  We look forward to continuing to growing stronger with and for you.