Susan Sandler

Susan Sandler continues a philanthropic family tradition at the Sandler Foundation, where the Foundation had made charitable grants exceeding $650 million as of December 31, 2013. The Sandler Foundation’s mission is to be a catalyst to strengthen the progressive infrastructure, expose corruption and abuse, advocate for vulnerable and exploited people and environments, and advance scientific research in neglected areas. In addition, Susan is the President of the “Progressive Era Project,” a donor collaborative that builds infrastructure in California to move forward a bold, social justice policy agenda through investing in voter turnout, the candidate pipeline, and other strategies. Prior to transitioning to full time work as a funder in 2008, Susan spent her career advancing racial justice in education as an executive director, policy advocate, writer, researcher, professional development provider, school therapist, teacher, and activist. Susan holds a B.A. from Stanford University and a Masters in Clinical Social Work from San Francisco State University. She is the Chairperson of the Board for the Center for Community Change Action and sits on the Board of Directors for Center for American Progress.