Even in times of turmoil, we’ve seen that meaningful change is possible when we uphold our values and take the long view, building broad coalitions and forging enduring partnerships with those closest to a challenge. Through collective action and deep, lasting collaboration, we can both navigate today’s uncertainty as well as build a more just and sustainable future. 

As I reflect on our work across 2024, that long-term, community-driven approach is a consistent hallmark of last year’s breakthroughs:  

• In Salinas, California, years of collaboration with residents and local grantees have created a vibrant new park and restored creeks and wetlands, giving the largest city in Monterey County the public green space it had long lacked. 

• In the United States, decades of work by a grassroots coalition that spans the country led to the FDA’s approval of Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill ever offered in America.   

• And off the coast of California, our long-running support helped the Northern Chumash Tribal Council achieve a more than 40-year-old dream: the designation of the first Indigenous-led marine sanctuary in the United States.   

• In a series of landmark victories, several Indigenous communities across Southwest Papua, Indonesia have recently achieved the long-sought recognition of their land rights, allowing them to safeguard their forests and create sustainable livelihoods for future generations. 

These milestones represent a sense of the broader impact made possible through shared purpose and sustained partnership, sometimes over decades, and fueled by the creativity and strength of our long-standing grantees.  

We are also keenly aware that an inclusive democracy that meets the needs of all its people is essential for enabling and sustaining the long-term solutions we seek. Last year we launched our Democracy, Rights, and Governance initiative, focused on strengthening democratic values, protecting our civic institutions, and developing responsible practices for new technologies. In 2024, this work included a focus on ensuring safe, secure, and accurate elections. We are now looking beyond the election cycle to support partners to build broad coalitions, often of unlikely allies, to reignite support for our democracy and develop a vision for America’s democratic renewal and long-term success.   

We continued our investments in emerging leaders and bold discoveries by welcoming the newest class of Packard Fellows—scientists and engineers pursuing innovative research at the frontiers of their fields. In its 36th year, Packard Fellows continue to demonstrate the transformative power of science and technology to propel our society forward and deliver real-world impact, which was core to the vision of our founder David Packard. These Fellows are redefining our understanding of the early universe, discovering new methods for curing diseases, and designing ground-breaking technologies to speed manufacturing. They join a long line of accomplished alums who, in just the last year, earned five Sloan Fellowships and four inductions into the National Academy of Sciences. David Baker, a 1999 Packard Fellow, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in protein design, joining the list of five Packard Fellows who have been recognized as Nobel Laureates over the years. 

As you read through the stories of our impact in our 2024 report, I hope you see both the achievements that occurred during the past 12 months and the years of quiet dedication and steady support that led to them. It is that sustained focus and commitment that will allow us to seize new opportunities amidst the crisis of our current moment—just as we have for 60 years. 

As always, we remain deeply grateful to our many partners, and I look forward to another year of working together on enduring solutions that allow people and nature to flourish. 

Sincerely,