I’ve been thinking a lot lately about courage—what it looks like when it’s quiet, when it’s not heroic, when it’s just a person deciding to show up. A school board meeting. A neighborhood that starts talking. A coalition that holds together when holding together is hard. As the United States turns 250 this July, I … Continued
In periods of political uncertainty, innovation remains one of the few strategies that gets stronger, not weaker. New care models, tools, products, and technologies can continue moving forward—and build durable pathways that can outlast a particular policy environment. The reproductive health field confronted this reality in 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal … Continued
Listening to and learning from the organizations we fund is central to how we work. As part of that practice, we have invited our grantees for the last two decades to share their candid experiences of working with us through a Grantee Perception Survey administered by the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP). The 2025 survey marks the … Continued
There is a canyon off the California coast deeper than the Grand Canyon is tall. Most Americans have never heard of it. Monterey Canyon begins just offshore and drops over two miles into darkness, past the reach of sunlight into a world of glowing life, hidden habitats, and natural systems that shape the chemistry of the planet … Continued
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Bullock to its Board of Trustees. Bullock is a lawyer, former Montana Attorney General, and two-term Governor of Montana. Throughout his career, he has been committed to protecting public interest, defending democratic institutions, and bridging political divides to advance practical solutions. … Continued
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, this is a moment to shift our perspective from nostalgia to imagination. At its best, the American project has always involved reinvention: expanding who belongs, whose needs matter, and what our citizens and institutions can make possible. That drive toward a better future is … Continued
Today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling on one of our nation’s most important civil rights protections, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, is a devastating step backward for a representative and inclusive democracy. For decades, the Voting Rights Act has been a cornerstone of efforts to ensure that all people — regardless of race or … Continued
Artificial intelligence (AI) is disrupting both the machinery and the preconditions that underpin democratic life, reshaping everything from elections and government, to information ecosystems, civic participation, labor markets and the economy. But AI is not emerging into a neutral landscape. It is interacting with institutions already under strain, where trust is declining. AI is an … Continued