The welcome news in 2021 of viable vaccines to prevent COVID-19 also underscored the deep inequities in our global health security system, as richer countries hoarded vaccines, while people in poorer countries were unable to access either vaccines or health care. As the COVID-19 pandemic escalated globally, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation allocated more … Continued
Irene Wong
4 min read
The COVID-19 pandemic has touched every aspect of daily life—from how people work and learn, to how children and older adults are cared for, to whether and when we can spend time with people we love. Underlying economic, educational, and racial inequities have further exacerbated the impacts of the pandemic on specific communities. In these … Continued
5 min read
When it comes to preventing the spread of the coronavirus, knowing who is infected with the virus right now is more helpful than knowing who was infected two weeks ago. Yet, most of our existing coronavirus testing strategies have relied on these so-called “trailing indicators” that tell us more about past infections than current infections. … Continued
The COVID-19 crisis has laid bare many of America’s greatest inequities, from its disproportionate impact on communities of color, to the vulnerabilities of our fragile health care system. Here in California, we’ve witnessed the virus’s impact in nearly all corners of society – but perhaps none more devastating than the toll it’s taking on agricultural … Continued
5 min read
In today’s new normal, when COVID-19 has entire communities sheltering in place, many parents are home with their kids, childcare centers are closed, and grandparent caregivers are quarantined. With so many essential workers heading off to their jobs, family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) caregivers themselves are often becoming essential workers too, as more parents are … Continued
Xiao-Wei Wang
8 min read
Back in 2013, I traveled to the East Coast to interview two dozen or so Packard Fellows for a video commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Packard Fellowships in Science and Engineering. As manager of the Fellows program since 2004, I was excited to visit with so many Fellows in their native university habitats. It was then … Continued
As part of the Packard Foundation’s commitment to act quickly to support our partners, the communities in which we live and work, and those hit hardest by COVID-19, we are working with our mission investment partners to help organizations addressing the pandemic seize time-sensitive opportunities and funding. The Foundation’s COVID-19 response includes a new $3 million mission investment to the Rural Community Assistance Corporation to help procure federal COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding for small businesses and nonprofit organizations that otherwise would not have … Continued
At the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, we believe that ideas grounded in science and research can create long-lasting change, and that critical discoveries mount over time. Our founders deeply valued science, and objective, independent research underpins our decision-making across the Foundation. Now faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists and researchers across the country are … Continued
David and Lucile Packard believed deeply in supporting the communities where they lived and worked. After 55 years, the Foundation continues to fund organizations across five counties in the Bay Area and beyond—San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey. Grantee partners are working to ensure that all families have the resources and … Continued
A sustainable, comprehensive, paid family leave policy is important to ensure that adults can take the time they need to nurture young children so that they grow up healthy, confident, and ready to learn. With shelter-in-place, social distancing, and quarantine orders in effect across the country as a result of COVID-19, families have had to adjust to new realities, including the complexities of providing care to children and … Continued
