Philanthropy Awards Honor Local Businesses and Individuals

DANVILLE, CA — The East Bay Leadership Council honored 10 businesses and individuals for their generosity and commitment to making our region a better place for current residents and future generations at the 9th annual Philanthropy Awards Breakfast. The celebration was held at Blackhawk Museum in Danville on November 7.

Victor Baker, East Bay Leadership Council Board Chair (2019-20) kicked off the morning by welcoming the sold-out crowd of more than 300 with a “dad joke” before introducing representatives from presenting sponsors Wells Fargo and Sanford Institute of Philanthropy.
Betsy Biern from Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area gave the keynote address, recognizing the nominee’s great generosity by reminding attendees that in a time of troubling headlines, it feels good to acknowledge those who are doing good things.

Biern was joined on stage by Isabel Bueso. Bueso immigrated to the United States at 7 from Guatemala to take part in a clinical trial for a rare genetic disease. A champion for those in need, Bueso, now 24, addressed Congress in August to advocate for those with rare diseases who take part in medical research in the U.S. Many, like her, are facing deportation because of the end of the Deferred Action Program.

2019 Honorees:

Outstanding Employer (1-99 employees)
Wisegirl Ristorante Italiano, a Pleasant Hill restaurant that gives back to area nonprofit organizations by donating meeting space, catering fundraising events and more.

Outstanding Employer (100-499 employees)
Syserco, a committed community partner that supports non-profits working with Bay Area children.

Outstanding Employer (500 + employees)
Robert Half, a company that fosters a spirit of giving and lifts up local nonprofits that make a difference in the community.

Outstanding Foundation
Hellman Foundation, an organization that works to build equity and opportunity across the human lifespan to advance knowledge and to foster innovation, the arts, science, health and creativity.

Outstanding Collaborative Project
Ensuring Opportunity, a collaboration that lends a voice to the underserved and works to advance their vision of eliminating poverty and achieving equity in the East Bay.

Outstanding Philanthropist
Guy Henshaw, who volunteers countless hours and shares his professional acumen and leadership talents with multiple nonprofits. Henshaw says that giving back shouldn’t be about the attention received, but the impact you make.

Volunteer of the Year
Jane Emanuel, a volunteer with a heart for serving youth, sharing art with the community and caring for people in crisis.

Judges Choice Award
Donna Colombo, a longtime resident, community leader, affordable housing advocate and voice for the less fortunate.

Next Generation Philanthropist
Angel Duran, a student at the De La Salle Academy who rallied fellow students to raise money for John Muir Health’s Beyond Violence program.

Lifetime Achievement
Larry Sly, who has dedicated his life to feeding the hungry during his 42-year career as Executive Director of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. A UC Berkeley graduate, Sly joined the food bank as a truck driver. It wasn’t long until he took over as Executive Director, guiding the agency from a small organization that distributed 36,000 pounds of food in its first year to more than 25 million pounds of food in 2018. Sly says that fighting hunger is about more than distributing food and hopes to instill change in the way we address the hungry and food insecure.

The morning was wrapped up by a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropists to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice that makes philanthropy necessary.”

For more information about the East Bay Leadership Council or to learn more about the Philanthropy Awards, visit eastbayleadershipcouncil.com.