Jordan Shapiro

Why do you do what you do?

Over the last twenty years I’ve lived in the Bay Area, I have watched my home region become more and more exclusionary as people are being pushed from the homes, neighborhoods and cities they’ve spent their entire lives in. And at my previous job, I developed a desire to create a more meaningful social impact while creating communication campaigns for a program that partnered with food banks, organized drives for getting essentials to people experiencing homelessness, and led urban gardening in underserved communities. Working on these campaigns at the same time as I watched homeless encampments pop up at an alarming rate led me to understand that I needed to dedicate my career to helping find solutions for the housing crisis in the Bay Area.

What drew you to the foundation?

I found San Francisco Foundation’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion to be incredibly compelling. When I learned of all the foundation’s incredible work focused on advancing housing solutions, I decided to volunteer with the organization. After volunteering for a while, a position opened in my field and I knew it was meant to be.

How would you describe your role?

I support the Partnership for the Bay’s Future, a collaborative effort to ensure that Bay Area families of all races and backgrounds have access to quality, affordable homes by addressing policy change while investing in affordable housing. I help tell the story of our programs and successes while creating a connection to the people whose lives are directly impacted by our work. It is through these stories that we hope to inspire others to invest in preserving the diversity of our communities.