Member Spotlight: Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences this month announced the launch of its Racial Equity Community Impact Fund, which will support high-impact organizations working to tackle racial inequities affecting Black communities across the United States. The fund will initially provide $10 million in grants to 20 organizations over a three-year period with a focus on community advocacy and mobilization, social justice, and educational innovation. The East Oakland Youth Development Center was among the organizations receiving one of the first grants.
“Gilead’s investment in the East Oakland Youth Development Center means 1,000 families will have access to capacity-building programs that will provide support to prepare youth and young adults for employment, higher education and leadership opportunities,” said Regina Jackson, President and Chief Executive Officer, East Oakland Youth Development Center. “These kinds of programs that provide trauma-informed care approaches are desperately needed in Oakland these days as we seek to combat social injustice and achieve racial equity for our community, one family at a time. We are grateful to Gilead for the support and partnership.”
The Racial Equity Community Impact Fund is among a number of programs implemented at Gilead in 2020 in the area of social justice. Gilead has also launched the Advancing Black Leadership Strategy, sponsored by the company’s executive leadership team, to deliver on internal inclusion and diversity goals, including increasing the number of Black employees hired and providing advancement opportunities for the company’s existing employees.
