The goal is the protection of everyone’s basic human rights, including economic, social, cultural, civil, and political freedom. As defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, these are not privileges granted by governments, nor can governments abrogate them. Columbia Foundation focuses its grantmaking on programs that work toward the following:

Expanding the availability of locally produced, affordable fresh food to meet the needs of people from diverse cultures in low-income communities, and strengthening efforts to build a regional food economy:

$50,000 to the AGRICULTURE AND LAND-BASED TRAINING ASSOCIATION (ALBA), Salinas, Ca., for Strengthening Local Food Systems in Agricultural Communities: Linking Small Farmer Initiatives with Community Needs. ALBA will conduct a community food assessment and launch a local food systems business plan to bring fresh produce of small farmers to economically marginalized farm worker communities.

$75,000 to NEXTCOURSE, San Francisco, for community-based sustainable food systems education and outreach programs designed to reach a new generation of eaters in economically and culturally diverse communities, to strengthen their knowledge and appreciation of, and improve access to, healthful, fresh, local, food. The Trust for Conservation Innovation is the fiscal sponsor.

$50,000 to PEOPLE'S GROCERY, Oakland, Ca., for general support towards developing a sustainable food system and local food economy in West Oakland through community-based and youth-focused social enterprises, urban agricultural projects, and educational programs. The Agape Foundation is the fiscal sponsor.

Public financing of campaigns for elected office, and electoral reform to ensure fair voting and vote-verification standards:

$50,000 to the CALIFORNIA CLEAN MONEY CAMPAIGN, Los Angeles, Ca., for general support to promote the concept of full public financing of political campaigns in California as a means to improving the honesty, openness, and accountability of government, and the responsiveness of elected officials to their constituents.

$150,000, payable over three years, to PUBLIC CAMPAIGN, Washington, D.C., to galvanize broad understanding and support for public financing of campaigns as a means to increase fairness in elections, foster greater accountability of elected officials to their constituents, and operate efficient and cost-effective electoral processes.

Elimination of prejudice and discrimination based on sexual and gender diversity:

$100,000, payable over two years, to the CALIFORNIA SAFE SCHOOLS COALITION, San Francisco, for continuing support of its work to reduce harassment and discrimination based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in schools, and to ensure effective statewide implementation of the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 (AB537). The Tides Center is the fiscal sponsor.

$2,025 to the CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, for the Celebration of Marriage Equality, a community gathering on February 12, 2005, to observe the one-year anniversary of the City’s efforts to achieve civil marriage equality in California.

$20,000 to NATIONAL SEXUALITY RESOURCE CENTER, San Francisco, to host an international conference on Sexual Rights and Moral Panics, which will bring together academics and activists to develop strategies to link evidence-based sexuality research with public education and policy advocacy around five major issues, including civil marriage equality.