Archstone Foundation

Image

Can you tell us a little about Archstone Foundation, including your current funding priorities and where you fund?

Archstone Foundation’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of older Californians and their caregivers. We are a California-based funder that funds solely in aging. Our grantmaking has a focus on care coordination between healthcare and social service providers. Through our grantmaking, we are committed to ensuring that future systems of care meet the needs of historically marginalized communities, are culturally and linguistically appropriate, and assist in reducing disparities among older adults.

We base our funding on the Three Ts: Teams, Training, and Technology. Teams supports projects that advance care team models, demonstrate improved outcomes for older adults and their families, and are designed to be more cost-effective and high-quality. In Training, we support projects that train health care and social service care teams to collaborate at the highest level possible, which can include projects that advance care integration or training newer members of a care team, such as Community Health Workers/Promotores. We intend to support projects that test technology-enabled services and data exchange interventions that improve team-based care and better integrate and coordinate care in the Technology sector.

What is your role at Archstone and how long have you been there?

I’m a Program Officer and have been at the Foundation for over 7 years. I’m currently overseeing our portfolio of projects with team-based models of care. Archstone Foundation has been an active part of the GIA network for some time.

What about our mission really motivates you?

GIA and Archstone Foundation’s missions are closely aligned and an excellent way for us, as a Foundation, to amplify our grantmaking efforts, partner with other funders, and learn from other grantmakers and stakeholders in aging. I’m excited that the Foundation has supported programs such as the Impact Investing Guides and the opportunities to listen, learn, and collaborate with other funders through the Funders Communities, including Family Caregiving (Archstone sponsors) and Aging and Technology, and others. I’m also very excited to serve on GIA’s Board and on the Task Force on Equity in Aging Philanthropy.

We’re all aging personally, but how did you get involved in aging professionally?

I think most people who work in aging will say their grandparents and I’m not the exception! My maternal grandmother had a profound impact on my life. She helped raise all 10 of her grandchildren when she immigrated here from the Philippines and her experiences have shaped my professional work. My educational background is in public health, and I became more focused on working with and for the benefit of older people from my coursework and projects from when I interned at a managed Medi-Cal provider. My interest grew from there. 

For some fun insight, can you share with us what are you currently reading, binge-watching, or listening to on repeat?

I’m reading a series of “cozy mysteries” by Mia P. Manansala that mixes murder mystery with the love of Filipino food. The first book is entitled, “Arsenic and Adobo” and I’m currently reading “Homicide and Halo-Halo.”

With what character from a cartoon, book or movie do you most identify?

My kids can’t stop watching Bluey on Disney+.  Chili, the mom, is who I aspire to be as a parent because she’s so fun but also good at explaining things to her kids.