“We view the sole mission and everyday work of the foundation to be finding and funding organizations with inspired, innovative leadership whose missions align with the foundation’s values and vision for the future.”
A note from the founders
We created Skyline Foundation in 2000 with a deep sense of responsibility to return the wealth created through the internet company Yahoo! back to society. We bring our collective experience as a couple in the areas of engineering, education, tech, journalism, and nonprofits to the work of the foundation. We view the sole mission and everyday work of the foundation to be finding and funding organizations with inspired, innovative leadership whose missions align with the foundation’s values and vision for the future. We are grateful each day to work in partnership with the foundation’s small but mighty staff and its powerful network of grantees.
—Angela and David Filo, Board of Directors
Staff
Rose Brookhouse (she/her)
Rose is the foundation’s grants manager and ensures seamless processing, organization, and communications throughout the grant lifecycle. In addition, she manages foundation operations, data analytics, planning, and special projects. She previously worked at Founders Pledge, a philanthropic start-up, where she oversaw regional operations and supported fundraising. Rose holds a Master of International Action and Social Inclusion from Universidad de Carlos III de Madrid and a BA in Spanish Language and Culture from San Diego State University.
Angie Chen (she/her)
As executive director, Angie collaborates with the board, supports the team, and aligns the foundation’s efforts to shift systems toward a more equitable and just future. Most recently, she was director of programs at the Libra Foundation where she oversaw programs and communications. Previously she held leadership and grantmaking roles at multiple foundations and led a national funder collaborative. Angie has a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley and an AB in environmental science and public policy from Harvard University.
Raquel Donoso (she/her)
Raquel helps the team learn and strategize together as director of programs. And, as senior program officer, she leads Equity in Education grantmaking and works with the board to invest in people, places, and strategies that advance a more equitable education system. Before Skyline, Raquel was the director of Mission Promise Neighborhood, CEO of Latino Community Foundation, and associate director of the Latino Issues Forum. She earned her EdD from UC Davis and has a MPH and BA from UCLA.
Shereen D’Souza (she/her)
Shereen brings more than 20 years of experience working at the intersections of environment, climate, and equity to her role as senior program officer for Climate Solutions. From grassroots food justice work in Oakland, CA, to leading the U.S. State Department’s adaptation and loss and damage team and negotiating the Paris Agreement, she has dedicated her career to advancing this important suite of issues. Prior to joining Skyline, Shereen held a Newsom Administration appointment at California’s EPA. Shereen has a Master of Environmental Science from Yale University and a BS from Georgetown University.
Jenny Montoya Tansey (she/her)
As senior program officer, Jenny leads grantmaking for a Just Democracy, which encompasses work to advance economic security policies, increase democratic participation, and ensure access to news and information, especially for communities that have historically been excluded. Prior to joining the foundation, Jenny worked to advance criminal justice reform, workers rights, and civil rights through leadership roles in nonprofits and government, including serving in the Obama Administration. Jenny earned a JD at Stanford University and a BA at Columbia University.
Jonny Moy (he/him)
Jonny is the foundation’s program associate, and he adds capacity across the team. In his role, he supports the grantmaking process, conducts research and analysis, and manages special projects, including an evaluation of how the foundation’s funding aligns with its justice value. Previously, Jonny was a grants manager at Pacific Foundation Services where he worked across five private foundations, and he spent more than six years in development and fundraising for a range of nonprofit organizations. Jonny holds a BS in psychology from Wheaton College.
Tanya Khemet Taiwo (she/her)
As senior program officer, Tanya works with the board to support and deepen the Birth Justice program strategy and ensure a focus on birth justice and equity. She is a social justice activist who became a midwife more than two decades ago. In addition to her role at the foundation, Tanya is an assistant professor of midwifery, and she works and researches at the intersection of environmental and maternal health. She holds a PhD in epidemiology from UC Davis and received her midwifery training at Seattle Midwifery School.
Prizma Vazquez (she/her)
Prizma is the foundation’s executive assistant and office manager. In this role, she works closely with the executive director and ensures that everything is running smoothly for the team and board. She oversees the operations in the office, maintains a pleasant working space, and provides project support. Before joining the foundation, Prizma was operations manager for a charter middle school in south San Jose.
The foundation operates in partnership with Pacific Foundation Services through a model that enables multiple foundations to each be more efficient and effective.
Values
Gratitude & Hope
We are grateful for the leaders, organizations, and communities who invite us into their work and share their knowledge, vision, and hope for a more equitable future.
Justice & Opportunity
The fight for gender, racial, economic, and environmental justice is central to our work. We seek to move resources into expert hands in service to opportunity for all. Funding well-considered yet bold and venturesome ideas is an adventure we embrace.
Urgency
We feel the fierce urgency of now. We believe in addressing problems at the root and shifting systems for the betterment of society. The foundation’s assets belong to humanity. We are temporary stewards – and there is no time to waste.
Curiosity & Humility
Listening to and learning from others is fundamental to our work. Humility means trusting that true expertise and inclusive solutions rise from the people closest to the problems we seek to address.
Trust & Partnership
We take seriously our responsibility to leverage our access, skills, and power to benefit others. We strive to be responsive, candid, and clear in our relationships, and honor our commitments, placing grantees at the center of all we do. We stand ready to help through flexible, long-term support, knowing that change takes time, persistence, and courage.
Prior to June 2023, Skyline Foundation was known as Yellow Chair Foundation.