Freedom Together Foundation

Freedom Together Foundation

The Freedom Together Foundation was created in 2011 by Barbara Picower. It began with a focus on poverty alleviation, environmental issues, and medical research before shifting emphasis to multiracial democracy and movement infrastructure. The initial endowment came from the estate of Jeffry Picower. The foundation allocates across public equities, private equity, real estate, and venture capital. Confirmed positions include commitments to Andreessen Horowitz Bio + Health Fund IV, Blackstone Real Estate Fund, and Soroban Capital Partners. It also holds offshore vehicles valued at $468M in the Cayman Islands. Geographic reach centers on the United States with additional exposure through national grantees and fund commitments. Assets total $3.868B. The team includes Chief Investment Officer Venus Phillips and Deputy CIO Bill Ribbecke. Additional vehicles include grants to Blue Meridian Partners, the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT, and the Windward Fund. September 2025: Spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting on democracy, human rights, and climate solutions. The foundation operates as a private grantmaker with direct relationships to movement organizations such as the Center for Community Change. It maintains membership in the Council on Foundations and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations while separating investment decisions from grantmaking through dedicated CIO oversight.