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PAID FOR AND POSTED BY

FUND II FOUNDATION

Changing Lives,

One Grant at a Time

usiness leader and philanthropist Robert F. Smith

inspired the world with his 2019 commencement pledge

B to pay off the student debt for nearly 400 graduates at

Morehouse College in Atlanta. Smithís pledge was a personal

one, on behalf of his family, which has been part of the American

fabric for eight generations. The gift also focused a public spot-

light on Fund II Foundation, a private charitable organization

founded in 2014 to grant to public charities the assets of a

reserve established when Smithís Vista Equity Partners raised its

first private equity fund in 2000.

Fund II Foundation, which Smith leads as President and Found-

ing Director, has awarded nearly $250 million in grants in nine

disciplines: education, social justice, environment, digitization,

career readiness, health, music and arts appreciation, cultural

preservation and veteransí affairs. Its grantees include non-profits

that train veterans and young adults for technology careers,

promote youth environmental service and teach young people

how to preserve historic and culturally significant landmarks.

Through grants and signature in-house programs, Fund II has

touched more than 1.2 million people nationwide.

Cradle to Greatness
The foundationís signature philosophy, Cradle to Greatness, offers

a framework to measure the success of grantees, determine those

in need of additional help and accelerate access to that help. This InternX

enables Fund II to go deeper, investing in overlooked and underes-

The Fund II team learned quickly that mentorships, scholarships

timated communities, considering many pathways to success,

and internships opened the widest doors to prosperity. To that

from birth to a career, and even promoting business ownership.
end, Fund II created internX, a platform to connect students

ìOur Cradle to Greatness framework rekindles hope and pros-
studying science, technology, engineering or math with companies

perity in communities often besieged by neglect and violence,î says
searching for STEM talent. internX disproves the notion that quali-

Smith. ìWhat we want our kids to know in every domain of their

fied black and brown tech interns donít exist, while helping interns

lives ó on this earth, in the home, on the job, at school, everywhere

learn skills, find mentors and gather the experience crucial for

they turn ó is that they are worthy.î

developing careers and building wealth.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY FUND II FOUNDATION