Stephen and Margaret Gill
/SOURCE OF WEALTH: Artec Associates, Votan Corp
FUNDING AREAS: Environment, civic and democracy, arts and culture, global development, education
OVERVIEW: Stephen and Margaret Gill and family do their grantmaking through the Stephen & Margaret Gill Family Foundation, which makes small- to medium-sized grants in a broad range of interest areas.
BACKGROUND: Stephen P. Gill earned a B.S. from MIT and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University. He worked for Raytheon Corp. and later as a research physicist for Stanford Research Institute. Gill is a co-founder of Artec Associates, where he also served as president and chief scientist. He also co-founded Votan Corp., where he served as president, chief scientist and chairman of the board. Gill retired in 1999. Margaret Gill, who passed away in 2020, was a partner in the San Francisco-based law firm Pillsbury Madison & Sutro. Her board positions ncluded the San Francisco Ballet, the United Religions Initiative, the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of California and Episcopal Charities.
ISSUES:
ARTS & CULTURE: The arts appear to be the Gill Foundation’s largest area of giving. The San Francisco Ballet, where Margaret Gill served as a vice chair of the board of trustees, has enjoyed ongoing support. Other recent recipients include the San Francisco Opera, the Asian Art Museum, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Cultural organizations also number among the foundation’s grantees. Recent funding has gone to New York’s French Heritage Society and the Island Heritage Trust of Deer Isle, Maine.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION: The Gill family, via their foundation, has supported a selection of organizations involved in environmental and animal conservation. In recent years, grants have supported the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, Defenders of Wildlife and the National Association for Olmstead Parks.
CIVIC AND DEMOCRACY: The Gill Foundation’s grantmaking includes support for organizations involved in civic engagement and the rights of people in the United States. In recent years, the foundation has supported the American Civil Liberties Union, the Genders and Sexualities Alliance Network and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
RELIGIOUS CAUSES & GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT: Over the years, the Gil Foundation has given to faith-based organizations that aim to improve the lives of poor people in the developing world. Margaret served on the president’s council of United Religions Initiative “a global grassroots interfaith network that cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences and work together for the good of their communities and the world.” The Gill Foundation has also supported the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance. In the U.S., Gill has supported Christian organizations including Episcopal Community Services and the Order of St John.
EDUCATION: Education is a smaller area of grantmaking for the Gill Foundation, but recent grants have gone to Stanford University, Wellesley College, which was Margaret’s alma mater, and California Art in Action, an arts education program.
LOOKING FORWARD: Stephen and Margaret’s daughter, Elizabeth Gill, is now steering the Gill Foundation. She is a lawyer for the ACLU and may direct more funding to civic and democracy organizations in the coming years. Grantmaking has remained steady in the low $200,000 range over the past several years.
CONTACT:
Stephen & Margaret Gill Family Foundation
32 Flood Cir.
Atherton, CA 94027
(650) 325-6572