Brandi Howard - Philanthropy

Brandi Howard was inducted into the Philanthropy Category in 2025.

Brandi Howard is the President and CEO of East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF), one of the nation's oldest community foundations. Recognized as the "boldest community foundation" by Inside Philanthropy in 2019, EBCF advances racial justice in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. A collaborative leader, Howard brings deep expertise as an equity and justice strategist to EBCF's vision for A Just East Bay. Previously, Howard served as Chief of Staff and Interim VP of Programs at San Francisco Foundation, where she helped shape equity-centered grantmaking and policy change. She also led city-wide health initiatives for the NYC Department of Health, improving infant mortality and chronic disease outcomes. A third-generation Oaklander, Howard's passion for advocacy began during her 19 years as a doula working with Black and Latinx women. Recognizing stagnant maternal health outcomes, she pushed for systemic change, later serving as Maternal Child Health Subcommittee Chair for Alameda County. Howard lectures on equity at UC Berkeley's School of Social Welfare and is a member of Chief, a network of senior women leaders. A UC Berkeley graduate, she is a mother of four, driven by her children's future to advance racial equity and transform outcomes for the East Bay.