Head of Sobrato Philanthropies to step down

The head of a charity arm of The Sobrato Organization, a leading Bay Area developer that doled out $92 million to needy causes last year, will soon step down.

Sandy Herz is leaving her position as president of Sobrato Philanthropies, one of the Bay Area’s most generous givers, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reported. Her resignation is effective Oct. 31.

Herz assumed the role as head of the nonprofit in June 2020. Her departure was the result of a “mutual decision” with The Sobrato Organization’s philanthropic arm, she told the newspaper.

“I am leaving Sobrato but remain very committed to the Sobrato family and the work that we built together over the last few years,” said Herz, who added that her departure “reflects the organization’s evolution as an integrated enterprise.”

The Mountain View-based Sobrato Organization has for years ranked at or near the top of the region’s biggest corporate donors.

Last year, the organization gave $92.3 million in cash to charities, ranking first among the Business Journal’s rankings of corporate philanthropists in the Silicon Valley and the Bay Area.

The Sobrato Family Foundation, the primary grantmaker for Sobrato Philanthropies, claimed $577 million in assets in 2020, according to the last available tax filing. Another of its foundations claimed $162 million.

Its charities aim to promote local access to high-quality education, career pathways and essential human services, according to a mission statement, while serving at-risk and vulnerable members of the community.

In her resignation letter, Herz said she was “deeply proud” of Sobrato Philanthropies’ work.

During her tenure, the nonprofit has grown its core Silicon Valley and English Learner programs, while expanding environmental efforts from improving the health of Earth’s oceans to a new climate initiative, she said. The giving team at Sobrato also grew by 50 percent.

Herz said she plans to take time off through the holidays before pondering other opportunities.

“We are grateful for everything Sandy has contributed to Sobrato Philanthropies’ growth during her time with us,” said Matthew Sonsini, CEO of The Sobrato Organization and chairman of its philanthropy, who will serve as the philanthropy’s interim president.

The Sobrato Organization is owned by the Sobrato family, which since the 1950s has developed 21.4 million square feet of offices, research labs and multifamily projects from San Francisco to San Jose, including Apple’s campus and former headquarters in Cupertino, according to its website.

Herz’s departure follows the exit in July of Rob Hollister, head of The Sobrato Organization’s real estate and development group, which oversees 15 million square feet of rentable space and a $1 billion development pipeline.

— Dana Bartholomew

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