Vince Andrade-Sales Social Practice Fund

Giving remains a steady part of Vince Sales’ life, thanks to his grandparents.

“My grandmother would take me to church, and I’d watch her give to the collection plate,” Vince Sales recalls. “She was a spiritual woman who believed in helping others, and she expected me to give as well.”

Once he opened the Vince Andrade-Sales Social Practice Fund at the Foundation, Sales began directing grants to help Asian Pacific Islander (API) students, and other traditionally underrepresented students, pursue college degrees at Sacramento State. His granting also includes supporting Improve Your Tomorrow, Philippine National Day Association, Horizons Foundation, and two Foundation funds: the Sacramento Region Disaster Relief Fund and APIs RISE Fund.

Vince founded the API Rise Fund in 2012 to increase the capacity and impact of API philanthropic giving in the capital area; since then, APIs RISE granted nearly $150,000 to nonprofits promoting API civic engagement and strengthening API leadership in the region.

“I believe in giving from a place of passion, in ways that align with your values,” Sales said. For him, that means giving to causes that advance a more just, fair, and equitable future.

Sales cares deeply about supporting Black and indigenous communities—and, to that end, he gives strategically to organizations run by leaders from those communities. “When we invest in organizations focused on communities of color, they can build their assets and achieve their missions. It’s about helping them build power through philanthropy,” he said.