Elevating Communities, Transforming Care
2023 Annual Review
“Inspired by the Freedom House paramedics of the 1960’s, we're now 100% committed to addressing racial inequities and barriers to access in prehospital care.”
Tanir Ami
Chief Executive Officer
Sandra Shewry
Board Chair
Dear Friends,
Welcome to CARESTAR’s inaugural annual review! Six years ago, with the launch of the CARESTAR Foundation, we envisioned revolutionizing emergency medical response and first responders in California—cultivating a highly trained, diverse team of providers, working in partnership with local communities for timely, tailored care. With your support, and the unwavering dedication of our innovative partners, CARESTAR is transforming this vision into reality.
Rooted in our nonprofit predecessor CALSTAR's legacy, we started as an organization focused on improving health outcomes in the prehospital care setting. Since then, we have clarified our values, and elevated the imperative of achieving racial equity within the EMS response system. Inspired by the Freedom House paramedics of the 1960’s, we're now 100% committed to addressing inequities and barriers to access in prehospital care.
Our Values in Action
At the CARESTAR Foundation, we are reimagining emergency and prehospital care that is equitable, unified, and compassionate, with a focus on elevating community voice and power, building a movement, and catalyzing systems change. Our commitment to this endeavor is fueled by core values that actively guide and inspire us.
Equity
Addressing systemic barriers to eliminate racial disparities in health outcomes and care
Compassion
Centering local communities and the lived experiences of those most impacted
Unity
Working in collaboration and partnership to have the greatest impact
Hope
Unwavering belief in our collective vision for equitable systems of care
Equity
Addressing systemic barriers to eliminate racial disparities in health outcomes and care.
From the Foundation’s inception, establishing ourselves amidst a global pandemic and civil unrest related to racial injustices, we intentionally focused our work on addressing systemic inequities. This year, some of the ways we demonstrated this commitment was by funding targeted research, championing robust data collection, and advocating for a diverse workforce mirroring California's rich and varied demographics.
of California voters want major changes to the way police and other emergency services providers respond to 911 calls.
Source: 2023 statewide poll by Public Health Advocates
of respondents feel it is important to see health workers from similar cultural backgrounds or life experiences.
Source: 2022 California Pan-Ethnic Health Network survey
Knowledge is Power
In recognizing the critical importance of tailoring emergency and prehospital care to the unique needs of local communities, the CARESTAR Foundation supports researchers and research organizations who seek to better understand and document the breadth and depth of health inequities in this field. In 2023, we funded several critical studies that uncovered valuable information about how people, especially Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other people of color, experience emergency response and what they would like to see going forward.
In our partners’ own words
In our partners’ own words
CARESTAR's multi-year support is pivotal as we work to bring greater equity to first response, recognizing the enduring and unwavering commitment required to propel this type of systemic change.
Alma Bowen
Nuestra Comunidad
Transformations & Innovations Grantee
In our partners’ own words
In our partners’ own words
CARESTAR exemplifies an equity-centered approach to prehospital care, founded on principles of trust, collaboration, and the mutual exploration of innovative practices to serve local/regional communities.
Jodi Nerell, LCSW
Sutter Health
Transformations & Innovations Grantee
In our partners’ own words
In our partners’ own words
The CARESTAR Foundation isn't just a funder; they are a dynamic force—a movement, a cause, and a community—driving impactful change for equitable and accessible healthcare.
Todd LeGassick
UCLA Center for Prehospital Care
Research Grantee
of the general population in California identify as non-White vs. just 32% of California firefighters.
Source: Healthforce Center at UCSF
of the general population in California speak a language other than English at home vs. just 25% of California paramedics (and 28% of EMTs).
Source: Healthforce Center at UCSF
Reflecting and Representing Communities Served
This year, the Healthforce Center at UCSF, a CARESTAR grantee, examined California's first responder demographics, revealing the critical need for increased diversity in the EMT, paramedic, and firefighter workforce. The study underscores the need for systematic data collection for those entering and leaving the field, in order to sustain a robust EMT and paramedic population. CARESTAR, having invested over $1 million in organizations like Bay EMT, EMS Corps, and the Firefighters Youth Academy, is committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive EMS workforce, essential for high-quality care and the future of the EMS system.
Visit our curated collection of research on racial equity in emergency response.
We highlight peer-reviewed and published pieces from the past 10 years, that hit at the nexus of racial equity and prehospital care.
COMPASSION
Centering local communities and the lived experiences of those most impacted.
We believe that those closest to the issues are also closest to the solutions, and that ensuring communities have a voice and decision making power in defining and pursuing those solutions is essential to meaningful and sustained progress.
A Trust-Based Approach to Philanthropy
At the heart of CARESTAR's relationship with grantees is trust and a steadfast commitment to fostering deep connections and meaningful partnerships. Beyond financial support, our approach involves actively listening to and working with communities to understand the unique needs of those most impacted by the health inequities we seek to address. Using trust-based philanthropy, we're working to reimagine our relationship with grantees, rebalancing power dynamics, and envisioning a future where community-driven initiatives lead to transformative and sustainable impact.
2023 Grantmaking by the Numbers
of grants awarded were unrestricted funding/general operating support
of grants awarded were multi-year commitments
average grant amount awarded
In our partners’ own words
In our partners’ own words
CARESTAR’s trusting approach gave us the time to explore policy ideas and build bridges, and to seize opportunities that arose to advance affordability and equity for Californians.
Anthony Wright
Health Access
Policy Grantee
In our partners’ own words
In our partners’ own words
CARESTAR sets the standard in their grantmaking. Their commitment to relationship building is second to none, with a real emphasis on helping grantees connect and collaborate.
Lance Maples
San Ramon Valley Fire Department
Transformations & Innovations Grantee
In our partners’ own words
In our partners’ own words
Every conversation we have with CARESTAR feels like an authentic partnership. The validation, language, and practical tools we've been gifted through this collaboration have strengthened our capacity to grow in tremendous ways.
Toni McNeil
Concrete Development Inc.
Community Voices Grantee
In our partners’ own words
In our partners’ own words
CARESTAR is a model foundation that should be recognized for its approach to trust-based philanthropy; an approach made possible by an amazing staff that demonstrates a genuine desire to affect change.
Wellington Jackson
Bay Area Youth EMT
Workforce Grantee
In our partners’ own words
In our partners’ own words
CARESTAR's approach redefines philanthropy, prioritizing relationships and trust over rigid frameworks. This flexibility allows us to innovate and adapt in providing vital emergency care to diverse and underserved populations.
Michael P. Mason
San Francisco Fire Department - Community Paramedicine Division
Research Grantee
UNITY
Working in collaboration and partnership to have the greatest impact.
We believe in the power of collective action. Through our signature grants program, the Transformations & Innovations Initiative (TII), we support the collaborative efforts of organizations from across sectors, catalyzing new and better ways for Californians to engage, receive, and experience emergency response and care.
2023 Grantees
True partners on a shared journey.
Anti-Police Terror Project
Bay EMT
California Bridge (Public Health Institute)
California Indian Museum & Cultural Center
California Pan Ethnic Health Network
City of Eureka
City EMT (Dusty's Fishing Well)
College of Behavioral Health Leadership
Concrete Development Inc.
Cristo Rey De La Salle East Bay High School
Days with Zahrah
Exhaling Injustice
Health Access Foundation
Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (The HAVI)
Hope & Heal Fund
Interface Child & Family Services: 211 Now
King's View
Loma Linda University
Lundquist Institute
NorCal EMS
North Valley Labor Federation
Nuestra Comunidad
Prevention Institute
Public Health Advocates
Public Works Alliance
Raheem (Community Response Works)
RYSE
San Francisco Fire Youth Academy
San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District
San Francisco Fire Department/San Jose State University
Still I Rise Films
Support for Actively Rising Youth
Sutter Coast Hospital
TabiMOMs
UCLA Center for Prehospital Care
Youth Alive
Youth Recovery Connections
Partner Summit
Each year, CARESTAR brings key stakeholders together for a day-long event to celebrate, inspire, and learn from one another.
The CARESTAR Foundation’s annual Partner Summit is a meeting of the minds and a gathering of peers over a shared vision of equity in EMS. This event serves as a cornerstone of the movement to bring greater racial equity to emergency and prehospital care, where stakeholders unite over intimate conversations, immersive panel discussions, and inspiring brainstorming sessions. Participants depart with a renewed sense of optimism and a fortified commitment to our collective efforts, infusing fresh ideas and energy into the path that lies ahead.
Interested in partnering with us?
Learn more about our funding programs and reach out for more information.
HOPE
Unwavering belief in our collective vision for equitable systems of care.
At CARESTAR, our vision is for all Californians to experience emergency and prehospital care that is equitable, unified and compassionate. We're confident that by centering community voices, and through collaborative partnerships, we can build a system that ensures the best emergency and prehospital care for everyone.
What Does a Truly Equitable System Look Like?
The CARESTAR Foundation is working towards a system of emergency and prehospital care where there is deep trust and active collaboration between communities and state/local agencies; where local communities wield influence, decisions are communal, and innovative policies reflect community insights. This is the system we are committed to, and along with our partners, the system that we all believe is not only possible, but essential.
A Vision of Equity from Grantees
NOW A MOMENT OF SELF REFLECTION
Consider your role in shifting the landscape of racial equity within EMS.
At CARESTAR, we recognize the scale of our ambitions. We also gratefully acknowledge the strength of the partnerships and the shared sense of purpose we hold with others along on this journey with us including grantees, state and local partners, and other funders. In the spirit of collaboration and learning, we invite you to reflect on your role and consider how you can further support our shared commitment to bringing greater racial equity to emergency and prehospital care in California.
Some questions to get you started:
How do my actions and decisions contribute to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment within Emergency Medical Services (EMS)?
In what ways can I challenge my own biases and assumptions to ensure fairness in the delivery of care and in the equity of outcomes?
Do I actively seek out and listen to the diverse voices and perspectives within the EMS community to better understand their unique needs?
What steps can I take to amplify underrepresented voices and experiences within EMS, ensuring they are heard and considered in decision-making processes?
How can I advocate for policies and practices that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within EMS at both individual and systemic levels?
If you’re interested in joining the movement to bring greater racial equity to emergency and prehospital care in California, please reach out to us at general@carestarfoundation.org.