Richard Tate (he/him) is President and CEO of The California Wellness Foundation, one of California’s largest philanthropic public health institutions. With $1 billion in assets, Cal Wellness awards more than $50 million annually in grants and program-related investments that promote health equity, justice and advocacy for communities and individuals whose lives and wellness are too often determined by their race, income, immigration status or where they live. Tate leads the foundation in pursuing its mission to protect and improve the health and wellness of the people of California, with a core belief that access to quality health care is a human right. Tate is also a board member and officer on the Cal Wellness board of directors.
Tate joined Cal Wellness in 2016 as the VP of Public Affairs and built the foundation’s first integrated public affairs department. In 2020, he was appointed Executive Vice President and served as chief deputy to the president and CEO.
Prior to his time at Cal Wellness, Tate served as an executive leader at Hopelab, the Omidyar Group’s health-focused nonprofit organization and a pioneer in digital health research and development. Before working in philanthropy, Tate was a director of corporate communications for the multinational biotechnology company Chiron Corporation. He began his career in communications as an editor and journalist journalist, holding editorial positions at the national newsmagazine The Advocate, Citysearch.com, and Buzz.
Tate has served has served as board chair of Northern California Grantmakers and OUTWORDS. Tate earned his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Southern California, where he was a Deans Scholar and winner of USC’s Edward W. Moses Writing Competition. Tate has lived and worked in California since
1991.