"Vanguard Public Foundation strives to eradicate racism in all its manifestations, and promote gender equality, economic and environmental justice, community empowerment, and equal rights for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community. Through its foundation arm, Vanguard has given approximately $30 million in grants to progressive organizations and causes in Northern California since 1972, over $20 million of that since 1991. Through its political arm, the Vanguard Alliance, Vanguard participates directly in political struggles and campaigns to help advance the cause of social justice. In recent years, Vanguard has helped to lead the new anti-war movement, the struggle to defend affirmative action and oppose Proposition 209, the mobilization to free Mumia Abu-Jamal, the campaign to end the death penalty, and the struggle to defend KPFA. And from Vanguard's early days up through the historic South African elections of 1994, Vanguard was part of the worldwide movement to bring an end to apartheid."