Ben Sand grew up in Spokane, Washington, the son of a single mother and one of six siblings. Ben went to college on a Presidential scholarship and completed a degree in English when he realized he wanted to use words and ideas to build initiatives to change lives.

Ben is the CEO and co-founder of The Contingent. The Contingent is a venture nonprofit designed to empower leaders and mobilize community for the common good. The Contingent oversees the community engagement and foster family recruitment efforts for the entire State of Oregon through an initiative called Every Child. Ben’s team also oversees a portfolio of scholarship initiatives, Oregon’s largest internship program (Emerging Leaders), and the largest effort focused on increasing social mobility for college graduates of color in Oregon history (SINE).

The Contingent will become a national organization in 2023

In 2020, when the pandemic hit, Ben and his team also launched two new initiatives to serve in the midst of a crisis. The first, My NeighbOR, is an emergency response effort to assure family have their basic needs met. The second, The Oregon Cares Fund, is the first fund in American history exclusively designed to use Federal dollars to provide cash grants to Black individuals, Black families, Black-owned businesses and Black-led nonprofits.

Ben completed his Master of Divinity at George Fox University and is involved in a wide range of civic engagements outside of work. Ben loves flyfishing, running, writing, and Gonzaga Bulldogs Basketball.

Ben recently authored the book, “A Kids Book About White Privilege.”