In 2001, we established the Foundation in order to change people’s lives in meaningful and lasting ways. We knew we wanted the Foundation to follow a model of active philanthropy, one where we could contribute not only financial resources, but also our time and energy. We also understood that this model of philanthropy would allow us to form close partnerships with organizations from each of our three focus areas: Supportive Care for Serious Illnesses, Social Impact Theatre, and Economic Opportunity.
The Foundation has experienced significant change since its inception, but what hasn’t changed is our deep commitment and passion, and our reliance on community partners to connect us with the constituencies we strive to support. Because of this, we’ve been fortunate to see first-hand how our initiatives transform individuals and organizations. Throughout our website, you’ll see examples of transformation from the patients and caregivers who find compassionate wrap-around support at City of Hope’s Biller Family Resource Center, to the CareerWork$ graduate who moves her family from homelessness to stable housing and a promising career, to theatres across the West that present socially-relevant productions that wrestle with the critical issues of contemporary society.
Our grantees’ stories remind us each day why we’re committed to creating solutions that are scalable and have impact. They drive us forward, challenging us to invest in bold ideas that inspire collective action to achieve powerful results.
Sheri Biller is a philanthropist, community leader, and passionate advocate for broader access to supportive care for people with serious illness and increasing opportunity for people from underserved communities. In 2001, she and her husband, Les, co-founded The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation with a bold vision: to create meaningful, lasting change by investing not just financial resources, but also their time, energy, and expertise in important causes. From the start, the Billers embraced a model of active philanthropy—one rooted in deep partnerships and a shared commitment to expanding access to supportive cancer care, economic opportunity, and social impact theatre.
For Sheri, the Foundation’s mission is deeply personal. After losing two close friends to cancer, she became a tireless advocate for supportive care—an approach that treats patients and caregivers as whole people, addressing not only clinical needs but also emotional, physical, and economic challenges. Her leadership helped establish the Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center at City of Hope, a national model for integrative supportive care that is transforming how care is delivered across the country.
A longtime supporter of City of Hope, Sheri made history as the institution’s first female Chair of its Operating Board of Directors. Over more than two decades of service, she has helped guide the organization’s mission to advance groundbreaking cancer research and compassionate patient care.
Beyond health care, Sheri has been a driving force in the arts and education. She co-produces Broadway musicals—including Joy: A New True Musical, Come From Away, and A Beautiful Noise—and has raised millions to support student theatre arts programs. She also founded and chaired the Ordway Circle of Stars in St. Paul, Minnesota, supporting the Ordway Music Theatre. Her philanthropic leadership extends to numerous nonprofit boards, including the Kayne Eras Center, The Rape Foundation, Children’s Burn Foundation, and Center Theatre Group, where she founded the Corporate Circle in 1999.
Les Biller currently serves as the Founding Director of The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation. Les spent over 33 years of his career in the business sector, including 10 years internationally in Italy and England. He had leadership roles at major companies including Proctor & Gamble, Citicorp, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo, where he served as Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer.
In 2001, Les and his wife, Sheri, co-founded the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation with the ambitious goal of creating meaningful, lasting change by investing not just financial resources, but also their time, energy, and expertise in important causes. From the start, the Billers embraced a model of active philanthropy — one rooted in deep partnerships and a shared commitment to expanding access to supportive cancer care, economic opportunity, and social impact theatre.
Les’s hallmark initiatives through the Biller Family Foundation include launching CareerWork$, which connects young adults from under-resourced communities to lasting, stable careers, and convening the Together for Supportive Cancer Care coalition, a national coalition of organizations from across sectors working to expand early, equitable access to supportive cancer care.
Les has served on the boards of Wells Fargo, Ecolab, Visa, Knowledge Universe, Sterling Financial, and PG&E. He has also served on the boards of several nonprofits, including the Minnesota Orchestra, the 5th Avenue Theater, and the Urban League of Los Angeles.
Les has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from City College of New York, and a master’s degree in business administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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