Celebrating Accomplishments and
Recognizing Challenges

Dear Friends and Partners-

As we near the end of an exciting inaugural year, I continue to be amazed and encouraged by the energy of individuals like you who are committed to investing in our community and making it a better place.

Now that the busy, year-end giving season has arrived, I would like to highlight the efforts of our staff who will be working diligently to process your gifts and grants in a timely manner.  Please see our detailed gift and grantmaking calendar for key dates.

I also want to make sure you know about several important milestones from the first year of our new organization:

We have worked diligently this year to get input from experts across our community to identify and address the most pressing needs in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Our Community Input Project gathered information from a careful review of local data, studies and reports, and conversations with community leaders, practitioners, advocates and donors around nine issue areas: affordable housing, arts and culture, child and youth development, civic engagement, community economic development, education, environment, health, and immigration. You can download the issue briefs and proceedings for each conversation. In early 2008, an online survey will enable donors, nonprofit and civic leaders and other community partners to offer input and advice. 

Because the information gathered in our strategic conversations has been so robust and thought-provoking, we are extending the time for deciding the community foundation’s new directions. We have added another round of grants using our parent foundations’ guidelines for early 2008.  This provides nonprofits with an additional opportunity to apply for funding before the community foundation’s new grantmaking opportunities are announced.  Our letter to the community has more information.

We are continuing to enhance and improve our efforts to provide superior service to our fund advisors. In response to some challenges in this area, we have hired additional staff, intensified our training and have begun a long-term process to upgrade our information technology.

In a few weeks, you should receive the inaugural issue of ONE: Innovation Through Philanthropy, a new publication from the community foundation.  ONE will spotlight what’s working, identify challenges and inspire participation in the solutions.  This issue will explore philanthropy from a number of angles, including fund advisors, an Olympic gold medalist and one of the world’s top CEOs, and a new approach to grants in East Palo Alto.

These milestones were possible only because of your help and support.  As we enter 2008, I hope you will stay involved in all that the community foundation has to offer. Together we can make a significant difference in our community’s future.

Wishing you and your family best wishes during the holiday season,