CONTACT:  
Michelle McGurk, Senior Director, Media and Community Relations
408.278.2208 phone or 408.655.7332 cell, mlmcgurk@siliconvalleycf.org

SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDS $700,000 TO
16 NONPROFITS SERVING SAN MATEO AND NORTHERN SANTA CLARA COUNTIES

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – Sixteen nonprofits serving San Mateo and Northern Santa Clara County have been awarded grants totaling $717,150 by Silicon Valley Community Foundation.  The 16 agencies provide a variety of services in areas ranging from volunteer opportunities to literacy to health care to the environment.

“We are pleased to provide support to these excellent nonprofits,” said Eleanor Clement Glass, chief giving officer, Silicon Valley Community Foundation.  “These organizations aid our most vulnerable residents and help our community thrive.”

Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the $1.8 billion foundation created in January by the merger of Peninsula Community Foundation and Community Foundation Silicon Valley, is focused on innovative solutions that solve most critical problems and improve the quality of life throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.  

During the next several months, the community foundation is continuing the community grants programs of Peninsula Community Foundation (providing funding from Daly City to Mountain View) and Community Foundation Silicon Valley (providing funding from Redwood City to Gilroy).  The community foundation will announce its new grants priorities in the Fall. 

“As a new foundation, we need time to examine the needs across our region and evaluate the best practices before launching a new, regional grantmaking strategy,” Clement Glass said.  “During the next several months, we will continue the community grantmaking programs of our parent foundations, which are organized according to the geographic area of the communities served.”

The grants announced here focused on San Mateo nonprofits in the following eight issue areas: Community Building; Environment; First Five Years; Health and Wellness; Supporting Families; In School and Out Of School; Strengthening Nonprofits; and Arts and Culture.  Grants to Santa Clara nonprofits will be announced at the end of April.

The seventeen nonprofits funded are listed below. 

Community Building

Hands On Bay Area, San Francisco - $50,000
www.handsonbayarea.org
General operating support to allow the development of volunteer and leadership opportunities throughout the region following the merger of Community Impact and Hands On San Francisco.

Environment

Environmental Volunteers, Palo Alto - $50,000
www.evols.org
Support for the capital campaign for the renovation of the Sea Scout House located in the Palo Alto baylands.

Save the Bay (Save San Francisco Bay Association), Oakland - $20,000
www.savesfbay.org
Support the efforts to protect the Redwood City shoreline against the threat of damaging development.

Health & Wellness

Sonrisas Community Dental Center, Half Moon Bay - $65,000
www.sonrisasdental.org
Support for the Executive Director and executive administrative positions.

Daly City Youth Health Center - $64,000
www.dalycityyouth.org
Support for the Sustainability Plan.

Samaritan House, San Mateo - $70,000
www.samaritanhouse.com
General operating support for the Free Clinic of San Mateo.

Supporting Families

Immigrant Legal Resource Center, San Francisco - $100,000
www.ilrc.org
Support for Collaborative Resources for Immigrant Services on the Peninsula.

In School & Out of School

Resource Area for Teaching, San José - $25,000
www.raft.net
Support for K-12 public school teachers teaching in San Mateo County or the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills or Mountain View who purchase materials at RAFT, up to a maximum of $100, for use in their classrooms.

Redwood City Elementary School District - $61,200
http://rcsd.ca.campusgrid.net/home
Support for a district-wide teacher training for more than 300 teachers.

Strengthening Nonprofits

Thrive, San Mateo County - $20,000
www.thrivealliance.org
Support for the executive director’s salary for this organization that advocates for and builds capacity of San Mateo County nonprofits.

Northern California Grantmakers, San Francisco - $15,000
www.ncg.org
Support for 2007 annual membership.

League of California Community Foundations, Rohnert Park - $32,000
www.lccf.org
Support for 2007 annual membership.

Council on Foundations, Washington D.C. - $45,000
www.cof.org
Support for 2007 annual membership.

CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, San Francisco - $20,000
www.compasspoint.org
Support to underwrite the Peninsula Workshop Series for 2007.

Center for Excellence in Nonprofits, Milpitas - $39,950
www.cen.org
General support for Peninsula activities and workshops.

Arts & Culture

Peninsula Library System, San Mateo County - $20,000
www.plsinfo.org
Support for Big Read reading program to pay for local publicity, graphics, and books.