CONTACTS:
Jessica Rivera, marketing officer
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
650.450.5522 or jarivera@siliconvalleycf.org

SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WINS FOUR NATIONAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNICATIONS

Council on Foundations Awards Honor New Organization’s
Electronic and Print Communications Resources

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — A little over a year ago, when Silicon Valley Community Foundation opened its doors, it was a chance to set new precedent in the philanthropic sector. The dedication and commitment put forth in making that goal a reality has been recognized by the Council on Foundations which awarded the community foundation four national Wilmer Shields Rich Awards for excellence in communications.

“Anyone who has experienced a peer review panel knows that colleagues can be among your toughest critics,” said Emmett D. Carson, Ph.D., CEO and president of the community foundation. “We are proud that our peers have given us a pat on the back and honored Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s efforts to introduce our new organization and to provide information resources that can help meet the challenges facing our region.”

The community foundation’s four awards – one gold, two silver and one bronze – were the most received by any organization in its asset category (community and public foundations with assets of more than $250 million). It was the second-largest total among foundations of all sizes, including community, independent, family and operating foundations.

The program recognizes private, public and community foundations from across the nation for effective communication efforts aimed at increasing public awareness of foundations and corporate giving programs. The community foundation received these awards:

• Gold award for magazines/periodicals – ONE: Innovation Through Philanthropy
The community foundation created a magazine to spotlight diverse needs in Silicon Valley and serve as a platform for dialogue to encourage thought-provoking answers to those needs. Rather than focus on the community foundation, ONE: Innovation Through Philanthropy spotlights the region it serves and the most critical needs and issues facing our community.

• Silver award for special reports – Marketing of issue briefs
A key resource informing the community foundation’s strategic conversations was an issue brief developed for each topic summarizing important trends, issues and data related to a key topic. Initially disseminated during the Community Input Project sessions, issue briefs were distributed widely online (along with related documents and video), through mailings, community meetings and at headquarters and satellite offices to reach broader audiences, underscoring our work to provide relevant research for and about the community.

• Silver award for website – www.siliconvalleycf.org
The community foundation’s website was a critical element to projecting a new identity, ensuring a smooth transition for external stakeholders and providing key information about the organization’s mission and values to the community. This required both new content and the integration of existing content for grant-seekers, fund advisors, donor prospects, professional advisors, media and members of the community at large.

• Bronze award for public information campaigns – Raising awareness of the new community foundation
Opening the doors of a new organization required the development and implementation of a new communications strategy. To build further awareness of the organization, increase involvement and encourage partnerships within the community, throughout the year, the community foundation undertook a broad range of outreach efforts including news releases, information resources, a new website, a community open house and more than 50 meetings with community leaders and groups.

The Council on Foundations, based in the Washington D.C. area, is a nonprofit membership association of more than 2,100 grantmaking foundations and corporations. The awards will be presented at the Council on Foundation’s conference, Philanthropy’s Vision: A Leadership Summit, in National Harbor, Md. on May 5, 2008.