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Community Corner

SV Community Foundation Grants $2.8 million to Non-Profits

Awards aimed to improve legal services for area immigrants, help homeowners avoid foreclosure and provide food and shelter for at-risk residents.

Eighty organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties will share nearly $2.8 million in funds awarded by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the non-profit announced last week.

"Silicon Valley Community Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties," said Erica Wood, vice president of community leadership and grant-making at the Mountain View-based SVCF. "The grants we’re announcing [today] will help us do that in diverse ways—from ensuring that immigrants seeking the American Dream can get affordable legal help to providing shelter and food to those who need a helping hand."

The grants range from $10,000 to $300,000 and focus on three of the foundation’s five grant-making focus areas: immigrant integration, economic security and safety net services.

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In particular, a total of $1.04 million will support the immigration strategy of 13 charities, among them:

  • The Immigrant Legal Resource Center will receive $300,000 for the Collaborative Resources for Immigration Services on the Peninsula (CRISP) program, to increase its capacity to handle complex immigration cases, increase collaboration with Santa Clara county-based immigration service providers, and test and expand the use of technology in its work.
  • Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County will receive $250,000 for coordination of the South Bay Legal Immigrant Services Network, with an increased emphasis on preparedness for widely anticipated comprehensive immigration reform.

A total of $1.5 million will go to 37 non-profits that offer safety net services like food and shelter programs for individuals, families with children and elderly residents.

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SVCF has again partnered with the County of San Mateo and will match $500,000 in funds to provide vital services to low-income individuals and families in the county, for a total of $1 million for food- and shelter-serving organizations.

Another $500,000 will go to Santa Clara County grantees from both counties:

  • Second Harvest Food Bank received $200,000 for its Food Assistance Program, which includes a network of over 300 safety-net providers and alleviates hunger for an average of 207,000 individuals each month at 740 food distribution sites.
  • First-time grantee Rahima International Foundation will receive $10,000 to provide food to needy families in Santa Clara County, most of which are refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Somalia.

A total of $285,000 will go to eight nonprofit organizations that help local homeowners avoid foreclosure and assist renters. Among the grantees:

  • Community Legal Services, based in East Palo Alto, received a $40,000 grant to provide legal counseling and conduct educational presentations in local communities to increase foreclosure prevention awareness and educate residents about the protections provided by the Homeowners Bill of Rights.
  • Neighborhood Housing Services Silicon Valley also received a $40,000 grant to provide financial counseling to homeowners who are delinquent in their mortgage payments or who are struggling to maintain them.

To view complete lists of grantees by category, click here.

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