Year in Review
A Time of Change, Challenge, and Community
The story of 2025 is still unfolding, but one thing is clear: we are living through a time of profound change. Families across our area feel the strain of rising costs. Immigrant neighbors carry the weight of uncertainty. Too many continue to struggle with housing affordability and stability. As inequities widen, nonprofits themselves face mounting pressures. Yet, in the midst of these challenges, something inspiring shines through: people stepping up, giving, and showing up for their community.
At PACF, supporting our local community, especially those with the greatest need, remains paramount. For nearly 50 years, PACF has connected donors with local organizations driving positive change, ensuring generosity goes where it is needed most. As our community evolves, we remain committed to making an impact for the long run, acting on the generosity of our donors and multiplying the impact of every gift given.
In 2025, that commitment came to life in tangible ways. PACF provided general operating and multi-year support to a portfolio of trusted partners rising to meet the moment. We built deeper relationships with nonprofits, offering not only funding but flexible support, listening ears, and long-term partnership. We brought together donors around the belief that our communities of Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park can become stronger when we give together.
PACF also began evolving. We directed resources more intentionally, used data to spot trends and respond to emerging needs, and shared insights with partners. At a time when nonprofits were facing increased demand and funding uncertainty, PACF began to sharpen our role as a trusted voice for community needs, a partner who strengthens others, and a catalyst that magnifies the impact of individuals who give locally.
With support from generous PACF donors, nonprofit leaders are doing more even in the face of growing challenges. Youth leaders are confronting mental health struggles, tenant coalitions are advocating for stability, and cultural programs are activating identity, joy, and connection. We know donors today want more than a transaction. They want to be part of a shared purpose. Giving to PACF helps to fulfill this shared purpose. Together, we are writing the next chapter of our community’s story.
To our donors, we thank you for fueling our work and making our local impact possible. To our nonprofit partners, thank you for your tireless dedication and creativity, all of which continue to strengthen the fabric of our community. Together, we have accomplished more in 2025.
We invite you to learn more about PACF’s impact and to continue partnering with us as we build a stronger, more vibrant Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park.
Irene Wong CEO
Becky Beacom
Board President
Table of Contents
“Multi-year funding is something we're very grateful for because it enables us to plan ahead and be more sustainable—especially now, when government funding is increasingly vulnerable.”
FY 2025 by the Numbers
Strengthening Community Together
Thanks to the generosity of 600+ donors, PACF invested $1.825 million in 77 local nonprofits. Each organization was selected through a data-informed process that combines PACF’s deep community knowledge, close connection to local leaders, and rigorous review of demonstrated results. Together, these investments form a portfolio of high-impact organizations strengthening lives and building a more resilient community.
Our grants provided critical support to families facing rising costs, housing instability, and mental health challenges, while also investing in youth programs, the arts, and the environment to ensure our region remains a vibrant place to live.
We are equally proud of how we provide support. All PACF grants are made as general operating support, trusting organizations to direct funds where they are most needed. Guided by our long history and local knowledge, we make multi-year commitments to proven partners. In 2025, this represented 65.75 percent of our grantmaking, supporting youth development, mental health, food security, housing, and community strength.
At the same time, we know communities evolve. Addressing persistent challenges requires new ideas and partners. In 2025, 5.49 percent of our grants went to first-time grantees bringing innovative approaches to these same priority issues.
Explore the full list of grantees PACF donors made possible in FY 2025 here.
Spotlights on FY 2025 Impact Makers
Behind every PACF grant is a story of impact, resilience, innovation, and service to the community. Our grantees are on the front lines addressing urgent needs, whether it is supporting youth, advancing mental health, or tackling food insecurity, all of our grantees are working to create a stronger Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. We are inspired by all of the FY 2025 grant recipients and are pleased to share a snapshot of a few FY 2025 recipients.
Supporting Students, Strengthening Schools
When students are struggling with anxiety, trauma, or housing instability, learning takes a back seat. Counseling & Support Services for Youth (CASSY) steps in to change that, bringing free, school-based mental health support directly to the children and teens who need it most.
With on-campus therapists embedded in schools from transitional kindergarten through high school, CASSY offers counseling, crisis intervention, and proactive education free of charge to students and families. In East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park, where many students face trauma, housing instability, and rising anxiety around new immigration policies, CASSY’s trusted presence in the Ravenswood City School District ensures care is both accessible and culturally responsive.
The impact is clear: last year, 91 percent of students made progress on their treatment goals, and 93 percent of students and parents said CASSY met their needs. Students who feel connected at school are more likely to succeed academically and less likely to experience emotional distress or drop out, outcomes CASSY makes possible every day.
“The counseling services are essential to the success of my students.”
“CASSY gave me someone to talk to when everything felt overwhelming. Having a counselor at school helped me feel understood, supported, and able to keep going.”
Fighting Waste, Feeding Community
In a region where excess and need exist side by side, Peninsula Food Runners delivers a powerful solution: rescuing surplus food and delivering it, same day, to neighbors facing food insecurity.
A first-time PACF grantee, this young and growing nonprofit mobilizes over 2,100 volunteers to collect prepared and perishable food from restaurants, caterers, and grocery stores across San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. The impact in our local communities is tangible: nearly 200,000 free meals delivered in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park last year alone, serving over 70 recipient agencies from senior centers and shelters to veterans' housing and family resource hubs.
Every meal rescued is one less pound headed to the landfill. In California, nearly 6 million tons of food are discarded each year—contributing to approximately 58 percent of the state’s methane emissions—while 1 in 5 residents faces hunger. Peninsula Food Runners helps turn that tide locally, reducing emissions while feeding people.
At the heart of this work is a community-powered model. Volunteers span generations and backgrounds, including many lifelong local residents with deep ties to the neighborhoods they serve.
With PACF’s flexible support, Peninsula Food Runners is scaling its impact—building infrastructure, expanding delivery routes, and engaging more volunteers. The result? More meals, less waste, and a stronger community.
“The beautiful thing about our system is that it allows people to give as much as they can—with their time or their donations—and immediately turn excess into nourishment. We’re not just feeding people—we’re building local resilience.”
Investing in Frontline Organizations and Strengthening Underserved Communities
In 2025, the daily realities for immigrant families grew more challenging. Rising costs, housing instability, and barriers to services created fear and hardship, compounded by threatening rhetoric and policy proposals. With nearly one-third of California’s workforce made up of immigrants and more than a quarter of residents born abroad, the stakes could not be higher.
Against this backdrop, PACF awarded the 2025 David Mitchell Impact Grants to three frontline organizations: Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA), El Concilio of San Mateo County, and Nuestra Casa. Each plays a critical role in helping families navigate complex systems, access essential resources, and build pathways to stability. Together, they embody PACF’s values: trusted, community-rooted partners advancing equity, inclusion, and resilience.
Each $100,000 unrestricted grant provides flexible funding to expand vital services and strengthen the operational foundations needed to respond to uncertainty and drive long-term change.
Collectively, these organizations address intersecting needs in legal protections, health and safety net access, civic participation, leadership, and food security while reinforcing one another’s work. Individually trusted and collectively powerful, they form a stronger safety net for families in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. PACF’s investments in these partners were a deliberate response to urgent needs, helping ensure that our communities can withstand uncertainty and thrive.
Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA)
Safeguarding immigrant families through legal representation, tenant defense, and economic justice advocacy, pairing direct services with policy reform.
El Concilio of San Mateo County
Connecting underserved residents to health care, safety net programs, and civic engagement opportunities, while amplifying immigrant voices in regional equity and environmental justice work.
Nuestra Casa
Combining leadership development, community advocacy, and large scale food distribution to provide both immediate relief and long term empowerment for Latino families.
Investing in the Nonprofit Sector
In FY 2025, PACF directed the Cammie Vail Resilience Grants to strengthen the nonprofit sector as a whole. These investments supported organizations such as the Center for Excellence in Nonprofits (CEN), the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN), and Thrive, The Alliance of Nonprofits for San Mateo County, all of which play vital roles in ensuring local nonprofits have the tools, knowledge, and connections they need to succeed.
CEN builds capacity by supporting, empowering, and sustaining nonprofit leaders and boards through inclusive training, peer support networks, and organizational consulting. SVCN serves as a trusted hub of information and resources for nonprofits across Silicon Valley, helping leaders stay informed and collaborate more effectively. Thrive unites the voice and influence of nonprofits in San Mateo County, builds organizational capacity, and provides programs that help nonprofits maximize resources and strengthen their impact.
By investing in these backbone organizations, PACF helps create the conditions for hundreds of nonprofits across our region to thrive, supporting not only individual grantees but the overall health and resilience of the sector.
More Than Money
Beyond the Check, Toward Deeper Impact
A healthy community also has a healthy nonprofit sector. At PACF, we support organizations in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park not only with funding but with tools, connections, and knowledge to help them thrive. We seek to do more beyond the check, and FY 2025 was just the start. In our first year of expanded commitment, we offered grantees several key learning opportunities:
- Stanford Social Innovation Review’s Nonprofit Management Institute, where participants explored nonprofit advocacy, the future of DEI, and AI ethics.
- AI Peer Learning Workshop, where a community technology trainer demonstrated how AI can boost nonprofit capacity and productivity.
- Rise and Shine Gathering, featuring Stephany Baker’s People-Centered Organizational Community Culture (P-COCC) Model, emphasizing care, compassion, and respect as the foundation for inclusive teams.
Together, these opportunities provided both practical skills and inspiration, reinforcing PACF’s long-term commitment to helping nonprofits thrive because strong nonprofits build strong communities. Building on this momentum, PACF is committed to offering even more ways for nonprofits to learn, connect, and grow.
“What I love about PACF is its focus on local impact. Every grant and every story connects back to people and places we know. PACF turns generosity into strong, tangible results—strengthening nonprofits, supporting families, and building healthier, communities that will thrive for generations to come.”
Our 2025 Grantees
Addressing Food Insecurity and Affordable Housing
Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse
Ecumenical Hunger Program
Fresh Approach
Heart and Home Collaborative
HIP Housing (Human Investment Project, Inc.)
LifeMoves
Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen*
Peninsula Food Runners
Peninsula Healthcare Connection*
St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room*
WeHOPE*
Youth United for Community Action (YUCA)
Embracing the Arts and Our Environment
Art in Action
Canopy*
Climate Resilient Communities*
East Palo Alto Community Archive
Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden
Environmental Volunteers*
EPACENTER ARTS
Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
Grassroots Ecology
Hidden Villa
Kids and Art Foundation
Palo Alto Art Center Foundation*
Palo Alto Players
San Francisco Chamber Orchestra
San Mateo County Parks Foundation
Stanford Jazz Workshop
Vida Verde Nature Education*
Helping Children and Youth Thrive
AchieveKids*
Addiction Education Society
All Five
Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula*
City Year San Jose Silicon Valley
Cooline Team of East Palo Alto
DreamCatchers
East Palo Alto Academy Foundation
East Palo Alto Kids Foundation*
East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring
East Palo Alto Peninsula Rugby Football Club (Razorhawks)
Eastside College Preparatory School
Family Connections
Foundation for a College Education*
Fresh Lifelines for Youth*
Gunn Foundation
Health Connected
Izzi Early EducationLive In Peace, Inc.*
Learning Home Volunteers
Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC)
Peninsula Bridge
Ravenswood Classroom Partners*
Ravenswood Education Foundation
Rich May Foundation
RISE (Reaching and Inspiring Success Through Education)
Rise Together Education
Rosalie Rendu Inc.*
St. Elizabeth Seton School*
StreetCode Academy
The.Circuit EPA
The Peninsula College Fund (PCF)
Upward Scholars*
YMCA of Silicon Valley*
Youth Community Service (YCS)
Strengthening Local Communities
AbilityPath
Able Works
Ada's Cafe
American Red Cross
Avenidas
Bay Area Friendship Circle
Center for Excellence in Nonprofits
Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto
East Palo Alto Senior Center
Family Giving Tree
Good Karma Bikes
Green Envelope Fund*
Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County
Loved Twice*
Nuestra Casa de East Palo Alto*
Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County, Inc
PARCA (Partners & Advocates for Remarkable Children & Adults)*
Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange
Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits
Stanford SSIR/PACS (Nonprofit Mgt. Institute)
The Grateful Garment Project
Thrive Alliance for Nonprofits
Supporting Mental Health and Wellness
Adolescent Counseling Services
CASA of San Mateo County*
Children's Health Council
Counseling and Support Services for Youth (CASSY)
Fit To The Core, Inc.
Friends for Youth, Inc.
Kara*
NAMI San Mateo County
Palo Alto University
Peninsula Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
San Mateo County Health Foundation
Ravenswood Family Health Network*
The Parent Venture
Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley
*FY 2024 multi-year recipient
Ways to Partner with PACF
PACF connects local generosity to local impact. Donors choose the giving path that best fits their goals:
- Annual Giving – Fuels yearly unrestricted general support grants to trusted nonprofits in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park.
- The William Reller Impact Fund – Invests in bold, high-impact initiatives and emerging needs.
- PACF Endowment – Ensures long-term resources for sustainability; in FY 2025, it stood at more than $11 million.
- El Palo Alto Legacy Circle – Creates a permanent legacy of generosity through planned gifts that sustain PACF’s mission for generations.
- Events & Community Engagement – Brings neighbors together to learn, celebrate, and invest in local solutions.
When you give through PACF, whether with an annual gift, a legacy commitment, or an endowment contribution, you become part of a movement to ensure Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park remain strong, vibrant, and resilient. Together, we are building a culture of generosity that lasts.
Join us. Be part of the PACF donor family—and the future of your community. Learn more about ways to give and join the PACF donor community.
Meredith Ackley
Trusted Giving That Makes a Difference
"I want my giving to matter, but I do not have time to research every nonprofit on my own. With PACF, I can make one gift I fully trust—knowing it will reach the organizations doing the most important work in our community. PACF’s local knowledge and relationships give me confidence that my philanthropy is making a real difference."
Mark T. Johnsen
Partnering with Advisors & Trusted Guidance
As Founder and CEO of Wealth Architects, Mark Johnsen advises philanthropic families across Silicon Valley on how to align their money with their values to build wealthier lives. He has introduced clients to PACF as a trusted local partner that simplifies giving, vets nonprofits, and ensures impact.
“PACF gives clients confidence that their charitable dollars are being directed wisely and locally,” Mark explains. “They know the community, they do the vetting, and they can even handle complex gifts like private venture partnerships and other non-traditional assets. I’ve seen the impact firsthand, through my clients, as an Advisory Board member and in my own giving to PACF. It gives me confidence that PACF is building strong partnerships that are strengthening our local communities.”
The Taylor Family
Giving Back to the Place We Call Home
“For our family, community has always been personal,” says longtime Palo Alto resident Anne Taylor. “We raised our children here and have seen how much stronger a place becomes when neighbors care for one another. PACF gives us a meaningful way to give back, connecting us to local organizations doing incredible work and allowing us to make a bigger impact together.”
Anne and her husband, Craig, have supported the Palo Alto Community Fund for many years. “One family can make a difference,” Anne adds, “but when we give together through PACF, that impact is multiplied. Supporting PACF is our way of investing in the place we call home.”