LifeMoves’ Homekey Palo Alto provides supportive housing and intensive services for individuals without shelter. LifeMoves will operate and manage the site, providing supportive services and pathways to stable housing for close to 408 people each year.
Palo Alto Community Fund’s 2023 Annual Grants portfolio includes 58 new annual grants, 26 new multi-year grants in year 1, and 15 multi-year grants in year 2 awarded to organizations that support families, uplift the vulnerable, enhance community life, and encourage educational equity in our community. For over 40 years, PACF’s Annual Grant making process has channeled the giving of local donors to focus on supporting the organizations that provide the network of support for our neighbors in Palo Alto, East Palo, and Menlo Park. ** Some organizations are listed in multiple impact categories because they have dual focuses.
The Dave Mitchell Impact Grants, first awarded in 2020, are considered separately from PACF’s annual grants and are specifically designed to help local nonprofit programs significantly move the needle towards addressing long term systemic issues. For 2023, PACF awarded 3 grants to nonprofit organizations addressing the prominent and pressing needs of housing security, environmental justice, and economic mobility.
Lisa Van Dusen, PACF’s Executive Director, awarded Cammie Vail Executive Director Grants to organizations focusing on nonprofit leadership development.
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On December 31, 2022 the San Francisquito Creek flooded filling East Palo Alto apartment garages with water and debris, ruining cars and laundry facilities and destroying the contents of storage closets. El Comité stepped in to organize neighbors to clean up, to help neighbors with insurance claims and to publicize the extent of the damage.
The Opportunity Center in Palo Alto has a been a haven for people in need of services or a roof over their head — or both. The housing site in the heart of Silicon Valley has 88 affordable apartments and offers a wide range of services for hundreds of homeless people in the Bay Area’s mid-Peninsula. One of those services is the new Vehicular Maintenance Fund to help clients, who rely on their cars for housing and/or income, overcome potentially insurmountable expenses.
Climate Reslient Communities’ work stems from recognition of the fact that in the Bay Area, as throughout the world, under-resourced communities are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change impacts. Since 2016 CRC has been on the ground learning the specific needs of residents in diverse, under-resourced communities in East Palo Alto and Belle Haven (Menlo Park). Their outreach cultivates environmental awareness while giving local residents a voice in proactive resilience planning and adaptation. By building stronger alliances between residents, schools, local government programs and community-based organizations, this work creates resilience against climate-related stresses such as sea-level rise and economic instability.
The Center for Economic Mobility, located on Pulgas Avenue in East Palo Alto, will officially open in 2024 and will be designed and built with inputs and feedback from the surrounding community. JobTrain will occupy two of the four floors, greatly expanding their ability to provide meaningful and sustained benefits to more people in East Palo Alto.
‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices (‘APV) is a California grassroots organization advancing systems-impacted communities through heritage preservation and civic engagement. Formerly known as Pacific Islander Outreach, ‘APV was founded by Appollonia ‘MamaDee’ Grey Uhilamoelangi and Senita Uhilamoelangi in July 1997. Since then, ‘APV has primarily served families in East Palo Alto, the Peninsula Valley, and the wider San Mateo County.
Our mission is to improve the long-term sustainability of nonprofit leaders and organizations by offering the highest quality programs, consultation, training and community-building networks.
Since 2016 Climate Resilient Communities has been on the ground learning the specific needs of residents in diverse, under-resourced communities in East Palo Alto and Belle Haven (Menlo Park). Our outreach cultivates environmental awareness while giving local residents a voice in proactive resilience planning and adaptation. By building stronger alliances between residents, schools, local government programs and community-based organizations, this work creates resilience against climate-related stresses such as sea-level rise and economic instability.
We are a community-led initiative that collects, shares, promotes, celebrates, and preserves the unique history of East Palo Alto for generations.
The mission of EPACENTER is to increase opportunities for youth to discover and amplify their talents, realize their potential, and impact the world through art and design.
Kids & Art Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of pediatric cancer care by focusing on the whole child in treatment by including healing through arts in their protocol.
Visual art classes to formerly homeless individuals who are currently in supportive housing programs.
The Palo Alto Art Center Foundation expands the reach and impact of the Palo Alto Art Center through fundraising and advocacy.
With community at our core, Palo Alto Players is the home for creating exceptional theatre experiences that inspire, entertain, and enrich the lives of our local artists and audiences.
The mission of Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center is to empower and increase the entrepreneurial capacities of socially and economically diverse women and men, and thereby strengthen our communities through the creation of sustainable new businesses, new jobs, and the promotion of financial self-sufficiency.
Rich May Foundation joined with Ravenswood City School District and the Archdiocese of San Francisco to build a quality, regulation soccer and rugby size athletic field in East Palo Alto.
The Rich May Foundation’s purpose is to foster a sense of community and reduce crime within East Palo Alto,
CA and its surroundings by (i) providing underprivileged youth and adults with positive role models and skills
training, (ii) offering safe venues and activities that promote character development, and (iii) carrying on any other
charitable activities associated with this goal as allowed by law.
- To transform the quality of life of seniors through simple-to-use technology and personalized, interactive online programs and activities that educate, entertain, inspire, connect and engage.
- To dramatically enhance the ability of older adults to stay physically, mentally and socially active by creating and delivering interactive learning, social, entertainment and community-building group activities and programs that can be enjoyed from home.
TheatreWorks is one of America’s outstanding professional theatres. Our work celebrates the human spirit through innovative productions, new works, and education programs inspired by and engaging our diverse Silicon Valley community.
AchieveKids schools provide individualized and multi-disciplinary programs that deliver special education, mental health, and family support services for students ages 5 to 22 that have complex and often severe developmental, emotional, and behavioral challenges.
Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) empowers youth in our community to find their way through social-emotional support and by building safe, accepting communities.
Empower all families to choose a high quality early childhood education for their children. The underlying premise is that every child, regardless of family background, is a whole and unique person, with vast inner resources for understanding the self and the desire to contribute to the world. All Five is committed to active learning of kindness and leadership as well as critical thinking.
Our mission is to inspire, educate, and equip underserved teens with the skills needed to thrive in college, their careers, and adulthood.
Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation (BBAF) helps save lives by giving scholarships for swim lessons to children in need and changes lives by supporting lifeguard training, swim team and water polo for underserved families at community pools.
Mission: To provide the low-income youth of our community with the opportunities they need to achieve school success.
To transform young lives by providing culturally-responsive best-in-class learning and mental health services to families from diverse backgrounds regardless of language, location or ability to pay.
Cooline Team is devoted to helping our youth succeed and create change that will make a huge positive impact in our world. We lead events and projects that help grow and strengthen our community. Though we never lose sight of the fact that kids are kids, that is why all of our programs are built around safe play and fun.
Our mission is to close the opportunity gap faced by low-income middle school students in the Palo Alto Unified School District.
The mission of EPAAF is to advocate for, advance, and raise funds to benefit the students and college-attending graduates of East Palo Alto Academy.
The East Palo Alto Kids Foundation (EPAK) is focused on narrowing the equality gap in eastern Menlo Park and East Palo Alto schools by providing microgrants directly to teachers.
EPA Razorhawks is a comprehensive K–12 rugby program proudly representing East Palo Alto and nearby communities. The club is dedicated to bringing the excitement, fun, and teamwork of rugby to kids aged 5–18 in a safe, friendly, and nurturing environment. Tutoring is provided by EPATT next to the Rich May Field in EPA.
To change the life trajectory of local youth and their families through academic support, parent empowerment and tennis instruction.
At Eastside College Preparatory School, we are committed to opening new doors for students historically underrepresented in higher education.
Environmental Volunteers’ mission is to promote the understanding of and responsibility for the environment through hands-on science education.
The mission of EPACENTER is to increase opportunities for youth to discover and amplify their talents, realize their potential, and impact the world through art and design.
The vision of FCE is to create a community where higher education is attainable. By engaging both students and parents in our work, we aim to create a community of learners who are armed with the right tools and information. Together, they play a pivotal role in sharing this information with other families about how best to take advantage of school resources and navigate the college admissions process, thus catalyzing change in the larger community.
Friends for Youth safely and expertly matches adult volunteers with youth who need support through our two mentoring programs. By simply doing fun and interesting activities together, mentors can help mentees improve academics, improve their behavioral and emotional health, and positively change the course of a youth’s life.
Health Connected equips young people with information, skills, and support to make thoughtful choices about their relationships and sexual health throughout their lives.
At Innovate Public Schools, our mission is to build the capacity of parents and families to organize, advocate, and
demand high quality schools for their children. Our vision is a high quality school experience that cherishes and
affirms every student, particularly Black and Brown students, and prepares them for a lifetime of opportunity and
choice.
Skills for Satety, Confident and Success in School, Home and Life program
Learning Home Volunteers is a non-profit organization working to address the kindergarten-readiness gap by providing weekly in-home tutoring to preschool-age children.
Live In Peace’s mission is to empower our youth and young adults to reclaim the vision for their future. We accomplish this through a highly relational model that connects young people to their talents, educational pathways, jobs, and a bright future.
P.I.E.F.E.S.T. is dedicated to improving Pacific Islander representation and increasing access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related careers.
As a community leader in Palo Alto, PACCC partners with families and regional agencies to provide and advocate for exceptional and accessible childhood care and education.
Through education, research, and training in psychology and counseling, PAU prepares its students to address pressing and emerging issues that equitably meet the needs of our ever-changing human condition.
We believe all of our students, if given equal access and opportunity, can reach their full potential and graduate from high school and four-year colleges. We provide motivated, low-income students with academic and personal support during middle school years through college graduation. We are helping to break the cycle of poverty and greatly increase each student’s chance for success in school, life and career.
Our mission is to empower low-income, first generation college students to graduate and obtain a job that aligns with their career goals.
To disrupt racial and economic disparities within the classical music field by championing past, present, and future contributions by Latinx composers and musicians.
Inspired by the belief that every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn, nearly 200 All Students Matter volunteers work with teachers to support the success of students in the Ravenswood City School District serving communities in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park.
REF’s mission is to ensure equitable and high-quality educational opportunities for all Ravenswood students.
Rich May Foundation joined with Ravenswood City School District and the Archdiocese of San Francisco to build a quality, regulation soccer and rugby size athletic field in East Palo Alto.
The Rich May Foundation’s purpose is to foster a sense of community and reduce crime within East Palo Alto,
CA and its surroundings by (i) providing underprivileged youth and adults with positive role models and skills
training, (ii) offering safe venues and activities that promote character development, and (iii) carrying on any other
charitable activities associated with this goal as allowed by law.
Rise Together Education (RTE) is dedicated to improving college graduation rates by providing support and financial resources to low-income Palo Alto High School students who have been accepted to 4-year colleges or 2-year community colleges with a direct transfer agreement.
The mission of the Rosalie Rendu Center is to combat poverty by educating, mentoring and raising the self-esteem of the entire family.
The San Francisco 49ers Academy provides adolescent students with a community of support that empowers them to be engaged in school, to reach their full potential, and achieve academic and personal success in middle school, high school and beyond.
Through the rigor and thrill of the academic sport of debate, the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League (SVUDL) helps youth from low-income backgrounds tap the power of their voices to compete, excel, and change the world.
StreetCode Academy empowers communities of color to achieve their full potential by introducing the skills,
mindsets, and networks needed to embrace tech and innovation. We seek to realize a world where the digital divide
is closed, catalyzing a diverse tech sector that is better able to solve global problems.
Circuit EPA connects kids to the world of technology and with it, the opportunity to become the next generation of
thinkers, explorers and innovators.
To provide adult immigrants the boost they need to move up the economic ladder through education and vocational support.
Our mission is to empower people with disabilities and their families to grow, develop, and thrive by providing essential skill-building, therapeutic, and recreational programs.
Founded in 1990 as a collaboration between the cities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, Youth Community Service actively works with youth and community leaders to engage in a wide range of public service projects throughout the Mid-Peninsula.
‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices (‘APV) is a California grassroots organization advancing systems-impacted communities through heritage preservation and civic engagement. Formerly known as Pacific Islander Outreach, ‘APV was founded by Appollonia ‘MamaDee’ Grey Uhilamoelangi and Senita Uhilamoelangi in July 1997. Since then, ‘APV has primarily served families in East Palo Alto, the Peninsula Valley, and the wider San Mateo County.
Camp Kesem at Stanford provides a weeklong camp and year-round community for children who have a parent who is currently in treatment for cancer, is in remission from cancer, or who has died from cancer.
The mission of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San Mateo County is to ensure that all abused and neglected children under the protection of the court have a consistent, caring adult who speaks on their behalf and helps them reach their full potential.
The Christmas Bureau of Palo Alto celebrates over 65 years of channeling donations from those who wish to give to those less fortunate in the Palo Alto, California community. The Bureau accepts confidential referrals of individuals and families in need from social service agencies, schools, and other community agencies. The all volunteer staff eliminates duplications by serving as a central clearing house. The Bureau mails a holiday greeting with a check to referred families and individuals whose children attend Palo Alto Unified School District or are residents of the City of Palo Alto.
CORA is the only agency in San Mateo County solely dedicated to helping those affected by intimate partner abuse. From counseling, to emergency housing, to legal assistance, our services are designed to provide safety, support, and healing.
EHP’s mission is to provide compassionate, dignified and practical assistance to families and individuals experiencing economic and personal hardship. We offer material help, support services, and advocacy for our neighbors in need, in a challenging and rapidly changing environment.
EHP serves working families, seniors, people with limited incomes and those who have both emergency and on-going needs in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and surrounding communities.
El Comité de Vecinos was formed in 2013 in response to illegal rent increases in rent-controlled areas. The mission is to educate and empower tenants in East Palo Alto to protect their rights and keep families from being unjustly evicted. Additionally, they ensure westside residents of East Palo Alto have access to community resources, support tenant families with workshops and educational programming, and distribute food through community partnerships.
Fresh Approach works towards making healthy living more accessible throughout the Bay Area, by connecting
California communities with healthy food from California farmers and expanding knowledge about food and
nutrition.
Friends for Youth safely and expertly matches adult volunteers with youth who need support through our two mentoring programs. By simply doing fun and interesting activities together, mentors can help mentees improve academics, improve their behavioral and emotional health, and positively change the course of a youth’s life.
Human Investment Project (HIP) Housing’s mission is to invest in human potential by improving the housing and lives of people in our community.
Kara’s mission is to provide grief support for children, teens, families and adults. We serve individuals who are grieving a death as well as those managing a terminal illness (their own or another’s).
Skills for Satety, Confident and Success in School, Home and Life program
Through education, research, and training in psychology and counseling, PAU prepares its students to address pressing and emerging issues that equitably meet the needs of our ever-changing human condition.
PARCA’s mission is to enrich the lives of people with developmental disabilities and those of their families.
To improve the health of the community by providing culturally sensitive, integrated primary and preventative health care to all, regardless of ability to pay or immigration status, and collaborating with community partners to address the social determinants of health.
Mission: Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Vision: Safe homes and communities for everyone.
The mission of Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center is to empower and increase the entrepreneurial capacities of socially and economically diverse women and men, and thereby strengthen our communities through the creation of sustainable new businesses, new jobs, and the promotion of financial self-sufficiency.
Our mission is to elevate nannies out of the shadows to be seen, supported and valued for the most important work they do. We want parents to get the support needed to recognize quality when they see it.
WANDA is dedicated to advancing socioeconomic mobility for low income single mother families. Since 2007 WANDA has helped moms save and invest close to $1 million. The money goes to invest in home ownership, college education, and retirement savings.
Ada’s Cafe is dedicated to hiring, training and empowering our employees with disabilities. Ada’s Cafe is Where Good Food and Community Meet. We strive to create delicious food and drinks in an environment that is warm and friendly to let our customers know we care about them. Ada’s also conducts collaborative research on improving workplaces for people with disabilities.
Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) empowers youth in our community to find their way through social-emotional support and by building safe, accepting communities.
Our mission is to inspire, educate, and equip underserved teens with the skills needed to thrive in college, their careers, and adulthood.
Avenidas’ mission is to help older adults in the local community be as active, engaged, and healthy as possible throughout their lives by providing relevant services and programs.
Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation (BBAF) helps save lives by giving scholarships for swim lessons to children in need and changes lives by supporting lifeguard training, swim team and water polo for underserved families at community pools.
Camp Kesem at Stanford provides a weeklong camp and year-round community for children who have a parent who is currently in treatment for cancer, is in remission from cancer, or who has died from cancer.
The mission of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San Mateo County is to ensure that all abused and neglected children under the protection of the court have a consistent, caring adult who speaks on their behalf and helps them reach their full potential.
Our mission is to de-stigmatize mental health services and make supporting students’ social and emotional well-being the norm in our local schools. We want to provide all students with the continuity of support they need, from the first day of kindergarten until they graduate from high school, to be successful in school and life.
To transform young lives by providing culturally-responsive best-in-class learning and mental health services to families from diverse backgrounds regardless of language, location or ability to pay.
The Christmas Bureau of Palo Alto celebrates over 65 years of channeling donations from those who wish to give to those less fortunate in the Palo Alto, California community. The Bureau accepts confidential referrals of individuals and families in need from social service agencies, schools, and other community agencies. The all volunteer staff eliminates duplications by serving as a central clearing house. The Bureau mails a holiday greeting with a check to referred families and individuals whose children attend Palo Alto Unified School District or are residents of the City of Palo Alto.
Since 2016 Climate Resilient Communities has been on the ground learning the specific needs of residents in diverse, under-resourced communities in East Palo Alto and Belle Haven (Menlo Park). Our outreach cultivates environmental awareness while giving local residents a voice in proactive resilience planning and adaptation. By building stronger alliances between residents, schools, local government programs and community-based organizations, this work creates resilience against climate-related stresses such as sea-level rise and economic instability.
Founded in East Palo Alto, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto is a nonprofit offering legal services that improve the lives of low-income families throughout the region. We specialize in immigration, housing, workers’ rights, records clearance, and consumer protection.
Cooline Team is devoted to helping our youth succeed and create change that will make a huge positive impact in our world. We lead events and projects that help grow and strengthen our community. Though we never lose sight of the fact that kids are kids, that is why all of our programs are built around safe play and fun.
CORA is the only agency in San Mateo County solely dedicated to helping those affected by intimate partner abuse. From counseling, to emergency housing, to legal assistance, our services are designed to provide safety, support, and healing.
Downtown Streets Team builds Teams that restore dignity, inspire hope, and provide a pathway to recover from homelessness. Teams are comprised of unhoused neighbors and those at risk of experiencing homelessness. Team Members receive access to case management, system navigation, and employment placement services from trained DST Case Managers and Employment Specialists. Team Members engaging in community beautification and clean-up projects challenge common negative perceptions of homelessness.
Our mission is to close the opportunity gap faced by low-income middle school students in the Palo Alto Unified School District.
The mission of EPAAF is to advocate for, advance, and raise funds to benefit the students and college-attending graduates of East Palo Alto Academy.
The East Palo Alto Kids Foundation (EPAK) is focused on narrowing the equality gap in eastern Menlo Park and East Palo Alto schools by providing microgrants directly to teachers.
A multipurpose Senior Center, it offers a variety of activities and assistance to Seniors including lunches, transportation, information about housing, employment, household help, recreation, financial assistance, health services and in-home help and health education and screenings.
To change the life trajectory of local youth and their families through academic support, parent empowerment and tennis instruction.
At Eastside College Preparatory School, we are committed to opening new doors for students historically underrepresented in higher education.
EHP’s mission is to provide compassionate, dignified and practical assistance to families and individuals experiencing economic and personal hardship. We offer material help, support services, and advocacy for our neighbors in need, in a challenging and rapidly changing environment.
EHP serves working families, seniors, people with limited incomes and those who have both emergency and on-going needs in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and surrounding communities.
El Comité de Vecinos was formed in 2013 in response to illegal rent increases in rent-controlled areas. The mission is to educate and empower tenants in East Palo Alto to protect their rights and keep families from being unjustly evicted. Additionally, they ensure westside residents of East Palo Alto have access to community resources, support tenant families with workshops and educational programming, and distribute food through community partnerships.
At Elevate Community Center, we believe that all members of a community need to thrive in order for the community at large to thrive. In 2021, we launched our financial literacy program that offers free one-on-one finance counseling as well as free information workshops available in multiple languages.
Fit To The Core provides health, wellness and fitness resources for under resourced communities with a special
focus on our aging adults. We do this by providing quality, professional, and affordable fitness resources that are
tailored specifically to the communities’ needs. Our vision is to bridge the gap for under resourced communities and
create a world where everyone can age well regardless of their age, underlying health conditions, ethnicity,
background, or economic status.
Fresh Approach works towards making healthy living more accessible throughout the Bay Area, by connecting
California communities with healthy food from California farmers and expanding knowledge about food and
nutrition.
Heart and Home Collaborative (H+H) aims to serve unhoused women with respect, compassion, and dignity
through investment in personal relationships and creating a loving and supportive community. We work to bring
together housed and unhoused residents to create dialogue, leverage resources, and develop services with the
understanding that the people who use our services are the experts.
Human Investment Project (HIP) Housing’s mission is to invest in human potential by improving the housing and lives of people in our community.
At Innovate Public Schools, our mission is to build the capacity of parents and families to organize, advocate, and
demand high quality schools for their children. Our vision is a high quality school experience that cherishes and
affirms every student, particularly Black and Brown students, and prepares them for a lifetime of opportunity and
choice.
JobTrain is committed to helping those who are most in need to succeed. Our purpose is to improve the lives of people in our community through assessment, attitude and job skills training, and high potential career placement.
Kara’s mission is to provide grief support for children, teens, families and adults. We serve individuals who are grieving a death as well as those managing a terminal illness (their own or another’s).
La Comida de California is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to serving Palo Alto area seniors a delicious,
warm, sit-down meal each weekday; providing a nurturing environment in which they can commune and build
friendships; and contributing to their inclusion and belonging.
Learning Home Volunteers is a non-profit organization working to address the kindergarten-readiness gap by providing weekly in-home tutoring to preschool-age children.
Live In Peace’s mission is to empower our youth and young adults to reclaim the vision for their future. We accomplish this through a highly relational model that connects young people to their talents, educational pathways, jobs, and a bright future.
Our mission is simple. We aim to provide hot and nutritious prepared meals, delivered and served to feed hungry families, children, seniors, veterans, students, and disabled individuals in our Bay Area community.
Nuestra Casa exists to uplift Latino families in East Palo Alto and the mid-peninsula though community education, leadership development, and advocacy.
Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County, Inc. is committed to working with residents, families, facilities and stakeholders to create a community dedicated to protecting the rights of all residents living in long term care in San Mateo County. We create immediate change for residents through our hands on advocacy efforts addressing issues that range from quality of care issues to egregious abuse.
P.I.E.F.E.S.T. is dedicated to improving Pacific Islander representation and increasing access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related careers.
PARCA’s mission is to enrich the lives of people with developmental disabilities and those of their families.
We believe all of our students, if given equal access and opportunity, can reach their full potential and graduate from high school and four-year colleges. We provide motivated, low-income students with academic and personal support during middle school years through college graduation. We are helping to break the cycle of poverty and greatly increase each student’s chance for success in school, life and career.
Our mission is to empower low-income, first generation college students to graduate and obtain a job that aligns with their career goals.
Peninsula Food Runners’ mission is to alleviate hunger and minimize food waste in San Mateo and Santa Clara
counties. Every day, Peninsula Food Runners’ volunteers pick up and deliver a wide variety of wonderfully prepared
and non-prepared surplus food to community organizations that feed their needy clients.
Peninsula HealthCare Connection (PHC) promotes integrated primary and mental healthcare and intensive case management for homeless individuals or those at risk of becoming homeless in Santa Clara County, regardless of their ability to pay. They collaborate with local hospitals, healthcare providers, social service agencies, and similarly committed partner agencies to this end.
We enable seniors to age in place.
These are simple, powerful words that recognize seniors as engaged and independent members of our community. Our professional staff, the Peninsula Volunteers membership, and our community volunteers care for our seniors and their caregivers, providing comfort, learning, and social interaction to help them remain vibrant members of our community.
To disrupt racial and economic disparities within the classical music field by championing past, present, and future contributions by Latinx composers and musicians.
REF’s mission is to ensure equitable and high-quality educational opportunities for all Ravenswood students.
To improve the health of the community by providing culturally sensitive, integrated primary and preventative health care to all, regardless of ability to pay or immigration status, and collaborating with community partners to address the social determinants of health.
Mission: Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Vision: Safe homes and communities for everyone.
Rise Together Education (RTE) is dedicated to improving college graduation rates by providing support and financial resources to low-income Palo Alto High School students who have been accepted to 4-year colleges or 2-year community colleges with a direct transfer agreement.
The mission of the Rosalie Rendu Center is to combat poverty by educating, mentoring and raising the self-esteem of the entire family.
San Mateo County Health Foundation’s (SMCHF) mission is to promote and champion the health and well-being of
all residents of our community, regardless of ability to pay – primarily through supporting excellence and innovation
in the County’s only public hospital and clinic system.
Through the rigor and thrill of the academic sport of debate, the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League (SVUDL) helps youth from low-income backgrounds tap the power of their voices to compete, excel, and change the world.
StreetCode Academy empowers communities of color to achieve their full potential by introducing the skills,
mindsets, and networks needed to embrace tech and innovation. We seek to realize a world where the digital divide
is closed, catalyzing a diverse tech sector that is better able to solve global problems.
Through skilled volunteers, Tax-Aid provides year-round free tax services to strengthen our San Francisco Bay Area community.
- To transform the quality of life of seniors through simple-to-use technology and personalized, interactive online programs and activities that educate, entertain, inspire, connect and engage.
- To dramatically enhance the ability of older adults to stay physically, mentally and socially active by creating and delivering interactive learning, social, entertainment and community-building group activities and programs that can be enjoyed from home.
Circuit EPA connects kids to the world of technology and with it, the opportunity to become the next generation of
thinkers, explorers and innovators.
The Grateful Garment Project’s (TGGP) mission and purpose is to restore dignity to victims of sexual violence
(sexual assault, human sexual trafficking and commercially sexually exploited children/minors). We accomplish this
by providing new tangible emergency resources for individuals to wear home after undergoing a Sexual Assault
Response Team forensic examination (rape kit), or through our other programs along the road to recovery from
sexual violence.
Our mission is to elevate nannies out of the shadows to be seen, supported and valued for the most important work they do. We want parents to get the support needed to recognize quality when they see it.
To provide adult immigrants the boost they need to move up the economic ladder through education and vocational support.
Our mission is to empower people with disabilities and their families to grow, develop, and thrive by providing essential skill-building, therapeutic, and recreational programs.
Vista Center’s mission is to empower individuals who are blind and visually impaired to embrace life to the fullest through evaluation, counseling, education and training.
WANDA is dedicated to advancing socioeconomic mobility for low income single mother families. Since 2007 WANDA has helped moms save and invest close to $1 million. The money goes to invest in home ownership, college education, and retirement savings.
The mission of WeHOPE is to help people become healthy, employed and housed using innovative solutions.
AchieveKids schools provide individualized and multi-disciplinary programs that deliver special education, mental health, and family support services for students ages 5 to 22 that have complex and often severe developmental, emotional, and behavioral challenges.
Ada’s Cafe is dedicated to hiring, training and empowering our employees with disabilities. Ada’s Cafe is Where Good Food and Community Meet. We strive to create delicious food and drinks in an environment that is warm and friendly to let our customers know we care about them. Ada’s also conducts collaborative research on improving workplaces for people with disabilities.
Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) empowers youth in our community to find their way through social-emotional support and by building safe, accepting communities.
Empower all families to choose a high quality early childhood education for their children. The underlying premise is that every child, regardless of family background, is a whole and unique person, with vast inner resources for understanding the self and the desire to contribute to the world. All Five is committed to active learning of kindness and leadership as well as critical thinking.
Our mission is to inspire, educate, and equip underserved teens with the skills needed to thrive in college, their careers, and adulthood.
‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices (‘APV) is a California grassroots organization advancing systems-impacted communities through heritage preservation and civic engagement. Formerly known as Pacific Islander Outreach, ‘APV was founded by Appollonia ‘MamaDee’ Grey Uhilamoelangi and Senita Uhilamoelangi in July 1997. Since then, ‘APV has primarily served families in East Palo Alto, the Peninsula Valley, and the wider San Mateo County.
Avenidas’ mission is to help older adults in the local community be as active, engaged, and healthy as possible throughout their lives by providing relevant services and programs.
Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation (BBAF) helps save lives by giving scholarships for swim lessons to children in need and changes lives by supporting lifeguard training, swim team and water polo for underserved families at community pools.
Mission: To provide the low-income youth of our community with the opportunities they need to achieve school success.
Camp Kesem at Stanford provides a weeklong camp and year-round community for children who have a parent who is currently in treatment for cancer, is in remission from cancer, or who has died from cancer.
The mission of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San Mateo County is to ensure that all abused and neglected children under the protection of the court have a consistent, caring adult who speaks on their behalf and helps them reach their full potential.
Our mission is to de-stigmatize mental health services and make supporting students’ social and emotional well-being the norm in our local schools. We want to provide all students with the continuity of support they need, from the first day of kindergarten until they graduate from high school, to be successful in school and life.
Our mission is to improve the long-term sustainability of nonprofit leaders and organizations by offering the highest quality programs, consultation, training and community-building networks.
To transform young lives by providing culturally-responsive best-in-class learning and mental health services to families from diverse backgrounds regardless of language, location or ability to pay.
The Christmas Bureau of Palo Alto celebrates over 65 years of channeling donations from those who wish to give to those less fortunate in the Palo Alto, California community. The Bureau accepts confidential referrals of individuals and families in need from social service agencies, schools, and other community agencies. The all volunteer staff eliminates duplications by serving as a central clearing house. The Bureau mails a holiday greeting with a check to referred families and individuals whose children attend Palo Alto Unified School District or are residents of the City of Palo Alto.
Since 2016 Climate Resilient Communities has been on the ground learning the specific needs of residents in diverse, under-resourced communities in East Palo Alto and Belle Haven (Menlo Park). Our outreach cultivates environmental awareness while giving local residents a voice in proactive resilience planning and adaptation. By building stronger alliances between residents, schools, local government programs and community-based organizations, this work creates resilience against climate-related stresses such as sea-level rise and economic instability.
Climate Reslient Communities’ work stems from recognition of the fact that in the Bay Area, as throughout the world, under-resourced communities are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change impacts. Since 2016 CRC has been on the ground learning the specific needs of residents in diverse, under-resourced communities in East Palo Alto and Belle Haven (Menlo Park). Their outreach cultivates environmental awareness while giving local residents a voice in proactive resilience planning and adaptation. By building stronger alliances between residents, schools, local government programs and community-based organizations, this work creates resilience against climate-related stresses such as sea-level rise and economic instability.
Founded in East Palo Alto, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto is a nonprofit offering legal services that improve the lives of low-income families throughout the region. We specialize in immigration, housing, workers’ rights, records clearance, and consumer protection.
Cooline Team is devoted to helping our youth succeed and create change that will make a huge positive impact in our world. We lead events and projects that help grow and strengthen our community. Though we never lose sight of the fact that kids are kids, that is why all of our programs are built around safe play and fun.
CORA is the only agency in San Mateo County solely dedicated to helping those affected by intimate partner abuse. From counseling, to emergency housing, to legal assistance, our services are designed to provide safety, support, and healing.
Downtown Streets Team builds Teams that restore dignity, inspire hope, and provide a pathway to recover from homelessness. Teams are comprised of unhoused neighbors and those at risk of experiencing homelessness. Team Members receive access to case management, system navigation, and employment placement services from trained DST Case Managers and Employment Specialists. Team Members engaging in community beautification and clean-up projects challenge common negative perceptions of homelessness.
Our mission is to close the opportunity gap faced by low-income middle school students in the Palo Alto Unified School District.
The mission of EPAAF is to advocate for, advance, and raise funds to benefit the students and college-attending graduates of East Palo Alto Academy.
We are a community-led initiative that collects, shares, promotes, celebrates, and preserves the unique history of East Palo Alto for generations.
The East Palo Alto Kids Foundation (EPAK) is focused on narrowing the equality gap in eastern Menlo Park and East Palo Alto schools by providing microgrants directly to teachers.
EPA Razorhawks is a comprehensive K–12 rugby program proudly representing East Palo Alto and nearby communities. The club is dedicated to bringing the excitement, fun, and teamwork of rugby to kids aged 5–18 in a safe, friendly, and nurturing environment. Tutoring is provided by EPATT next to the Rich May Field in EPA.
A multipurpose Senior Center, it offers a variety of activities and assistance to Seniors including lunches, transportation, information about housing, employment, household help, recreation, financial assistance, health services and in-home help and health education and screenings.
To change the life trajectory of local youth and their families through academic support, parent empowerment and tennis instruction.
At Eastside College Preparatory School, we are committed to opening new doors for students historically underrepresented in higher education.
EHP’s mission is to provide compassionate, dignified and practical assistance to families and individuals experiencing economic and personal hardship. We offer material help, support services, and advocacy for our neighbors in need, in a challenging and rapidly changing environment.
EHP serves working families, seniors, people with limited incomes and those who have both emergency and on-going needs in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and surrounding communities.
El Comité de Vecinos was formed in 2013 in response to illegal rent increases in rent-controlled areas. The mission is to educate and empower tenants in East Palo Alto to protect their rights and keep families from being unjustly evicted. Additionally, they ensure westside residents of East Palo Alto have access to community resources, support tenant families with workshops and educational programming, and distribute food through community partnerships.
On December 31, 2022 the San Francisquito Creek flooded filling East Palo Alto apartment garages with water and debris, ruining cars and laundry facilities and destroying the contents of storage closets. El Comité stepped in to organize neighbors to clean up, to help neighbors with insurance claims and to publicize the extent of the damage.
At Elevate Community Center, we believe that all members of a community need to thrive in order for the community at large to thrive. In 2021, we launched our financial literacy program that offers free one-on-one finance counseling as well as free information workshops available in multiple languages.
Environmental Volunteers’ mission is to promote the understanding of and responsibility for the environment through hands-on science education.
The mission of EPACENTER is to increase opportunities for youth to discover and amplify their talents, realize their potential, and impact the world through art and design.
Fit To The Core provides health, wellness and fitness resources for under resourced communities with a special
focus on our aging adults. We do this by providing quality, professional, and affordable fitness resources that are
tailored specifically to the communities’ needs. Our vision is to bridge the gap for under resourced communities and
create a world where everyone can age well regardless of their age, underlying health conditions, ethnicity,
background, or economic status.
The vision of FCE is to create a community where higher education is attainable. By engaging both students and parents in our work, we aim to create a community of learners who are armed with the right tools and information. Together, they play a pivotal role in sharing this information with other families about how best to take advantage of school resources and navigate the college admissions process, thus catalyzing change in the larger community.
Fresh Approach works towards making healthy living more accessible throughout the Bay Area, by connecting
California communities with healthy food from California farmers and expanding knowledge about food and
nutrition.
Friends for Youth safely and expertly matches adult volunteers with youth who need support through our two mentoring programs. By simply doing fun and interesting activities together, mentors can help mentees improve academics, improve their behavioral and emotional health, and positively change the course of a youth’s life.
Health Connected equips young people with information, skills, and support to make thoughtful choices about their relationships and sexual health throughout their lives.
Heart and Home Collaborative (H+H) aims to serve unhoused women with respect, compassion, and dignity
through investment in personal relationships and creating a loving and supportive community. We work to bring
together housed and unhoused residents to create dialogue, leverage resources, and develop services with the
understanding that the people who use our services are the experts.
Human Investment Project (HIP) Housing’s mission is to invest in human potential by improving the housing and lives of people in our community.
At Innovate Public Schools, our mission is to build the capacity of parents and families to organize, advocate, and
demand high quality schools for their children. Our vision is a high quality school experience that cherishes and
affirms every student, particularly Black and Brown students, and prepares them for a lifetime of opportunity and
choice.
JobTrain is committed to helping those who are most in need to succeed. Our purpose is to improve the lives of people in our community through assessment, attitude and job skills training, and high potential career placement.
The Center for Economic Mobility, located on Pulgas Avenue in East Palo Alto, will officially open in 2024 and will be designed and built with inputs and feedback from the surrounding community. JobTrain will occupy two of the four floors, greatly expanding their ability to provide meaningful and sustained benefits to more people in East Palo Alto.
Kara’s mission is to provide grief support for children, teens, families and adults. We serve individuals who are grieving a death as well as those managing a terminal illness (their own or another’s).
Skills for Satety, Confident and Success in School, Home and Life program
Kids & Art Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of pediatric cancer care by focusing on the whole child in treatment by including healing through arts in their protocol.
La Comida de California is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to serving Palo Alto area seniors a delicious,
warm, sit-down meal each weekday; providing a nurturing environment in which they can commune and build
friendships; and contributing to their inclusion and belonging.
Learning Home Volunteers is a non-profit organization working to address the kindergarten-readiness gap by providing weekly in-home tutoring to preschool-age children.
The Opportunity Center in Palo Alto has a been a haven for people in need of services or a roof over their head — or both. The housing site in the heart of Silicon Valley has 88 affordable apartments and offers a wide range of services for hundreds of homeless people in the Bay Area’s mid-Peninsula. One of those services is the new Vehicular Maintenance Fund to help clients, who rely on their cars for housing and/or income, overcome potentially insurmountable expenses.
LifeMoves’ Homekey Palo Alto provides supportive housing and intensive services for individuals without shelter. LifeMoves will operate and manage the site, providing supportive services and pathways to stable housing for close to 408 people each year.
Live In Peace’s mission is to empower our youth and young adults to reclaim the vision for their future. We accomplish this through a highly relational model that connects young people to their talents, educational pathways, jobs, and a bright future.
Our mission is simple. We aim to provide hot and nutritious prepared meals, delivered and served to feed hungry families, children, seniors, veterans, students, and disabled individuals in our Bay Area community.
Nuestra Casa exists to uplift Latino families in East Palo Alto and the mid-peninsula though community education, leadership development, and advocacy.
Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County, Inc. is committed to working with residents, families, facilities and stakeholders to create a community dedicated to protecting the rights of all residents living in long term care in San Mateo County. We create immediate change for residents through our hands on advocacy efforts addressing issues that range from quality of care issues to egregious abuse.
P.I.E.F.E.S.T. is dedicated to improving Pacific Islander representation and increasing access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related careers.
Visual art classes to formerly homeless individuals who are currently in supportive housing programs.
The Palo Alto Art Center Foundation expands the reach and impact of the Palo Alto Art Center through fundraising and advocacy.
As a community leader in Palo Alto, PACCC partners with families and regional agencies to provide and advocate for exceptional and accessible childhood care and education.
With community at our core, Palo Alto Players is the home for creating exceptional theatre experiences that inspire, entertain, and enrich the lives of our local artists and audiences.
Through education, research, and training in psychology and counseling, PAU prepares its students to address pressing and emerging issues that equitably meet the needs of our ever-changing human condition.
PARCA’s mission is to enrich the lives of people with developmental disabilities and those of their families.
We believe all of our students, if given equal access and opportunity, can reach their full potential and graduate from high school and four-year colleges. We provide motivated, low-income students with academic and personal support during middle school years through college graduation. We are helping to break the cycle of poverty and greatly increase each student’s chance for success in school, life and career.
Our mission is to empower low-income, first generation college students to graduate and obtain a job that aligns with their career goals.
Peninsula Food Runners’ mission is to alleviate hunger and minimize food waste in San Mateo and Santa Clara
counties. Every day, Peninsula Food Runners’ volunteers pick up and deliver a wide variety of wonderfully prepared
and non-prepared surplus food to community organizations that feed their needy clients.
Peninsula HealthCare Connection (PHC) promotes integrated primary and mental healthcare and intensive case management for homeless individuals or those at risk of becoming homeless in Santa Clara County, regardless of their ability to pay. They collaborate with local hospitals, healthcare providers, social service agencies, and similarly committed partner agencies to this end.
We enable seniors to age in place.
These are simple, powerful words that recognize seniors as engaged and independent members of our community. Our professional staff, the Peninsula Volunteers membership, and our community volunteers care for our seniors and their caregivers, providing comfort, learning, and social interaction to help them remain vibrant members of our community.
To disrupt racial and economic disparities within the classical music field by championing past, present, and future contributions by Latinx composers and musicians.
Inspired by the belief that every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn, nearly 200 All Students Matter volunteers work with teachers to support the success of students in the Ravenswood City School District serving communities in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park.
REF’s mission is to ensure equitable and high-quality educational opportunities for all Ravenswood students.
To improve the health of the community by providing culturally sensitive, integrated primary and preventative health care to all, regardless of ability to pay or immigration status, and collaborating with community partners to address the social determinants of health.
Mission: Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives. Vision: Safe homes and communities for everyone.
The mission of Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center is to empower and increase the entrepreneurial capacities of socially and economically diverse women and men, and thereby strengthen our communities through the creation of sustainable new businesses, new jobs, and the promotion of financial self-sufficiency.
Rich May Foundation joined with Ravenswood City School District and the Archdiocese of San Francisco to build a quality, regulation soccer and rugby size athletic field in East Palo Alto.
The Rich May Foundation’s purpose is to foster a sense of community and reduce crime within East Palo Alto,
CA and its surroundings by (i) providing underprivileged youth and adults with positive role models and skills
training, (ii) offering safe venues and activities that promote character development, and (iii) carrying on any other
charitable activities associated with this goal as allowed by law.
Rise Together Education (RTE) is dedicated to improving college graduation rates by providing support and financial resources to low-income Palo Alto High School students who have been accepted to 4-year colleges or 2-year community colleges with a direct transfer agreement.
The mission of the Rosalie Rendu Center is to combat poverty by educating, mentoring and raising the self-esteem of the entire family.
The San Francisco 49ers Academy provides adolescent students with a community of support that empowers them to be engaged in school, to reach their full potential, and achieve academic and personal success in middle school, high school and beyond.
San Mateo County Health Foundation’s (SMCHF) mission is to promote and champion the health and well-being of
all residents of our community, regardless of ability to pay – primarily through supporting excellence and innovation
in the County’s only public hospital and clinic system.
Through the rigor and thrill of the academic sport of debate, the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League (SVUDL) helps youth from low-income backgrounds tap the power of their voices to compete, excel, and change the world.
StreetCode Academy empowers communities of color to achieve their full potential by introducing the skills,
mindsets, and networks needed to embrace tech and innovation. We seek to realize a world where the digital divide
is closed, catalyzing a diverse tech sector that is better able to solve global problems.
Through skilled volunteers, Tax-Aid provides year-round free tax services to strengthen our San Francisco Bay Area community.
- To transform the quality of life of seniors through simple-to-use technology and personalized, interactive online programs and activities that educate, entertain, inspire, connect and engage.
- To dramatically enhance the ability of older adults to stay physically, mentally and socially active by creating and delivering interactive learning, social, entertainment and community-building group activities and programs that can be enjoyed from home.
Circuit EPA connects kids to the world of technology and with it, the opportunity to become the next generation of
thinkers, explorers and innovators.
The Grateful Garment Project’s (TGGP) mission and purpose is to restore dignity to victims of sexual violence
(sexual assault, human sexual trafficking and commercially sexually exploited children/minors). We accomplish this
by providing new tangible emergency resources for individuals to wear home after undergoing a Sexual Assault
Response Team forensic examination (rape kit), or through our other programs along the road to recovery from
sexual violence.
TheatreWorks is one of America’s outstanding professional theatres. Our work celebrates the human spirit through innovative productions, new works, and education programs inspired by and engaging our diverse Silicon Valley community.
Our mission is to elevate nannies out of the shadows to be seen, supported and valued for the most important work they do. We want parents to get the support needed to recognize quality when they see it.
To provide adult immigrants the boost they need to move up the economic ladder through education and vocational support.
Our mission is to empower people with disabilities and their families to grow, develop, and thrive by providing essential skill-building, therapeutic, and recreational programs.
Vista Center’s mission is to empower individuals who are blind and visually impaired to embrace life to the fullest through evaluation, counseling, education and training.
WANDA is dedicated to advancing socioeconomic mobility for low income single mother families. Since 2007 WANDA has helped moms save and invest close to $1 million. The money goes to invest in home ownership, college education, and retirement savings.
The mission of WeHOPE is to help people become healthy, employed and housed using innovative solutions.
Founded in 1990 as a collaboration between the cities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, Youth Community Service actively works with youth and community leaders to engage in a wide range of public service projects throughout the Mid-Peninsula.