About the Fund
The Palo Alto Community Fund (PACF) focuses on the unique needs of our community and channels charitable giving of local donors to effective nonprofit organizations that improve the quality of life for everyone in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park, with particular focus on:
- Supporting families
- Enhancing community life
- Uplifting the vulnerable
- Supporting educational equity
PACF is governed by a Board of Directors, composed of local leaders who represent a wide range of community interests and perspectives.
Purpose of Grants
We make grants for general operating support. We believe nonprofits know best how to use their funds, and we make grants based on the philosophy of trust-based philanthropy. (We no longer make grants for specific projects.)
Grant Range
Our grants are typically for one year of funding and usually range from $5,000 to $20,000 per year. In some cases we will provide two year grants at our discretion.
Who May Apply
Applicants must meet our basic criteria:
— Applicants must be a 501c3 organization (or have a fiscal sponsor that is a 501c3 organization).
— Applicants must provide services in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, or Menlo Park.
Before you are able to access our full application, you will need to fill out a very brief eligibility questionnaire to ensure your organization meets our basic criteria. If you feel that the eligibility questionnaire disqualifies your organization in error, please contact us at: grants@paloaltocommfund.org
Who May Not Apply
PACF does not consider funding requests for:
- Organizations that do not currently serve the communities of Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and/or Menlo Park
- Religious activities
- Partisan political activities
Important Dates
- Thursday, December 7, 2023, 2:30-3:30pm
- Friday, January 12, 2024, 5pm: Deadline for completed applications
- Between February 5 – 16, 2024: (Highly recommended) 25-minute conversations with two of our Board members (for organizations that meet our basic criteria). If your organization qualifies, we will contact your Executive Director during the last week of January to set up the conversation.
- Mid-May 2024: We will notify you of our decisions before this time.
Click here for the presentation from the online application information session.