PACF continues to grow, supports local nonprofits’ recovery and expansion
This spring, Palo Alto Community Fund (PACF) distributed 96 grants—a record number—to nonprofit organizations serving Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. A total of $1.7 million was granted, which represents an increase of 45 percent year over year. The number of grants awarded increased 25 percent. For the first time, PACF is granting 15 two-year grants, with the goal of providing a longer funding runway for the nonprofit recipients.
The increase in grants awarded was made possible by hundreds of local donors investing in hyper-local giving, many significantly increasing their donations to PACF. We cannot thank you enough – your donation makes a difference.
“We are buoyed by the bold generosity of our donors and the courageous commitment of the ecosystem of our local nonprofit community. Through our trust-based approach, PACF provides all-too-rare general operating support that gives our grantees the flexible resources they require to be nimble and responsive to the evolving needs of those they serve.” – Lisa Van Dusen, Executive Director, Palo Alto Community Fund
Each year, PACF board members and staff review annual grant applications to carefully consider how to best deploy the resources it stewards, using a blend of rigorous analysis, conversations with all applicants and ongoing relationships with local nonprofit leaders and other community stakeholders. PACF grants focus on four broad pillars: Supporting Families, Uplifting the Vulnerable, Supporting Education, and Enhancing Community Life. Using these broad pillars rather than siloed issues as a framework for grant making, PACF recognizes issues and solutions as highly interconnected, requiring long term support and partnership.
These 2022 grant awards include five Dave Mitchell Impact Grants, totalling $400,000, to nonprofit organizations addressing the overarching needs of housing security, mental health, food security, childcare and education equity in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. The Dave Mitchell Impact Grants, first awarded in 2020, provide larger, unsolicited general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that deliver transformative solutions to critical issues in our community in a way that achieves both immediate impact and longer term systemic change.
“By strategically supporting smaller, community-based organizations that are the ‘last mile’ in the distribution of a wide range of resources and services, as well as larger and longtime providers, we can help build both a safety net and game changing solutions so that everyone in our community can thrive.” – Lisa Van Dusen, Executive Director, Palo Alto Community Fund
In addition, PACF granted three Cammie Vail Executive Director Grants, totaling $25,000 to nonprofit organizations in support of nonprofit leadership development.
Congratulations to our 2022 grantees, and thank you for your exceptional work in our community. See below, for a full list of grantees.
PACF 2022 Grants Awarded
Dave Mitchell Impact Grants
Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen
Palo Alto Community Child Care
Palo Alto University
Ravenswood Education Foundation (for Ravenswood Talent Initiative)
United Hope Builders
Annual Grants
AbilityPath (formerly Gatepath affiliated with Abilities United)
Able Works
Acknowledge Alliance
Ada’s Cafe
Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS)
All Five
Animal Assisted Happiness
Art in Action
Avenidas
Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation (BBAF)
California Family Foundation (Beechwood School)
Canopy
CASA of San Mateo County
Children’s Health Council Inc.
Christmas Bureau of Palo Alto
Climate Resilient Communities
Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse – CORA
Cooline Team of East Palo Alto
Counseling and Support Services for Youth (CASSY)
Downtown Streets Team
DreamCatchers
East Palo Alto Academy Foundation
East Palo Alto Kids Foundation (EPAK)
East Palo Alto Senior Center Inc.
East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring (EPATT)
East Palo Alto YMCA
Eastside College Preparatory School
Ecumenical Hunger Program
Elevate Community Center
Environmental Volunteers
EPACENTER
Foundation for a College Education
Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY)
Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
Gunn Senior High School Foundation
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco
Health Connected
Home & Hope
Housing Choices Coalition for Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Institute for Families and Nannies
Jasper Ridge Farm
JobTrain
Kara
Karat School Project
Kepler’s Literary Foundation
Kids & Art Foundation
Latino Music Education Network
Learning Home Volunteers
Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County
Live In Peace, Inc.
Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen
Loved Twice
Mannakin Theater & Dance
NCEFT (National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy)
Nuestra Casa de East Palo Alto
Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County, Inc
Omniware Networks
P.I.E.F.E.S.T. (Pacific Islanders Encouraging Fun Engineering Science & Technology)
Palo Alto Art Center Foundation
Palo Alto Community Child Care
Palo Alto Players
Palo Alto University
Parents Helping Parents
Peninsula Bridge
Peninsula College Fund
Peninsula Healthcare Connection
People’s Music School
Positive Alternative Recreation Teambuilding Impacting Program (PARTI)
Ravenswood Classroom Partners (formerly All Students Matter)
Ravenswood Education Foundation
Ravenswood Family Health Network
Rebuilding Together Peninsula
Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
Rise Together Education
Rosalie Rendu, Inc
San Francisco 49ers Academy
Silicon Valley Urban Debate League
St Elizabeth Seton School
Tax-Aid
TeleVisit.org
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
Upward Scholars
Via Services
Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
WeHOPE
Women’s Achievement Network and Development Alliance (WANDA)
Youth Community Service (YCS)
ZiRu Dance
Cammie Vail Executive Director Grants
Center for Excellence in Nonprofits (CEN)
Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN)
Thrive, The Alliance of Nonprofits for San Mateo County