A 501(C)(3) PUBLIC CHARITY · SILICON VALLEY CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT
SVCED providing conditions for opportunity — quietly, patiently, at scale.
Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurial Development is a community foundation directing philanthropic capital into youth and workforce pathways, small-business technical assistance, and neighborhood grantmaking across Silicon Valley.
Our Programs
Three long-horizon commitments to Silicon Valley's economic future.
Tap a card to read the substance behind each pillar.
Pillar I
Youth & Workforce Development
Paid pathways from classroom to career.
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Youth & Workforce Development
Cohort-based training in tech, healthcare, and skilled trades — every participant paired with a working professional from the Silicon Valley operator network.
Participants receive a training stipend and exit with an industry-recognized credential. Outcomes are tracked at 6, 12, and 24 months post-completion.
Pillar II
Small Business Technical Assistance
One-on-one coaching for Silicon Valley's smallest firms.
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Small Business Technical Assistance
Free, confidential coaching from senior operators and CPAs — bookkeeping, compliance, capital readiness, contracting, and digital operations.
Delivered in partnership with community development financial institutions across the Bay Area.
Pillar III
Community Grants & Partnerships
Catalytic grants to grassroots operators.
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Community Grants & Partnerships
Rather than duplicate what community-based organizations already do well, SVCED regrants funds to trusted local partners on the ground.
Grantmaking is unrestricted where possible, multi-year where meaningful, and paired with capacity-building support — not just a check.
Our Structure
A charitable foundation, working alongside the Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce.
SVCED is the 501(c)(3) public-charity affiliate of the Silicon Valley Black Chamber of Commerce, a separate 501(c)(6) trade association. The two organizations share a mission of economic empowerment but are governed independently and operate under distinct legal and financial structures.
SVCED exists to do charitable work: educational programs, workforce training, community grantmaking, and free services for the public we serve. The Chamber conducts business-league activities on behalf of its members — a category the IRS treats differently, and which cannot be funded from tax-deductible contributions.
Contributions to SVCED support charitable programs — never chamber activities — and are tax-deductible under §170 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Get involved
More than a donation — there are three ways in.
Contributing is one way to be part of SVCED. Learning, applying, and partnering are just as welcome — pick the door that fits you.
Learn
Take a free course.
Foundations University is free, practitioner-led training in grant writing, nonprofit finance, and community economic development — open to the community, not just members.
Apply
Raise your hand.
Interested in a training cohort, small-business coaching, or a community grant? Tell us who you are and what you're building — we'll reach out when the right door opens.
Partner
Work alongside us.
Funders, employers, and community organizations can partner with SVCED on programs, sponsor a cohort, or co-design what comes next.
And if you'd simply like to back the work, every contribution is tax-deductible.