Pillar III · SVCED Program
Community Grants & Partnerships
Catalytic support for grassroots operators.
This program is in active development. Timelines and capacity depend on funding — express interest and we will contact you as cohorts and cycles open.
What we do
The substance behind the promise.
Rather than duplicate what community-based organizations already do well, SVCED's grantmaking model directs funds to trusted local partners already doing the work — food security, reentry, youth arts, tenant support, immigrant services, and neighborhood economic development.
Where possible, grants are unrestricted. Where meaningful, they are multi-year. Awards are paired with capacity-building support — not just a check — because the last thing an overstretched executive director needs is another reporting burden.
We prioritize organizations led by, and rooted in, the communities they serve. Diligence is proportionate to grant size; reporting is a conversation, not a form. Award sizes and cycles are set as funding is secured, and no open cycle is announced until it is funded.
Who it's for
Eligibility, in plain language.
- 501(c)(3) organizations or fiscally-sponsored projects operating in Silicon Valley.
- Direct-service or organizing work rooted in a specific community or neighborhood.
- Preference for organizations with modest budgets and deep community roots.
- Program officers and peer funders may also refer promising grassroots operators.
How to refer
Four steps. No mystery.
- 01
Send a short letter of interest (two pages max) by email.
- 02
Program staff respond with next steps.
- 03
Promising organizations are invited to a site visit or conversation.
- 04
Decisions are made by the SVCED grants committee as cycles are funded.
Prefer to talk first? Email us with a sentence or two about your situation and a program coordinator will follow up within one week.