Local nonprofits are the essential delivery system for our Foundation realizing its mission of helping create and sustain a vibrant and healthy community where all Silicon Valley residents have equal opportunity to live, work and be enriched. It is our Foundation's goal to achieve maximum impact by responding to nonprofit agencies' greatest needs.  For example:

Community Problem

Nonprofit agencies do not have enough flexible capital to effectively sustain and support their community missions.

To invest in the nonprofit enterprise as a whole (rather than just a specific program or project) and to provide unrestricted funds toward a nonprofit's infrastructure and administrative expenses.

Our Foundation believes that the two most fundamental assets of any business or organization are its PEOPLE and PLACES.

Therefore, the Foundation has chosen to commit all of its resources to build and strengthen either the human resources capital or the building capital of effective community-based nonprofits so that they can more fully accomplish their agency's mission.

Community Impact

Between August 2005 – June 2007, our Foundations awarded over $10.6 million in general operating support grants to both strengthen and sustain the capacity of 130 Silicon Valley nonprofit agencies. For a complete list of grants awarded, click here.

ELIGIBILITY & EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Sobrato Family Foundation's investments are targeted toward strong community-based organizations that promote self-reliance and economic independence, and positively contribute to the quality of life for economically, physically and emotionally challenged individuals throughout Silicon Valley.

As a responsive grantmaker, the Foundation staff and Board conduct a competitive grant review process. Final grant decisions are awarded based on an evaluation of three key areas:

• People (staff salaries and benefits costs, Board development, volunteer training, succession planning, etc.)
• Places (rent and utilities subsidy, facilities maintenance costs, building rehabilitation, etc.)

2)    Leverage: Grants are issued as 2:1 fundraising challenge grants to help sustain and/or build nonprofits' institutional capacity. A Challenge Grant from our Foundation is defined as a grant that is contingent upon new or increased funds raised and received from non-governmental sources during the first year of a specific grant period.

3)    Multi-Year Support: Grants provide two-years of support to ensure funding stability to nonprofits' strategic planning and budgeting cycles.

4)    Inflation Growth: For multi-year grants awarded in 2007, the second year grant award includes an automatic 5% increase over the first year’s award to account for general operating inflation costs.

If you are seeking grant funding from the Foundation:

1)    Take the Eligibility Quiz that will specify if, and when, your agency will receive a funding application from our office sometime over the next two years given that grant cycles rotate every twenty-four months.

2)    Complete the "Email List" instructions and wait for the Foundation to email you with the appropriate grant application at the appropriate time.

Take the Eligibility Quiz now.