PHILOSOPHY

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 nonprofits agencies greatest needs.  For example:

Community Problem

Finding and retaining affordable and stable quality office and workspace for nonprofits in Silicon Valley where office rents are among the highest in the nation.

Our Philanthropic Response

The Sobrato family leveraged its greatest asset — not money, but real-estate — by donating two of its office business parks and converting them into two of the region’s only Multi-Tenant Nonprofit Centers now referred to as the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits Milpitas and Sobrato Center for Nonprofits San Jose. Read More

Community Impact

As of November 2008, a community of 42 nonprofit organizations are co-located on two campuses in Milpitas as well as San Jose occupying approximately 185,000 square feet of rent free office space. Each tenant receives free in-kind rent enabling dollars traditionally spent by these nonprofits on overhead expenses to be re-directed to important community programs and services. In total, the value of rent-free space being donated by the Sobrato Foundation is approximately $3.2 million annually.

This generous donation not only supports the various missions and client beneficiaries of these tenant organizations, it also offers them a stable work environment that is of tremendous value (and non-quantifiable) given the real estate market climate in Silicon Valley. Read more

MILPITAS FEATURES

The Sobrato Center for Nonprofits Milpitas campus offers the following outstanding features:

• A community of 33 youth development, housing, health and human service providers that benefit from program collaboration opportunities and sharing of resources
• Complimentary use of the Sobrato Community Conference Center including a computer lab and 5 meeting rooms ranging in capacity from 4-125
• Easy access on campus to CompassPoint Nonprofit Services’ free Nonprofit Resource Center that is a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center and includes an online fundraising research database of 50,000 grantmakers as well as 200 book titles and nonprofit publications on fundraising, boards of directors and general nonprofit management
• Free on-site parking
• An on-site café and catering service through Gourmet Express Deli (open from 8 am – 3 pm)
• Is within walking distance to many other ethnic restaurants and stores including McCarthy Ranch and the Great Mall
• Is conveniently located one-block off the Hwy. 880 and 237 interchange in Milpitas, close to downtown San Jose and provides quick access to the Peninsula and the East Bay corridors as well as being near public transportation sites

MILPITAS OPENINGS

There are no current space openings at present. If you wish to be notified about future office space openings, send an email to Grants@Sobrato.org to request to be placed on our email list and wait to receive an announcement from our Foundation when space becomes available.

SAN JOSE FEATURES

The Sobrato Center for Nonprofits San Jose campus offers the following outstanding features:

• A community of 9 education, housing, health and human service providers that benefit from program collaboration opportunities and sharing of resources
• Complimentary use of the Sobrato Community Conference Center including 6 meeting rooms ranging in capacity from 3-175
• Complimentary use of a large kitchen/break room area and adjoining patio
• Free on-site parking
• Is conveniently located off of Hwy. 280, adjacent to light rail, and close to downtown San Jose, providing quick access to the Peninsula and the East Bay corridors via public transportation sites

SAN JOSE OPENINGS

The Sobrato Center for Nonprofits San Jose is at capacity and will not have any openings in the next 10 years.

The Sobrato Foundation's in-kind space grants 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.

The Foundation staff and Board conduct a competitive grant review process. Final grant decisions are awarded based on an evaluation of four key areas:

• the Foundation Board's interest in the mission and types of clients served,
• the applicant's organizational capacity to support their mission including program quality and effectiveness, staff and board volunteer leadership, the agency's reputation and experience,
• the applicant's capital structure to support its mission, and
• the applicant’s effective use of space relative to the available unit(s) open

COMMENTS TO THE FOUNDATION

You are invited to send a note directly to the Foundation staff and Board letting them know what you think of their People & Places program portfolio. Please email Grants@Sobrato.org and be sure to include your Name and Organization. Thank you for your comments!

The Sobrato Foundation and its Sobrato Center for Nonprofits is a member of The Nonprofit Centers Network.

home      about us      program     leadership    investment history     grant guidelines    current grantees
office space guidelines    current tenants   meeting space guidelines    housing guidelines      loan recipients    SDC

Sobrato Family Foundation
10600 North De Anza Boulevard, Suite 200
Cupertino, CA 95014
Phone: (408) 446-0700
Email: Grants@Sobrato.org

Copyright©2002 Sobrato Family Foundation.
All Rights Reserved.