No. 7: Silicon Valley Community Foundation
UNITED STATES – £287m
In 2006, two community foundations merged into the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, with the aim to create positive regional change in the San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties in the Silicon Valley. The Foundation describes itself as a center of philanthropy, partnering with donors to strengthen the common good in the region. In spite of the wealth the Silicon Valley tech sector, there are social challenges in the region, most notably the chronic housing shortage, especially at the affordable end of the market, which disproportionally affects the area’s one-third immigrant population and its nearly two-thirds under 18s.
SVCG supports hundreds of non-profit organisations every year: among its priorities are education and immigrant integration. The foundation is currently administering a grant program funded by Santa Clara County to help 50,000 undocumented immigrants who are eligible to stay in the US receive accurate information about their rights and receive legal services. At the same time, SVCG supported a new welcome center for immigrants established by San Mateo County.
The SVCG funded project The Big Lift is a finalist for the Google Impact Challenge to receive up to $500,000 to help kids read. In 2014, SVCF awarded over £143m in grants to local charities in Silicon Valley.