Coming Together to
Build a Better Normal

Because of its trusted, long-standing partnerships with business, government and nonprofit leaders, SVCF was uniquely positioned to help make an immediate difference for communities that needed it the most, and to help area leaders envision — and plan for — a post-pandemic response that improves the lives of all its residents, including those who struggle to get by in this expensive region and/or have been disadvantaged by systemic injustice.

To help residents through stay-at-home orders and beyond, SVCF and its partners created seven COVID-19 response funds. SVCF has helped organizations provide food assistance to 644,400 residents in 10 Bay Area counties, and distributed $245 million in grants to coronavirus-related causes through these response funds, as well as through donor- and corporate-advised grants.

In coordination with local government officials, corporate partners, fellow community foundations, private foundations, donors and nonprofit partners, SVCF has pursued initiatives to address increased calls for racial justice and to deliver assistance in the face of the pandemic. Here, we describe some of these efforts.

Silicon Valley Strong

Back in 2017, SVCF and the City of San José combined forces to quickly collect donations and distribute relief to victims of the Coyote Creek flood, which forced more than 14,000 families to evacuate their homes.

“Our close partnership … made it possible to open a relief fund, launch a fundraising website and begin processing donations in less than 12 hours,” says San José Mayor Sam Liccardo. That history helped jumpstart the Silicon Valley Strong COVID-19 relief effort when the pandemic hit in March 2020. SiliconValleyStrong.org went live just two days after the shelter-in-place order was issued as part of a six-county Bay Area response. The Silicon Valley Strong fund soon received $20 million in contributions, and in the first few days, more than 2,700 people had signed up to deliver food to senior citizens and those at high risk of COVID-19 — another critical part of the multi-pronged response under the Silicon Valley Strong umbrella.

“[SVCF] worked with us to be prepared,” says Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Cindy Chavez. “They’d built relationships in the community and the nonprofit world — not just as conveners but also as strategically wise investment distributors — so the effort was truly collaborative.

“They also kept wanting a ‘bigger tent,’ which let in more people to help do the work. Sharing the credit also allows institutions to share responsibility. Everybody from elected officials to business leaders could see themselves in the limelight. [SVCF], meanwhile, did not worry about who got credit — they worried about who got served.”

One of the primary components of the relief efforts levied by Silicon Valley Strong was the COVID-19 financial assistance program administered by Destination: Home, a supporting organization of SVCF, and Sacred Heart Community Service.

San Mateo County Strong

A similar program specific to San Mateo County was introduced on March 24, 2020, raising nearly $20,000 on its first day. SVCF’s partnership with San Mateo County focused on providing support to individuals and families, as well as nonprofit agencies that serve county residents in need of critical services.

San Mateo County Strong funds were managed by SVCF and distributed through a collaboration with the county manager’s office and Economic Development Association. One week after the fund was introduced, the Board of Supervisors distributed $1 million to the fund that supported the eight core service agencies to assist individuals and families through the COVID-19 Emergency Financial Assistance program.

In May 2020, a second round of funding was earmarked for nonprofit agencies that had been affected by COVID-19. San Mateo County Strong provided more than $900,000 in support to 61 health, human services, arts and childcare nonprofits to help fund programs including:

• Telehealth services for mental health needs, crisis intervention and suicide prevention
• Operational support for food distribution centers
• Training and support for janitors whose jobs required regular exposure to COVID-19 risks

“Silicon Valley Community Foundation led the region in establishing funds to assist individuals, families and nonprofits affected by COVID-19,” says Warren Slocum, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. “By promoting those funds under the San Mateo County Strong brand, an initial $2 million contribution by the board of supervisors was more than doubled through contributions from foundations, businesses and individual donors. Through our partnership with the community foundation, we have been able to assist twice as many families and nonprofits during this challenging time.”

By early July 2020, San Mateo County Strong had distributed $2 million to provide emergency relief to 4,173 individuals and families, and another $1,985,000 to support nonprofit organizations.

COVID-19 Education Partnership

Even before COVID-19 hit, many area students faced challenges. At Jefferson Elementary School District in San Mateo County, for example, 68% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, are English learners, are experiencing homelessness or are foster youth.

“In the last 20 years, as the government has cut back on social services, the needs don’t disappear because the services disappear,” says Superintendent Bernie Vidales. “So when there’s a need that greatly impacts the educational experience for students — if a student is hungry or having a hard time at home — we have to address those things in order to get them to a place where they’re better able to learn.”

After families were ordered to shelter in place, inequities in distance-learning technology, childcare and food insecurity became even more frustrating. Many families lacked access to online resources due to the district’s lack of devices or hotspots, or families’ inability to pay monthly connectivity fees. And the longer the shelter-in-place order went on, the more families sought food assistance from the district, which distributes free meals to youth who need them.

Thanks to the COVID-19 Education Partnership, Vidales’ school district has been able to provide students with laptops or tablets, as well as Wi-Fi for families in need, as students moved into full-time remote learning. It was also able to erase about $14,000 in families’ outstanding lunch debt and continue to provide mental health services to students during summer 2020.

The partnership, which SVCF announced in April 2020, was in collaboration with the San Mateo County Office of Education and the Santa Clara County Office of Education. The community foundation seeded the multi-donor education fund with $1 million and received a generous contribution from biotechnology corporation Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. Over $1.5 million was granted to county offices of education and education nonprofits working to assist students and families.

Funds allocated by the Education Partnership went to 44 districts across SVCF’s two-county region, for everything from Wi-Fi hotspots and computers for students who lack home internet access, to software to support distance learning, to meal programs for students.

Silicon Valley Recovery Roundtable

While many of SVCF’s efforts in 2020 were focused on addressing immediate needs, the organization is also cultivating partnerships that will fuel a more equitable recovery. “We don’t want to simply restore the status quo,” says SVCF President and CEO Nicole Taylor, who was appointed by San José Mayor Sam Liccardo as one of five co-chairs to the Silicon Valley Recovery Roundtable.

The 59-member, three-county, cross-sector team was tasked with developing policy recommendations and practical strategies for a more equitable post-coronavirus economic recovery. Their road map to recovery released in August 2020, titled “Building a Better Normal,” starts with immediate needs, continues through near-term recovery over 12 months, then focuses on the next three to five years and beyond. Central topics include how to develop affordable housing and equitable and inclusive access to digital technology and services; how to boost support and stability for small and medium-size businesses; and how to create a transit system that reduces commute times and environmental impact.

Community Advisory Council

Midway through 2020, SVCF launched an effort to ensure that it was more deeply connected to the communities it serves, both during the pandemic and after. The Community Advisory Council is a group of more than 20 leaders of color who will “help us ensure we’re implementing effective strategies and advocating for effective policies,” says Manuel J. Santamaría, SVCF’s vice president of community action. “We put out calls, talked to community members and leaders, and asked what pressing issues were happening in our communities.”

Rev. Dr. Marlyn Bussey of St. James African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in San Mateo is a member of the council. She credits Taylor and the SVCF team with welcoming community members into the conversation.

“When someone asks me to be a part of something, I always look for whether it’s for the betterment of the entire community. I’m all about equity: Who’s at the table of decision?” Bussey says. “Under Nicole’s leadership, the foundation has put together a team of people who are boots-on-the-ground in the areas we’re working in and will now inform the work of the foundation. We’re from all different walks of life — education, after-school programs, the faith community, social services, community organizing — doing work in our own areas, and SVCF brought us to the table. I don’t know if that’s been done before.”