A new investment strategy announced by the United Way of Silicon Valley means the agency will focus on larger, but fewer grants distributed to community service agencies in Santa Clara County. About 7 percent of its clients live in South County, with the rest living in San Jose.
The change means United Way will solicit minimum grant requests of $50,000 a year for three years instead of the smaller one-year grant of $12,000.
The agency announced it will direct its investments into community programs and services that build adult living skills, develop children and youth, and support basic needs for people in crisis. Â
United Way is in the third year of its five-year transition to the more targeted, strategic approach to invest in community programs and services. The organization provides assistance with its community grants to about 400,000 county residents who cannot make ends meet without some type of public or private assistance.
“This level of focus is required to build a flourishing Silicon Valley where everyone can participate fully,” said Mark Walker, president and CEO of United Way Silicon Valley. “We will continue to support programs that meet basic human needs such as food and shelter, but we have to do more.”
“This is a bold step for United Way and I’m confident in 10 or 20 years our children will thank us,” said Rick Fezell, chairman of the board and a committed leadership donor. “It is our responsibility to improve life for generations to come and that requires investing in long-term solutions.”
For more information, visit www.uwsv.org.
