THANK YOU for your support. Together, we are building a stronger, more vibrant future in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park.
2025 has been a year of profound change. Rising costs, housing challenges, and uncertainty for immigrant neighbors have placed new pressures on families and on the nonprofits that serve them. Yet in the midst of these challenges, our community has stepped up—showing resilience, generosity, and care for one another. At PACF, we remain committed to strengthening Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park by connecting donors with trusted local organizations. Nearly 50 years of community knowledge guides us as we support nonprofits with flexible funding, multi-year grants, and partnership beyond the check. This year, that commitment came to life. With donor support, nonprofits tackled urgent issues, from youth mental health to food security, tenant stability, and cultural connection. The Palo Alto Community Fund (PACF) also deepened relationships with grantees, shared data and insights, and began sharpening its role as a trusted voice for local needs and solutions. None of this would be possible without our community of givers and grantees. To our donors: thank you for fueling this work. To our nonprofit partners: thank you for your tireless dedication.
Together, we are building a stronger, more vibrant future.
PARTNER WITH PACF PACF connects local generosity to local impact. Donors choose the giving path that best fits their goals:
Annual Giving Fuels unrestricted grants to trusted nonprofits.
The William Reller Impact Fund Invests in bold, high-impact initiatives and emerging needs.
PACF Endowment Ensures long-term resources for sustainability.
El Palo Alto Legacy Circle Creates a permanent legacy of generosity through planned gifts that sustains PACF’s mission for generations.
Events & Community Engagement Bring neighbors together to learn, celebrate, and invest in local solutions. When you give through PACF, whether with an annual gift, a legacy commitment, or an endowment contribution, you become part of a movement to ensure Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park remain strong, vibrant, and resilient.
Join us. Be part of the PACF donor family —and the future of your community. Visit www.paloaltocommfund.org/give
PACF AND OUR DONORS CREATING IMPACT TOGETHER FY 2025 Grants totaling $1.825M to 77 local nonprofits
$195K $595K
$250K
$265K $520K
Addressing Food Insecurity and Affordable Housing
Helping Children and Youth Thrive
Embracing the Arts and Our Environment
Strengthening Local Communities
Supporting Mental Health and Wellness
Flexible Funding & Beyond the Check Support PACF Grants delivered flexible support, addressed urgent issues, and ensured multi-year continuity. Grants funded a range of areas, to helping our community thrive. PACF also provided non-monetary support and expanded opportunities for local leaders to learn, connect, and strengthen their work.
Healthy communities have healthy nonprofits.
INVESTING IN FRONTLINE ORGANIZATIONS In 2025, immigrant families across our region faced growing challenges and fear created by shifting policies. PACF responded by awarding three David Mitchell Impact Grants totaling $300,000 to frontline partners: Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, El Concilio of San Mateo County, and Nuestra Casa. Collectively, these organizations address intersecting needs in legal protections, health and safety net access, civic participation, leadership, and food security while reinforcing one another’s work. Individually trusted and collectively powerful, they form a stronger safety net for families in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. PACF’s investments were a deliberate response to urgent needs, helping our communities withstand uncertainty and thrive.
OUR FY 2025 GRANTEES & MULTI-YEAR PARTNERS Addressing Food Insecurity and Affordable Housing
Embracing the Arts and Our Environment (cont.)
Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA) Ecumenical Hunger Program* Fresh Approach Heart and Home Collaborative HIP Housing (Human Investment Project, Inc.) LifeMoves Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen* Peninsula Food Runners Peninsula Healthcare Connection* St. Anthony’s Padua Dining Room WeHOPE* Youth United for Community Action (YUCA)
Stanford Jazz Workshop Vida Verde Nature Education*
Embracing the Arts and Our Environment Art in Action Canopy* Climate Resilient Communities* East Palo Alto Community Archive Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden en Avant School—a division of Mannakin Theater & Dance Environmental Volunteers* EPACENTER ARTS Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo Grassroots Ecology Hidden Villa Kids & Art Foundation Palo Alto Art Center Foundation* Palo Alto Players San Francisco Chamber Orchestra San Mateo County Parks Foundation
Helping Children and Youth Thrive AchieveKids* Addiction Education Society All Five Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula* City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley Cooline Team of East Palo Alto DreamCatchers East Palo Alto Academy Foundation East Palo Alto Kids Foundation* East Palo Alto Peninsula Rugby Football Club (Razorhawks) East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring (EPATT) Eastside College Preparatory School Family Connections Foundation for a College Education* Fresh Lifelines for Youth* Gunn Foundation Health Connected Izzi Early Education Learning Home Volunteers Live In Peace, Inc.* Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC)* Peninsula Bridge Ravenswood Classroom Partners* Ravenswood Education Foundation Rich May Foundation RISE (Reaching and Inspiring Success through Education) Rise Together Education Rosalie Rendu Inc.*
Helping Children and Youth Thrive (cont.)
Strengthening Local Communities (cont.)
St. Elizabeth Seton School* StreetCode Academy The.Circuit EPA The Peninsula College Fund (PCF) Upward Scholars YMCA of Silicon Valley/Lewis and Joan Platt East Palo Alto Family YMCA* Youth Community Service (YCS)
The Grateful Garment Project Thrive Alliance for Nonprofits
Strengthening Local Communities AbilityPath Able Works Ada’s Cafe American Red Cross AVENIDAS Bay Area Friendship Circle Center for Excellence in Nonprofits Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLESPA) East Palo Alto Senior Center El Concilio San Mateo County Family Giving Tree Good Karma Bikes Green Envelope Fund* Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County* Loved Twice* Nuestra Casa in East Palo Alto* Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County Inc PARCA (Partners & Advocates for Remarkable Children & Adults)* Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits Stanford SSIR/PACS (Nonprofit Mgt. Institute)
Supporting Mental Health and Wellness Adolescent Counseling Services CASA of San Mateo County* Children’s Health Council Counseling and Support Services for Youth (CASSY) Fit To The Core Inc Friends For Youth, Inc. Kara* NAMI San Mateo County Palo Alto University Peninsula Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower (‘Kidpower’) Planned Parenthood Mar Monte San Mateo County Health Foundation Ravenswood Family Health Network* The Parent Venture Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired* YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley *FY 2024 multi-year recipient
Read the full FY 2025 Impact Report at bit.ly/pacf25report
Board of Directors Mike Alcheck Becky Beacom Matt Caspari Diane Downend Steve Emslie Georgia Farooq Megan Swezey Fogarty Colleen Gormley Yael Goshen Sally Hewlett Sejal Kamani Barbara Sih Klausner Sheryl Klein Dave McQuarrie Fred Mondragon Peter O’Riordan Jane Rytina Kathryn Schmidt Margaret Sloane Timothy Tomlinson Cindy Traum Anna L. Waring Lauren Williams Miriam Yupanqui
About PACF PACF was established nearly 50 years ago by a group of individuals committed to helping our local community thrive. Today, PACF builds on this founding commitment and focuses on the unique needs of our community. We find, vet, and fund organizations meeting our area’s greatest needs. A contribution to PACF supports local nonprofit organizations that are elevating local solutions to ensure the communities of Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park are strong and thriving.
Directors Emeriti
PACF thoughtfully stewards a permanent endowment currently valued at $11M to ensure we are able to benefit present and future generations.
Marti deBenedetti Betsy Gifford Bill Reller Roger Smith Maddy Stein
Stay Connected @paloaltocommunityfund
@paloaltocommfund
650.690.0370 | info@paloaltocommfund.org | EIN: 77-0483215 PO Box 50634, Palo Alto, CA 94303