Private Foundations in California (all foundations will have descriptions and links)

• David B Gold Foundation

• • The David B. Gold Foundation is a family foundation based in San Francisco dedicated to developing positive human potential and enriching the quality of life in the communities it serves. The foundation funds qualifying organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Minneapolis/St. Paul with programs in early childhood and youth development, social and human services, democratic society, environment, health, and Jewish culture.

• Lisa and Douglas Goldman Foundation

• • The San Francisco-based, Lisa and Douglas Goldman Foundation of was established in 1992 to support charitable organizations that enhance society. Current interests include children and youth, civic affairs, civil and human rights, education, environment, health, Jewish affairs, children's literacy, and social and human services. The majority of grants are made to qualifying nonprofits in the San Francisco area.

• Hogan Family Foundation

• • Established in 1998, the Hogan Family Foundation of California operates educational, humanitarian and civic-minded programs that encourage understanding and appreciation of the world. The foundation is an "operating foundation" and works within the guidelines to disburse its assets to programs the foundation itself creates and operates. Visit the foundation's Web site to learn more about the mission and find contact information.

• W.L.S. Spencer Foundation

• • The mission of the W.L.S. Spencer Foundation is to fund activities, anywhere in the world, which foster new ideas in education and encourage creativity. The Web site provides guidelines for submitting letters of inquiry as well as guidelines for formal proposals.

• The Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation

• • Established in 1999, the mission of the Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation is to support programs and projects that maximize the potential of children and youth. Beginning in 2003, the foundation will make grants of up to $40,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in Los Angeles County and Santa Clara County to support highly successful and result-oriented programs that are closely aligned with our mission and values, and target economically and socially disadvantaged youth. Special interest is taken in programs that expand and improve childrens' education and learning environments, promote positive interactions between adults and children, and embrace professional development for those that create learning environments for children. Visitors to the Web site will find information about our foundation's mission and values, guidelines, application form and contact information.

• Bella Vista Foundation

• • The San Francisco, California-based Bella Vista Foundation helps to insure healthy emotional development in children during the first years of their lives. Qualified grantees are those organizations that offer education or social services, and that promote resource conservation. The foundation also plans to provide support for early childhood programs and environmental restoration.

• Jenifer Altman Foundation

• • Based in San Francisco, California, the Jenifer Altman Foundation was established in 1991, shortly before the death of its namesake, a health and environment researcher. The organization is committed to "the vision of a socially just and ecologically sustainable future through program interests in environmental health and mind-body health." Grants are made primarily in these two categories. The foundation requests that interested nonprofits submit a concept letter before sending a full proposal. If it is decided that the project matches the foundation's interests, then the grantseeker will be given further instructions, which will include sending the application cover page that is available on the site. In addition to detailed information about the foundation, its funding interests, and application procedures, the foundation's Web site also lists past grantees. The Jenifer Altman Foundation is run in conjunction with the Mitchell Kapor Foundation and the StarFire Fund, making co-grants with each in some categories. One application serves to apply to all three foundations.
    

• Draper Richards Foundation

• • The Draper Richards Foundation of San Francisco, California, provides "funding and business mentoring to social entrepreneurs as they begin their non-profit organizations." The foundation accepts proposals for a variety of public service areas, including, but not limited to, education, youth and families, the environment, arts, health, and community and economic development.

• The Trio Foundation

• • The Trio Foundation of Berkeley, California, funds organizations that serve young children and their families in the east San Francisco Bay Area. The primary focus of the Trio Foundation is to help young children of all cultures, who are growing up in poverty, achieve their fullest and brightest potential. The foundation's secondary focus is to fund projects sponsored by Jewish organizations that serve Jewish children in need or that serve a multi-cultural clientele.

• Warsh-Mott Legacy

• • The Warsh-Mott Legacy Foundation is interested in preserving biodiversity, defending democracy, preventing the commodification of life, and protecting human and environmental health. The foundation's grantmaking is forward thinking and guided by a belief in consistent and long-term support. Requests for support should be made by letter of inquiry.

• The Lawrence Foundation

• • The mission of the Santa Monica-based Lawrence Foundation is to "make a difference in the world by providing contributions and grants to organizations that are working to solve pressing educational, environmental, health, and other issues." In previous years, the foundation has supported education, environment, health, and disaster relief.

• Friedman Family Foundation

• • The Friedman Family Foundation's mission is to "fund programs that attempt to end the cycle of poverty." Priority is given to organizations in the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area. The foundation believes in a "respect for the capabilities and dignity of all people, a belief in the power of ideas and in individual empowerment, a commitment to systemic change, a reverence for learning, faith in the ability to create a better world, and an obligation to the San Francisco Bay Area."

• Gaia Fund

• • Based in San Francisco, California, the Gaia Fund was established in 1994 to support the environment and Jewish life. The fund places preference to organizations in the San Francisco area.

• Colin Higgins Foundation

• • The San Francisco-based, Colin Higgins Foundation was established in 1986 to further humanitarian goals. The foundation is particularly interested in assisting organizations that have a significant impact in areas such as AIDS education and advocacy and the empowerment of gay men, lesbians, bisexual, and transgendered peoples. The foundation also maintains the Courage Awards program to honor ordinary but remarkable individuals whose courage helped to educate and enlighten others about the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities.

• Akonadi Foundation

• • Named after an oracle goddess of justice in Ghana, Africa, the Akonadi Foundation of Oakland, California, was established in 2000 to eliminate structural and institutional racism. To work towards its mission, the foundation supports a variety of programmatic approaches, including research, policy work, advocacy, litigation, organizing, media, arts, diversity training, education, and other tools that work toward eradicating racism. The Akonadi Foundation provides funding within the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as to organizations that are national in their scope and reach.

• VanLobenSels/RembeRock Foundation

• • The VanLobenSels/RembeRock Foundation's goal is to promote social justice and the well-being of the residents and communities in northern California. The foundation is interested in providing critical funding for programs that serve low-income youth and adults and other vulnerable and underserved populations. Programs most likely to be supported by the foundation tend to have programs focusing on low-income youth, families and adults, the elderly, the disabled, immigrants, refugees, and newcomers.

• Until There's A Cure Foundation

• • The Until There's A Cure Foundation was established in 1993 by Dana Cappiello and Kathleen Scutchfield. The foundation derives its funds from the sale of "The Bracelet," a bracelet bearing the design of the AIDS ribbon. The foundation has four priority areas: direct care services, prevention education, vaccine research development, and policy development. The foundation also has a partnership program in which qualified organizations keep 25 percent of the total revenues they generate from sales of "The Bracelet."

• Charles and Helen Schwab Family Foundation

• • The San Mateo, California-based Charles and Helen Schwab Family Foundation maintains a number of formal grant programs, including capacity building, homelessness, poverty prevention, substance abuse, and learning differences. Special emphasis is placed on helping individuals and families achieve a sense of self-sufficiency.

• The Roberts Foundation

• • Established in 1985, the San Francisco-based Roberts Foundation encompasses distinct grant programs supporting northern California. The Roberts Foundation grant program supports children and youth services, education, higher education, and wildlife preservation and animal welfare. As this time, the Roberts Foundation has suspended its grantmaking; however, the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund's grant program continues and seeks to "raise the standards of excellence and integrity in the nonprofit and philanthropic community nationwide through the development and dissemination of innovative approaches to address critical social issues." At this time, the foundation has suspended all grantmaking except for that associated with the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund. (linked above)

• The Pottruck Family Foundation

• • The Pottruck Family Foundation was established in 1995 to "improve the lives of disadvantaged children and youth, and to support volunteer-driven organizations, with a primary focus in San Francisco." The foundation funds organizations that support education, youth services, and civic/community initiatives. The foundation is particularly interested in youth development programs that promote success in school, engagement in community life, self-reliance, and general health and well-being, as well as programs that use voluntarism as a vehicle for community engagement and participation.

• Pacific Pioneer Fund

• • The Pacific Pioneer Fund exists to support emerging documentary filmmakers. "The term 'emerging' is intended to denote a person committed to the craft of making documentaries [and] who has demonstrated that commitment by several years of practical film or video experience." Grants are limited to persons and organizations in California, Oregon, and Washington. Printable application forms, contact information, and details about restrictions and limitations are all available on this site.

• Omnia Foundation

• • The mission of the San Francisco-based, Omnia Foundation is to "provide opportunity and means to enable politically, economically, and socially disadvantaged people to become more self-sufficient and productive in their lives and communities." Established in 2000, the foundation funds organizations that maintain a focus on immigrant rights and prisoner advocacy.

• E. Nakamichi Foundation

• • The E. Nakamichi Foundation was established in Los Angeles, California in 1982, to encourage the propagation and appreciation of baroque and other fine forms of classical music that are generally not available on a commercial basis. The foundation underwrites performances or broadcasts of performances on public television or radio. It does not make grants to individuals, nor does it make multi-year grants.

• Gordon E. and Betty I. Moore Foundation

• • The Gordon E. and Betty I. Moore Foundation was founded in San Francisco in 2000 by the co-founder of the Intel corporation and his wife, and is dedicated "to the improvement of the quality of life through education, science, and conservation." Specific project areas of interest include education, scientific research, the environment, and select San Francisco Bay Area projects.

• The Louis R. Lurie Foundation

• • The mission of the San Francisco-based, Louis R. Lurie Foundation is to be an active instrument to improve the lives of youth and their families. In fulfilling its mission, the foundation intends to heighten skills that develop self-reliance, compassion, self-esteem, respect for diversity, and a strong desire to give back to others in the community. The foundation's funding priorities emphasize youth, focusing on family support, education, health, cultural enrichment, and recreation.

• The Ludwick Family Foundation

• • Founded in 1990, the Ludwick Family Foundation "seeks opportunities to encourage new and expanded projects and programs by providing grants to non-profit organizations for new equipment, equipment replacement and modernization, improvements to facilities, and educational materials." The foundation, which is located in Glendora, California, does not seek to provide continuing long-term support. Grants are limited to U.S. organizations or international organizations based in the United States. To apply for a grant, an organization must first provide a letter of inquiry and complete an information form, which is available online. Full proposals are only by invitation.

• John M. Lloyd Foundation

• • John M. Lloyd was committed to seeking the root cause of problems, not just treating their symptoms. His foundation, created at the time of his death from complications related to the AIDS virus in 1991, strives to fund programs related to the prevention, care, and public awareness of AIDS. Based in Santa Monica, California, the foundation supports two areas in the overall fight against HIV and AIDS: public policy and prevention and education/awareness. Previous grants in each category are listed on the foundation's Web site, along with granting guidelines, an outline of the application process, and contact information.

• The LEF Foundation

• • Founded in 1985, the LEF Foundation supports the creation and presentation of contemporary work in the visual arts, performing arts, new media, literary arts, architecture, and design. Funds are given for projects, programs, and services that encourage "a positive interchange between the arts and the natural urban environment." Projects may also involve public and environmental art, architecture and landscape architecture, and be design and interdisciplinary collaborations. Within these areas, the foundation also considers projects that address critical community needs. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and St. Helena, California, the foundation primarily sponsors projects in New England and northern California, although applications may be open to relevant proposals outside of those areas.

• Koret Foundation

• • Founded in 1979, the Koret Foundation's areas of funding interest include: San Francisco Bay Area Jewish community projects (Jewish identity, linking Bay Area Jewry to Israel, enhancing Jewish communal organizations, Jewish education/Jewish studies, and émigré resettlement), San Francisco Bay Area community development and support (K-12 public education, cultural/community development, higher education, and public policy), and Israel and international Jewish organizations (economic development/free market initiatives in Israel, higher education in Israel, and Jewish educational, cultural, and communal activities in the former Soviet Union). Recipient organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area must serve the needs of one or more of the following Bay area counties: San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, or Santa Clara. In the area of Jewish funding, the foundation will consider grant applications from northern California and nationally on a selected basis. The San Francisco-based foundation also has the Koret Jewish Book Awards, in cooperation with the National Foundation for Jewish Culture, which serve to heighten the visibility of the best new Jewish books and authors. Visitors to the site will find downloadable guidelines and submission forms for the Jewish Book Awards, a printable letter of inquiry coversheet, application instructions, financial information, selected grants lists, an archive of news and press releases, and contact information.

• The Kimball Foundation

• • Founded in California in 1997, the Kimball Foundation is committed to helping at-risk and disadvantaged individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area to achieve the highest possible quality of life. Major program interests include education and the arts. Within the education program, the foundation focuses on higher education (undergraduate and graduate programs), specifically in areas of youth development, academic enrichment, tutorials, outdoor education, leadership development, vocational training and employment, learning disabilities, and sports/recreational activities for low-income youth. The arts program primarily focuses on youth groups. The foundation also holds an interest in animal welfare and historic preservation, as well as capital support.

• JoMiJo Foundation

• • The JoMiJo Foundation's mission is to "aid disenfranchised persons or communities through targeted funding of grassroots projects that improve the quality of people's lives or preserve the earth's natural environment." To achieve this, the foundation supports economically disenfranchised people and communities; provides aid in education and welfare of children, including those at risk; and supports social and economic justice for women and minorities.

• Clarence E. Heller Foundation

• • Founded by Clarence E. Heller in 1982 in San Francisco, the Clarence E. Heller Foundation's mission is "to protect and improve the quality of life through support of programs in the environment, human health, education, and the arts." In the area of the environment and health, the foundation concentrates on programs that address the health risks of toxic substances and environmental hazards; the Management of Resources program focuses on the viability of communities and regions and sustainable agriculture; music programs promote symphonic and chamber music; and education programs strive to give elementary and secondary students opportunities. The foundation also funds select special projects.

• Josephine S. Gumbiner Foundation

• • The Josephine S. Gumbiner Foundation was established in 1989 by Josephine Gumbiner, a noted philanthropist with an educational and professional background in social work. The foundation strives to support nonprofit organizations that benefit women and children in the Long Beach area of southern California. Program areas that the foundation considers for funding include day care, education, housing, recreation, the arts, and healthcare, with a special emphasis on intervention, prevention, and direct service. New and existing programs, general operating expenses, and technical assistance grants are most likely to be funded by the foundation. Visitors to the Web site will find application guidelines, instructions, and a downloadable application form.

• Greenville Foundation

• • The Sonoma, California-based Greenville Foundation provides support for special projects in the following areas: education, the environment, human and social issues, international, and religion. The foundation does not make grants for scholarships, individuals, venture capital, capital improvements, endowments, general classroom-based environmental education programs, individual species preservation, health, food banks, or temporary shelter. Because it is located in the West, "practicality dictates that proposals for domestic projects be located west of the Rockies," although a limited number of grants may be made outside the region. Grants for international programs are made only through U.S.-based or affiliated nonprofit organizations.

• Gould Family Foundation

• • The Sacramento, California-based Gould Family Foundation "supports innovative programs that promote experiential learning and the arts." The Foundation prefers to fund organizations in their formative stages that will become self-sustaining and are primarily based in California. An initial mailed letter of inquiry should precede a proposal: guidelines for the letter and eventual grant proposal are provided on the Foundation's Web site. Contact information for the Foundation and its board, and a detailed list of previous grant recipients are also included on the site.

• Goldman Environmental Foundation

• • The Goldman Environmental Foundation, based in San Francisco, was founded by Richard N. Goldman. It has awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize since 1990 to demonstrate the international nature of environmental problems, to draw public attention to global issues of critical importance, to reward individuals for outstanding grassroots environmental initiatives, and to inspire others. The foundation awards $125,000 annually to six environmental heroes, who are nominated by a network environmental organizations and a confidential panel of experts. Recipients are chosen for their sustained and important efforts to preserve the natural environment.

• The Gleitsman Foundation

• • The California-based Gleitsman Foundation was established in 1989 to encourage leadership in social activism worldwide. The foundation makes grants to individuals through three distinct award programs. The Citizen Activist Award is presented every other year to worthy recipients in the United States that have challenged social injustice. The International Activist Award is presented in alternate years to recognize the achievements of individual activism internationally. The foundation also presents monthly awards of achievement to activists who have made a difference in their respective communities. Visitors to the foundation's Web site will find further details on the various awards, along with nomination and deadline information.

• Fred Gellert Family Foundation

• • The Fred Gellert Family Foundation was founded in 1958 by a San Francisco Bay Area homebuilder. The foundation makes grants to organizations in the areas of "arts, education, environment, health, and social service, and on projects that link two or more of these areas," primarily serving communities in Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties.

• Fund for Nonviolence

• • The Santa Cruz-based Fund for Nonviolence was founded in 1997 to benefit "community based efforts whose aim is significant social change which moves humanity towards a more just and compassionate coexistence." In general, the fund supports nonviolence in work for progressive social change, especially in the areas of women in poverty, children (with an emphasis on girls), and challenging state-sponsored violence (such as militarization and the death penalty). Funding priorities are for groups that focus on structural changes to root causes of injustice, reflect the spirit of nonviolence in their organizational structure and process, and demonstrate a vision grounded in reflective thought on actions taken.

• Bill Graham Foundation

• • Formed in 1991, the Bill Graham Foundation of California makes grants primarily in the areas of music, the arts, and education, while also supporting social work, environmental protection, and spiritual and compassionate projects in its community. The primary geographic focus of the foundation is the Bay Area and Northern California.

• The Fitzpatrick Foundation

• • The Fitzpatrick Foundation of Burlingame, California is primarily interested in supporting elementary and secondary school programs for students and educators, with a particular emphasis on programs serving economically disadvantaged youth in the San Francisco Bay Area. The foundation supports a number of activities for students, including in-school and after-school programs that enhance academic achievement, arts education, athletics and recreation, technology skills, and leadership development. The foundation concentrates its support on programs that support contemporary visual and performing arts, improve or save lives of domestic animals and endangered species, enhance family life and health, and foster advances in technology.

• EGBAR Foundation

• • Located in Huntington Beach, California, the EGBAR Foundation was established by Sunshine Makers, Inc, the manufacturers of Simple Green, an all-purpose cleaner, in 1989. The foundation's mission is to "create an appreciably cleaner environment by instilling in young people throughout the world, the importance of Making a Difference, one park, one neighborhood, one community at a time." More specific goals include educating children internationally on recycling and being environmentally conscious and addressing community clean-up needs. One way that the foundation addresses these goals is through the EGBAR Environmental Curriculum, a collection of lessons and projects, many working in conjunction with newspapers, to enhance science classes for fourth through ninth graders and is available online for download. Participants in the curriculum are encouraged to take part in the annual EGBAR Clean-up Challenge and to submit essays to the EGBAR Environmental Essay Contest.

• The Rene & Veronica di Rosa Foundation

• • The Rene & Veronica di Rosa Foundation operates the di Rosa Preserve, the vision of two devoted patrons of the arts, Rene and Veronica di Rosa. The preserve is the public exhibition space for the di Rosa art collection, which consists of art produced in the greater San Francisco Bay Area during the latter part of the 20th Century. Visitors to the foundation's Web site can view a selection of images from over 1,600 works of art in the di Rosa Preserve.

• The Barbara Delano Foundation, Inc.

• • The Barbara Delano Foundation, Inc. is a San Francisco-based foundation devoted to the protection of wildlife and its habitats and improving humankind's treatment of animals. The foundation was established in 1985 by Barbara Delano Gauntlett, granddaughter of Dr. William E. Upjohn, founder of the Upjohn Company, as an expression of her life-long commitment to conservation and the survival of local people and communities. The foundation currently considers applications for the support of the conservation and habitat protection of bears, elephants, exotic birds, great apes, large cats, marine mammals, marine turtles, rhinos, and sharks. The foundation also works for the humane treatment of domesticated animals. It seeks to assist grantees in obtaining further funding and with objective advice on campaigning and project management, and it offers to assist other foundations and private individuals in selecting international conservation programs to support. The foundation offers monitoring and on-site visit reports to donors without administrative charge.

• Foundation for Deep Ecology

• • Located in Sausalito, California, the Foundation for Deep Ecology operates under an awareness of the current environmental threat to human life and to the lives of all species of plants and animals, as well as the health and continued viability of the biosphere. The foundation's belief that current environmental problems are rooted in overpopulation, loss of traditional knowledge, economic development of the modern world, and technology worship guide the organization's funding strategies in the areas of: Biodiversity & Wildness, Ecological Agriculture, and Megatechnology & Economic Globalization. The foundation's Web site provides extensive details on each area of funding interest, along with a more expansive explanation of the groups philosophy and mission.

• S.H. Cowell Foundation

• • The S.H. Cowell Foundation of San Francisco, California, was established in 1956. The organization's goal is "to improve the quality of life of children living in poverty in northern California by making grants that support and strengthen their families and the neighborhoods where they live." The foundation has four program areas: affordable housing, family resource centers, K-12 public education, and youth development. The foundation also provides emergency funds and supports building efforts. Visitors to the site will find program guidelines and restrictions, a description of the application process, information on recent grants, and lists of the staff and the board of directors.

• Compton Foundation, Inc.

• • Established as a trust in 1946 by Dorothy Danforth and Randolph P. Compton, the Menlo Park, California-based Compton Foundation, Inc. converted to a foundation in 1973. The organization's original mission was to "build the foundations for peace and to help prevent another world war," and it has been expanded to include "support for welfare, social justice, and the arts in the communities where [Compton] family board members live." These goals are achieved through a grant program that emphasizes peace and security, population, and the environment as its major categories. The program encourages prevention and research by preferring projects involving public education, education of policy makers and the media, advocacy and public activism, replicable demonstration projects, scholarly research, and fellowships to promising young scholars at selected institutions.

• Community Technology Foundation of California

• • Based in San Francisco, California, the Community Technology Foundation of California was established in 1998 to administer the $50 million Pacific Bell Community Technology Fund, a partnership between Pacific Bell and nine statewide community coalitions. The foundation was created to "ensure that all Californians have access to emerging technology." The grantmaking programs focus on three key areas: capacity building for community organizations, leadership development, and developing a technology user in every home. Aimed at bringing communications technologies to traditionally underserved populations, the programs target groups including low-income, inner-city, minority, disabled, limited-English speaking, and low-income senior communities. Funding may come in the form of matching or challenge grants or leveraged gifts. The foundation's Web site offers grant applications and guidelines only when the applications are being accepted.

• Columbia Foundation

• • Madeleine Haas and her brother William, established the Columbia Foundation in 1940 "for the furtherance of the public welfare." This San Francisco-based foundation has had a long-standing interest in world peace, human rights, the environment, cross-cultural and international understanding, the quality of urban life, and the arts, though the board of directors set new priorities within these areas as conditions change. Currently, there are three program areas: arts and culture, whose goal is to enhance the quality of life through arts and cultural programs, with a geographic focus in the San Francisco Bay Area and London; human rights, whose goal is the protection of basic human rights for all, with a focus in the San Francisco Bay Area and national programs; and sustainable communities and economies, with the goal of "securing, within the means of nature, a quality of life that is just and equitable for all humanity and future generations, and to ensure the viability of other species," with a geographic focus on the San Francisco Bay Area. The foundation also considers media projects.*

• The Christensen Fund

• • Allen D. and Carmen M. Christensen formed the Christensen Fund in 1957 in Palo Alto, California. The fund is a private, independent foundation dedicated to assisting organizations in the visual arts, conservation science, and education. The fund has developed a new grantmaking program that combines "interests in arts, biological conservation science and education into a single approach." Funding is directed towards strengthening the understanding, appreciation, and creative persistence of biological and cultural diversity in four main geographic regions: the American Southwest and northern Mexico; central Turkey, Iran, and central Asia; the African Rift Valley (Ethiopia); and New Guinea and Aboriginal Northern Australia. San Francisco Bay Area-based organizations are considered as well.

• The Ceres Foundation

• • The mission of the Ceres Foundation of Newport Beach, California, is "to provide the catalyst needed to mobilize human energies and talents that lie dormant." To accomplish this, the foundation strives to help "people in deprived conditions to develop the skills, motivation and teamwork they need to become productive contributors to society. This could include support for quality pre-schools, youth activities, mentoring programs, job training, rehabilitation, and other services which are not adequately provided." The foundation also helps "to create conditions in which people can make good use of their skills and motivation. This could include support for creation of job opportunities, resources for entrepreneurs, community networks, safe neighborhoods, and healthy environments."

• The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

• • Andrew Carnegie founded The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 1905, "to do and perform all things necessary to encourage, uphold, and dignify the profession of the teacher and the cause of higher education."

• Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation

• • Established in 1978, the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation is involved with the support and promotion of the arts. The goal of the foundation, which bears the names of its founders, is to "promote and encourage the recognition and appreciation of excellence in the arts; to enhance cultural life internationally through the support of art exhibitions, scholarship, and the endowment of galleries at major museums; and to support biomedical research." It has donated more than 450 Rodin sculptures to institutions throughout the world, funded and organized Rodin exhibitions, created a Rodin Research Fund at Stanford University, and given numerous endowments to major art museums. The foundation's support of biomedical research focuses on healthcare initiatives for women, with an emphasis on the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. The foundation makes significant gifts to endow new patient facilities, laboratories, and research fellowships at hospitals and medical centers.

• Frank H. and Eva B. Buck Foundation

• • The Vacaville, California-based Frank H. and Eva B. Buck Foundation is dedicated to supporting education. The foundation administers the Frank H. Buck Scholarship program, under which full scholarship support is awarded annually to students "who have an overwhelming motivation to succeed in all endeavors and who have demonstrated a commitment to themselves, their families and their communities." The foundation gives preference to scholars who live in California's Third Congressional District, as served by Frank H. Buck, which at that time included Solano, Napa, Yolo, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Contra Costa Counties. Direct support is also sometimes given to educational institutions, libraries, and others in support of the foundation's main emphasis. The foundation also supports other charitable endeavors as determined from time to time by the board of directors.

• Broad Foundation, The

• • The Broad Foundation, located in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1999. The foundation funds innovative efforts to dramatically improve governance, management, and labor relations in large urban school systems. The foundation is "dedicated to building K-12 educational leadership capacity, strengthening union-management relations and supporting aggressive, system-wide strategies to increase student achievement." *

• The Bothin Foundation

• • The Bothin Foundation was established in California in 1917 to support the western Bay Area, including Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties. The foundation supports low income, at-risk children, youth, and families; the elderly; and the disabled. To a limited extent, grants may also be made to environmental agencies, arts organizations that predominately serve youth, and community-based capital campaigns. The foundation supports capital or building and equipment needs, but it does not support endowment drives or general operating expenses.

• The David Bohnett Foundation

• • The Los Angeles-based, David Bohnett Foundation's mission is to improve society through social activism. Entrepreneur and co-founder of GeoCities, David Bohnett formed the foundation in 1999 after GeoCities became the largest community on the Internet. The grantmaking organization supports nonprofits in six key target areas, including gun control, voter registration activities, animal language research, development of mass transit and non-fossil fuel transportation, and lesbian and gay organizations that provide community based social services. The foundation encourages grant proposals from qualified nonprofit organizations with a mission that is closely aligned with the foundation's goals. The foundation makes grants for general operating, seed money, capital support, matching grants, and challenge grants. *

• Banks Family Foundation

• • The Banks Family Foundation, located in Oakland, California, works to help children become responsible adults by supporting organizations that "benefit the health, education, and welfare of the children of Northern Alameda County." the foundation's Web site includes basic grant guidelines, recent grants awarded, a listing of affiliations and links, and contact information.

• Arsalyn Foundation

• • The nonpartisan Glendora, California-based Arsalyn Foundation was established in 1996 to address a decline in voter participation. The organization's mission is "to encourage young Americans to become informed and active participants in the electoral process." The foundation hosts meetings through its Technical Assistance Program and helps organizations working to enhance civic and political engagement among young people to acquire training and share experiences. Through its Peer Exchange Program, the foundation funds site visits between groups promoting youth civic and political engagement to assist in the spreading/sharing of models and methodologies. The foundation also hosts a national conference and helps cover the expenses of attendees. The foundation is open to being approached for special projects by like-minded organizations.

• Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation

• • Located in Altadena, California, the Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation was established in 1994. The organization's mission is "to promote, through grants and scholarships, the inclusion of people with disabilities in the areas of arts, advocacy, and education." The foundation annually awards scholarships to women with disabilities who are pursuing advanced degrees at schools in the United States. Grants are awarded to organizations that are either led by or that work to support adults-especially women-with disabilities.

• Angelica Foundation

• • The Angelica Foundation, based in Racho Santa Fe, California, supports "progressive grassroots organizations that empower communities to become more environmentally sustainable, culturally rich, and socially just." Funding is restricted to nonprofit organizations in California, New Mexico, and Hawaii, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Mexico and Central America; the funding location priority differs from year to year. The foundation makes program and initiative grants in the areas of the environment, social justice, and the arts and supports groups that work in drug policy reform. Both types of grants are by invitation only; the program grant is usually for a two-year funding period.

• Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles

• • The Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles was established to manage southern California's share of the surplus funds generated by the 1984 Olympic Games. The foundation focuses its grantmaking activities on sports programs for youth in Southern California's eight counties, and it gives special attention to groups and communities underserved by traditional sports programs, including girls, minorities, the physically challenged or developmentally disabled, and youth in areas where the risk of involvement in delinquency is particularly high.

• Alliance Healthcare Foundation

• • The San Diego-based Alliance Healthcare Foundation, established in 1988, funds healthcare programs for medically-underserved populations in southern California, primarily in San Diego County. Priority is given to programs that address the issues of restricted access to healthcare, substance abuse, communicable diseases, violence, and mental health. The foundation's Web site provides an overview of the foundation and its history; grantmaking guidelines, rules, and procedures; program descriptions and subject-specific research findings; a list of staff and board members; news and publications; profiles of past grantees; links to related organizations and resources; and contact information.

• Acorn Foundation

• • Created in 1978, the Acorn Foundation is a member of the Common Counsel Foundation of Oakland, California. The Acorn Foundation "supports projects dedicated to building a sustainable future for the planet and to restoring a healthy global environment." The foundation primarily funds grassroots organizations implementing community-based projects that preserve and restore habitats supporting biological diversity and wildlife; advocate for environmental justice, particularly in low-income and indigenous communities; and prevent or remedy toxic pollution. Most Acorn Foundation grants are made in North America, though occasional grants are made in Latin America.

• The Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation

• • The Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation was founded in San Diego, California, in 1991 after the death of lawyer Thomas C. Ackerman. The foundation seeks to support the interests of its benefactor and namesake by making grants to support education, programs for the prevention of child abuse and cruelty to animals, the local arts, the educational institutions that he attended, his church, and other endeavors relating to community development and to health and human services in the San Diego area. The foundation does not support projects that may lead to dependence on the foundation for the organization's continued existence.

• Walter S. Johnson Foundation

• • The Walter S. Johnson Foundation supports programs in northern California and Washoe County, Nevada that "help children and youth meet their full potential and rise to the challenges of our diverse and changing society." The foundation's grants program is focused on three primary goals: ensuring the well-being of children and youth, strengthening public education, and assisting young people in the transition to adulthood. Within these broad goals, the majority of grants are likely to focus on positive youth development, the professional development of educators, or the transition from school to career. Grants are also made for families in crisis and for integrated services, family support, and neighborhood development.

• Weingart Foundation

• • The Weingart Foundation focuses its grantmaking efforts on programs serving children and youth in the southern California area, with secondary attention paid to institutions and agencies benefiting the southern California community in general. The foundation's Web site features an online version of the foundation's current annual report, a biography of founder Ben Weingart, financial statements, brief profiles of eight grantees, grant guidelines and application procedures, downloadable application forms, descriptions of grants (in the following categories: crisis intervention, education, health and medicine, community youth programs, higher education, culture and the arts, and adult community services), and a bulletin board service for grantseekers.

• Valley Foundation

• • Formed in 1984 from the proceeds of sale of the Community Hospital of Los Gatos, California, and Saratoga, Inc., the Valley Foundation provides funding for nonprofit organizations in Santa Clara County, with an emphasis in the medical field. Although the foundation's primary interest is in medical services and healthcare for lower-income households, it also supports programs in the areas of youth, the arts, seniors, and general medical services. Visitors to the foundation's Web site will find a listing of sample grants awarded in each of the foundation's program areas, application procedures and limitations, a financial summary of the foundation's activities, a listing of the foundation's board, and an electronic application form.

• The Stuart Foundation

• • The Stuart Foundation's purpose is to help the children and youth of California and Washington become responsible citizens. The foundation's approach to this purpose is to help strengthen the public systems and community supports that contribute to children's development. The foundation's three grant programs are: Strengthening the Public School System, Strengthening the Child Welfare System, and Strengthening Communities to Support Families.

• Sobrato Family Foundation

• • Ann and John A. Sobrato, and his wife, Susan, established the Sobrato Family Foundation in 1996. The Sobratos are owners of the Sobrato Development Companies which have led the real estate industry in innovation by developing and building facilities for more than 200 high-technology companies in the Santa Clara Valley in California. The mission of the Cupertino, California-based family foundation is "dedicated to helping create and sustain a vibrant and healthy community where all Silicon Valley residents have equal opportunity to live, work, and be enriched." The foundation provides rent-free office space grants in a nonprofit multi-tenant center located in Milpitas, California. It also operates the Sobrato Family Affordable Housing Fund which makes interest-free loans to local nonprofit housing developers to create affordable rental, homeless, and transitional housing.

• Sierra Health Foundation

• • The Sierra Health Foundation, headquartered in Sacramento, California, awards grants in support of health and health-related activities in a 26-county region of northern California. It was established in 1984 when Foundation Health Plan, now part of HealthNet of California, converted from nonprofit to for-profit corporate status. The Sierra Health Foundation was created and endowed with the proceeds from the sale. The foundation seeks to provide monetary support for local and regional health-related programs and services, influence public health policy and choices, and stimulate improvement in California's healthcare system.

• Schwab Foundation for Learning

• • The Schwab Foundation for Learning is a nonprofit operating foundation founded by discount brokerage pioneer Charles R. Schwab and his wife, Helen O'Neill Schwab, in 1988. The foundation established a resource center in San Mateo, California, that is dedicated to raising awareness and providing parents and teachers with information, resources, and support to improve the lives of children with learning differences.

• Rosenberg Foundation

• • The Rosenberg Foundation was established in 1935 by relatives and associates of Max L. Rosenberg, a San Francisco businessman and philanthropist. Since the 1940s, the foundation has emphasized the health, education, and recreation of California's children and communities. Today, the foundation accepts grant requests in three priority areas: the Changing Population of California Program, which includes activities that "promote the full social, economic, and cultural integration of immigrants and minorities into a pluralistic society".

• The Riordan Foundation

• • Richard J. Riordan founded The Riordan Foundation in 1981 "to ensure that all children become successful readers and writers while they are still young." The foundation also seeks to use its funds as a "catalyst to encourage a broad base of support for early childhood education." The foundation chartered Rx for Reading in 1989, a public foundation through which many donations are distributed, to enhance and support the goals of the foundation. Through Rx for Reading, the foundation makes challenge grants to schools that wish to participate in Writing to Read, Computers in the Classroom, and English Language Development grants.

• David and Lucile Packard Foundation

• • The David and Lucile Packard Foundation was created in 1964 by David Packard (1912-1996), a co-founder (with his Stanford classmate William Hewlett) of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and his wife, Lucile Salter Packard (1914-1987). The foundation supports nonprofit organizations with the hope that it can help people through the improvement of scientific knowledge, education, health, culture, employment opportunities, the environment, and quality of life. To that end, the foundation makes grants (with a special focus on San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties) nationally and internationally in the following broad program areas: conservation and science, population, and children, families, and communities.

• The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation

• • Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris owned Norris Stamping and Manufacturing Companies, later called Norris Industries. Kenneth Norris was a metallurgist who discovered a way to make steel casings for bullets, which led to a key role for the family business during World War II. Established in 1963, the foundation funds in the areas of medicine, education and science, youth, community, and cultural arts. Located in Long Beach, California, the foundation funds organizations in the Los Angeles County area. Unsolicited grant applications are not accepted.

• McCarthy Family Foundation

• • Established in 1988, the San Diego-based McCarthy Family Foundation makes grants in four primary program areas: K-12 science education, HIV/AIDS, assistance to homeless people, and child abuse prevention. The foundation makes grants exclusively within San Diego County. The foundation does not make grants for individuals, scholarship funds, sectarian religious activities, general fundraising drives, or programs supporting political candidates or that influence legislation.

• George Lucas Educational Foundation

• • The George Lucas Educational Foundation uses various media, including its Web site, to promote and share the latest strategies, especially those that integrate technology with teaching or learning to change the K-12 educational system. Those strategies are based on the filmmaker's belief that "education is the most important investment we can make to secure the future of our democracy." Visitors to the site can access the foundation's newsletter and "Learn & Live," the foundation's educational resource guide. Although the foundation is a private operating entity and does not make grants, its Web site visitors are encouraged to alert the foundation of any programs or resources that can advance the foundation's mission.

• W.M. Keck Foundation

• • Established in 1954 by William Myron Keck, founder of the Superior Oil Company, the W.M. Keck Foundation focuses its grantmaking on the areas of medical research, science, and engineering. The foundation also maintains a program for liberal arts colleges and a Southern California Grant Program that provides support in the areas of civic and community services, healthcare and hospitals, precollegiate education, and the arts. According to the foundation's guidelines, eligible institutions in the fields of science, engineering, medical research, and liberal arts must be "accredited universities, colleges, medical schools, and major, independent medical research institutions." For the Southern California Grant Program, "only organizations located in and serving the population of southern California are eligible for consideration." Visitors to the foundation's Web site will find general program descriptions, application criteria and guidelines, the foundation's most recent annual report, grants lists organized by program, a page devoted to the W.M. Keck Observatory on Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano, and contact information.

• Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

• • The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is an independent philanthropy that seeks to be an independent, trusted, and credible source of information, analysis, and balanced discussion on the field of health, which the foundation recognizes as being otherwise dominated by large interests. The foundation seeks to be this source of information to policymakers, the media, and the general public. The foundation's work is focused on three main areas: health policy, media and public education, and health and development in South Africa. The foundation's Web site features information resource in its program areas, health-related news, reports, and fact sheets. The foundation makes few grants, but information about applying can be found in the "About KFF" section of the site.

• James Irvine Foundation

• • Established in 1985, the Irvine Health Foundation provides support for prevention, service, research, and policy activities related to the health and wellness of the Orange County, California, community. The foundation's Web site offers a mission statement, a listing of directors and staff, FAQs, press releases, grant highlights, a For Your Health feature, highlights from the foundation's lecture series, grant application procedures with FAQs, staff/board listings, and links to numerous related sites.

• Irvine Health Foundation

• • Betty L. Hutton founded the Hutton Foundation in 1980 to support educational, health, and community organizations and acts as a catalyst to encourage development of new programs and services for future generations. Primary areas of focus include education; health and human services; child, youth and family services; arts and culture; women's services; and civic and community development. Funding is primarily awarded to organizations in Orange, Riverside, and Santa Barbara Counties in California, with select international awards. In addition to donations and grants, the foundation also offers Program Related Investments (PRIs), which are loans to purchase buildings, make major tenant improvements on buildings owned by nonprofit organizations, and refinance existing real estate or construction loans. The foundation is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, with an additional office in Orange County. Visit the Web site for grant application guidelines and instructions, further information about PRIs, information about the review and selection process, recent grants lists, and contact information.

• William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

• • The broadly stated mission of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, established by Palo Alto industrialist William R. Hewlett (of Hewlett-Packard fame), his late wife, Flora Lamson Hewlett, and their eldest son, Walter B. Hewlett in 1966, is "to promote the well-being of mankind by supporting selected activities of a charitable nature, as well as organizations or institutions engaged in such activities." The foundation concentrates its resources on activities in the areas of education, performing arts, population, environment, conflict resolution, family and community development, and U.S.-Latin America relations, which is an outgrowth of the foundation's long-standing interest in U.S.-Mexico relations. The foundation's Web site provides detailed program descriptions and application guidelines, a board and staff listing, a list of grants organized by program area, an online version of the foundation's annual report, and contact information.

• Walter and Elise Haas Fund

• • The Walter and Elise Haas Fund was created in 1952. Walter Haas was president and later chairman of Levi Strauss and Co. The San Francisco-based fund was created to provide support projects that demonstrate an ability to have wide impact and that demonstrate creative approaches toward meeting human needs. An overall goal is the development of leadership and professional competence in the fields of human services, arts, environment, professional ethics, education, Jewish life, citizenship and civic education, and the Creative Work Fund, which the Elise Haas Fund, along with three other organizations, support the collaboration between artists and nonprofit organizations to create new work. Each field of support has funding and geographic priorities, which are listed in the grant guidelines. Consult the fund's Web site for grant guidelines; application instructions; grant request cover sheet; link to the Creative Work Fund, which has its own separate site and application instructions; grants lists; the president's statement and executive director's report; list of staff; and contact information.

• Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund

• • The Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund was established in 1951 to improve the quality of life in the San Francisco Bay Area, protect the environment, and promote a more just and sustainable world. The fund is interested in supporting programs that will have a positive impact in an array of fields, including the environment, population, violence prevention, Jewish affairs, children and youth, the elderly, social and human services, health, education, democracy and civil society, and the arts. While the fund is primarily interested in organizations and projects that have an impact on San Francisco and local Bay Area communities, it will consider inquiries from domestic organizations that provide support to Israel and national and international projects that address environmental and population issues. The fund's Web site provides lists of grants awarded; information on how to apply; detailed information about the fund and its programs, including a link to the Goldman Environmental Prize Web site (http://www.goldmanprize.org/); news and publications; and contact information.

• J. Paul Getty Trust

• • The J. Paul Getty Trust, a private operating foundation dedicated to the visual arts and humanities, comprises a museum, four institutes, and a grant program. The purpose of the latter is to strengthen the fields in which the trust is active by funding exceptional projects throughout the world that promote research in the history of art and related fields, advance the understanding of art, and conserve cultural heritage. The Getty Grant Program provides support to organizations and scholars in the areas of research, conservation, and leadership and professional development. The Grant Program section of the trust's Web site provides a general overview of its grantmaking activities, extensive program information and guidelines, a list of grants recently awarded, and application and contact information.
    

• Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation

• • The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation supports programs in the San Francisco Bay Area and Hawaii in the areas of arts and culture; environment; population; reproductive rights; citizen participation, building communities, and inclusiveness; and strength of the philanthropic process and the nonprofit sector. In addition to general application and fiscal information, the foundation's Web site provides an archive of grants, listed by program area and most recent financial information.

• Carl Gellert & Celia Berta Gellert Foundation

• • Based in San Francisco, the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation promotes religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and educational activities in the nine counties of the greater San Francisco Bay Area (i.e., Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma Counties). Visitors to the foundation's Web site will find a mission statement, application guidelines, an online application request form, grant recipients, and contact information.

• Durfee Foundation

• • Named in honor of the late Dorothy Durfee Avery who, with her husband, the late R. Stanton Avery, founded the Avery Dennison Corporation, a multinational manufacturing concern, the Durfee Foundation has awarded more than $13 million in grants since 1960 in the areas of arts and culture, education, history, and community development, primarily in southern California. Programs currently supported by the foundation include arts programs: Durfee Artist Awards, ARC (Artists' Resource for Completion), and Master Musician Fellowships; the Durfee Sabbatical Program; Student Challenge Awards; and the Durfee Community Fund. Although the foundation does not review unsolicited proposals, one-page letters of introduction are welcomed. Visitors to the foundation's Web site will find program descriptions and criteria, project proposal guidelines, financial statements and a summary of grants from the foundation's most recent annual report, a listing of the foundation's trustees, and contact information.

• Joseph Drown Foundation

• • Joseph Warford Drown was involved with the hotel industry, notably as owner of Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. He formed the Los Angeles, California-based Joseph Drown Foundation in 1953 to provide an organized means of charitable giving, both during his lifetime and after his death in 1982. The goal of his foundation is "to assist individuals in becoming successful, self-sustaining, contributing citizens," and the foundation is interested in programs that break down barriers that prevent growth and learning. The foundation has five main funding areas: education, community health and social services, arts and humanities, medical and scientific research, and special projects, which are at discretion of the board but still related to the mission of the foundation. Programs in the area of medical and scientific research are initiated by the foundation; arts and humanities programs are a lesser priority and concentrate on outreach and education. Most of its grantmaking is limited to programs and organizations in California. Consult its Web site for more information about each funding area, as well as the grant application procedure, a list of sample grants, contact information, and related links.

• J.C. Downing Foundation

• • Founded in 1990, the San Diego-based J.C. Downing Foundation supports innovative efforts and original projects in five program areas: education and human development, environmental research and preservation, fine arts, sports and athletics, and technology and communications. The foundation awards grants to qualified nonprofit organizations with explicit, identifiable needs, and it does not place geographic or dollar restrictions on its grants. The foundation's Web site provides grantmaking guidelines and areas of exclusion, application procedures, a list of selected grants the foundation has made since 1990, and a Resource section, which includes information about the grantseeeking process, a recommended reading list, and links to Web sites of interest.

• California Wellness Foundation

• • The mission of the California Wellness Foundation is to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education, and disease prevention. The foundation concentrates its grantmaking activities in eight areas: diversity in the health professions, environmental health, healthy aging, mental health, teenage pregnancy prevention, violence prevention, women's health, and work and health. It also makes grants through a Special Projects Fund for activities outside those eight areas. In addition to information about its general grants program and descriptions of strategic initiatives in each of its eight focus areas, the foundation's Web site provides a listing of latest grants, news, links to related Web sites, and the foundation's newsletter, downloadable in Adobe Acrobat format.

• California Endowment

• • Established in 1996 as a result of Blue Cross of California's conversion from a nonprofit to a for-profit corporation, the California Endowment works to "expand access to affordable, quality healthcare for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians." Within this context, and as a new foundation keenly interested in delivering maximum benefit to its constituents, the endowment has two grant programs, as well as special projects. CommunitiesFirst focuses on three broad areas of interest: access, health and well-being, and multicultural health. The Local Opportunities Fund was created "to provide communities with resources to address important health issues on a local level." The endowment's Web site offers application procedures and a downloadable application, an online publications order form, staff and board listings, contact information, an electronic feedback form, and an extensive list of relevant Internet resources.

• Archstone Foundation (CA)

• • Established in 1985 as the FHP Foundation and renamed in 1996, the Archstone Foundation has refocused its grantmaking activities on healthcare for the elderly and on the well-being of aging adults within their communities, with an emphasis on the southern California region. The Long Beach, California-based foundation's Web site provides information about application procedures and funding restrictions, online access to several of its publications, a searchable grants database, answers to FAQs, news, and links to aging-related resources.

Corporate Grantmakers in California

• Computer Associates International, Inc.
  • Computer Associates (CA) International, headquartered in Islandia, New York, focuses its philanthropic efforts on "children and activities that help them build the confidence they need to succeed" in communities where CA employees live and work around the world. Through its Community Grants program, CA donates money and time to charities for efforts that improve the lives of children (pre K - grade 12) and for projects that benefit children of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and/or children with developmental disabilities. CA also offers product donations for programs that assist young people in achieving career success. The Web site provides grant and product donation guidelines and forms, a map of communities where CA operates with contact information, information on nonprofit partnerships, details on the company's employee matching gifts and volunteer programs, and a list of FAQs.
• IKOS Community Involvement Program
  • IKOS Systems, an electronics company in Cupertino, CA, has a Community Involvement program involving employee volunteers and a grants program. "As a technology leader in high performance design verification solutions, [IKOS] values the importance of investing in community solutions that accelerate positive change." Primary areas of interest are: education; human/social services; health/healthcare; and the environment. Awards are made to nonprofits and schools in areas where IKOS employees work and live. Grants are usually under $1,000 and never over $5,000. The site includes application guidelines and deadlines. There is an electronic application form that the potential grantee fills out, attaching the necessary documents, and then submits online. If the applicant cannot attach the necessary papers they may be e-mailed separately or sent via the mail.
• A. W. Bodine-Sunkist Memorial Foundation
  • Since its establishment in 1990, the A. W. Bodine-Sunkist Memorial Foundation honors the memory of Sunkist board vice chairman Arthur W. Bodine. Eligibility requirements include financial need and a family or personal involvement in California or Arizona agriculture. The scholarship program is open to students entering any phase of their undergraduate college career, at any school, and in any field of study. Visit the company's Web site to download the scholarship application and find eligibility and contact information.
• ResMed Foundation
  • The ResMed Foundation's mission is to promote research and both public and physician awareness of the inherent dangers of untreated sleep-disordered breathing. These inherent dangers include the relationship of sleep-disordered breathing to traffic and workplace accidents as well as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and obstructive lung disease. The ResMed Foundation also plans to promote leading research for publication in appropriate scientific and medical publications. Visit the foundation's Web site to learn more about the current initiatives and find contact information.
• Irwin Home Equity Foundation
  • Irwin Home Equity Foundation strives to enhance the quality of life in the communities where our employees live. The foundation is interested in supporting activities that make creative use of community resources and form effective with qualified nonprofits interested in civic and community, education, health and well-being, housing, and social welfare. Visit the foundation's Web site to learn more about current funding interests and find guidelines and restrictions, and contact information.
• E. & J. Gallo Winery
  • E. & J. Gallo Winery strives to contribute to the health and well-being of our fellow citizens through a host of civic, cultural and non-profit activities, and school/business partnerships. Community programs supported include business and educational partnerships, cultural events, as well as support for nonprofits. Visit the company's Web site to find out about current initiatives and obtain contact information.
• The Mechanics Bank
  • The Mechanics Bank places special emphasis on educational programs through schools and/or nonprofit organizations whose goals are to enrich the lives of our youth. Through our giving program, the company provides corporate donations, sponsorships and caring employee volunteers who donate numerous hours of personal time and talent to ensure the success of a variety of fund-raising causes and events. The main categories of giving include education, health and human services, art and culture, and civic and community. Visit the company's Web site to find guidelines, restrictions, and contact information.
• Ingram Micro Inc.
  • Ingram Micro has a corporate giving program that invests volunteer, cash and in-kind support in communities located in Orange County, California, Carol Stream, Illinois, Buffalo, New York, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, Memphis, Tennessee, Millington, Tennessee, and Carrollton, Texas. Their investments are directed to innovative programs that promote education and economic self-sufficiency. The Web site includes program structure and application procedures, as well as eligibility and contact information.
• PowerBar Inc.
  • PowerBar, located in Berkeley, California, maintains its Team Elite Program to assist individual athletes across a variety of sports by providing products and gear. Visitors to the PowerBar Web site will find a description of the Team Elite Program
• Yahoo! Inc.
  • Based in Santa Clara, California, Yahoo! Community Relations are centered on supporting social entrepreneurs, collaborations, and community groups throughout the world. Yahoo! lends corporate resources to qualified, enduring nonprofit organizations by sponsoring online media exposure. A range of issues as diverse as the organizations themselves are supported. Yahoo! posts guidelines for this type of exposure and posts links to each selected organization on its Community Partners page; numerous national and regional California organizations are featured. Contact information is provided.
• Working Assets Corporate Giving Program*
  • Working Assets is a San Francisco-based long distance, credit card, Internet services, and broadcasting company "that was created to build a world that is more just, humane, and environmentally sustainable." The Working Assets funding service donates a portion of its revenue to progressive nonprofit groups working for peace, human rights, equality, education, and the environment. The company's Web site contains information about the company's programs and services, a list of currently supported organizations, details on how customers can nominate an organization to receive funding, contact information, and "WorkingForChange," an activism information and resource Web site.
• Fluor Corporation
  • In 1952 the Fluor Corporation, a publicly owned engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance services organization, created Fluor Foundation. Since that time, Fluor Foundation has made a sizable contribution to educational, community and cultural organizations throughout the world. For more details, the Web site provides contact information.
    
• Wells Fargo & Company*
  • Wells Fargo & Company, the San Francisco-based banking and financial services concern, directs the bulk of its corporate giving to three areas: community development, education, and human services. Support is generally directed to organizations and programs that assist low- and moderate-income individuals. Organizations in locations served by Wells Fargo are eligible to apply. The company also actively encourages the volunteer efforts of its employees in their local communities. The company's Web site provides a list of eligible states, state-specific guidelines and application procedures, and contact information.
• Unocal Corporation
  • The El Segundo, California-based Unocal Corporation and the Unocal Foundation seek to build community relationships where the company has operations. Support is provided for community and humanitarian projects through direct corporate giving, contributions from the operating budgets of individual business units, and grants from the Unocal Foundation. Funding is focused on efforts that support the education and well-being of children and families, provide skills training and self-help initiatives to enhance livelihoods, and improve community conditions in the vicinity of company operations and areas of business interest. The company's Web site provides a "Corporate Responsibility Report" with information on Unocal's U.S. and international corporate giving programs.
• Trimble Navigation
  • Trimble is committed to "supporting the community. Trimble responds to societal needs, challenges, and opportunities by providing assistance to responsible non-profit organizations of many kinds." Trimble contributes funds to local organizations that work in Silicon Valley communities. Trimble also supports global environmental, educational, and social programs through product donations. The site provides a contact address for those interested in learning more about the program. There are also several articles on the site about Trimble projects and interests.
• Toyota USA Foundation
  • Carmaker Toyota "believes in helping people improve the quality of life in their communities." The company's community giving program is focused on education, with emphasis on primary and secondary schooling. In addition to funding national programs, Toyota supports the social well-being of communities where it has major operations (California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, and West Virginia). This includes assistance for arts and culture and civic and community development. The Toyota USA Foundation is committed exclusively to improving the quality of K-12 education in the United States with a primary emphasis on improving the teaching and learning of mathematics and science. Grants are made to accredited colleges, universities, community colleges, vocational or trade schools, and to nonprofit organizations engaged in pre-collegiate math and/or science education. K-12 public and private schools may not apply directly to the foundation, though they may be the recipient of an independent nonprofit agency's funding request. The company's Web site contains information on the company's many giving and award programs, guidelines for both the corporate and foundation grant programs, news and updates, and contact information.
    
• Times Mirror Foundation
  • The Times Mirror Foundation of Los Angeles, California, is a program of the Tribune Company dedicated to supporting nonprofit organizations that "measurably improve the quality of life" in communities served by the company. Program areas of interest include journalism, education, literacy, community enrichment, and art and culture. The foundation's Web site features program support restrictions, application information, a downloadable grant summary sheet, an online version of the foundation's most recent annual report, and contact information.
• 3Com Corporation
  • Computer networking company 3Com Corporation seeks to "reinforce connections where communications and community intersect" by donating networking equipment, sharing the company's expertise, and encouraging community investment where the company's employees live and work. Specific areas of community investment often include the advancement of education and community economic development through networking technology. The company provides support through financial and in-kind contributions, and an employee gift matching program. The company's Web site features selected lists of past grants, grant guidelines, application procedures, and contact information.
• Sun Microsystems
  • Through its Community Development Grants Program, the Sun Microsystems Foundation, Inc. "invests in communities that are often characterized by low income, high unemployment, and disturbing school drop-out rates." Grants are awarded in the areas of education and employment and job development in the southern San Francisco Bay Area, the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts, and the West Lothian District of Scotland. The company's Web site features information on the funding criteria (including limitations), application guidelines, and an online version of the company's latest annual report.
• Solectron*
  • Solectron, a worldwide provider of electronics manufacturing services, has locations around the world, but its corporate headquarters are in Milpitas, California. Solectron's commitment extends "beyond customers, into its communities, demonstrating the company's belief in social responsibility [and] striving to be an asset to its communities." The Social Responsibility section of the company's Web site features a list of organizations and programs Solectron works with and supports in the areas of education, human services, the environment, and the arts; contact information; and application information, restrictions, and a listing of organizations previously funded.
• Fireman's Fund Foundation*
  • Established in 1953, The Fireman's Fund Foundation of California supports human needs as well as educational, cultural and community activities. Programs of interest include arts and culture, human needs, and education to qualifying nonprofit organizations located in Marin and Sonoma counties only. The foundation's Web site contains details on the various grant programs, application information, a downloadable application, and contact information.
• The San Jose Sharks
  • The San Jose Sharks and the Sharks Foundation support a broad range of community programs, but they are especially focused on the community's youth. The Sharks Foundation is dedicated to meeting the educational, social, and cultural needs of the community. To apply for a grant, an organization must be located in Santa Clara County and must support local youth. The Shark's Web site features a downloadable grant application, descriptions of the community programs that the Sharks are involved in, contact information, and descriptions of all the Sharks Foundation community-based programs, which include golf tournaments, street hockey programs, and food, toy, and book drives.
• Silicon Graphics, Inc.
  • A leader in high performance computing technology, Silicon Graphics, Inc. of Mountain View, California, is dedicated to "being an active partner in the continuous improvement of our community through strategic investments in health and human services, education, the arts, and the environment." The company supports voluntarism in its employees and internal environmental and diversity efforts. Unsolicited proposals are not considered.
• Sempra Energy
  • Located in San Diego, California, the Sempra Energy corporate giving program is "dedicated to taking a leadership role in promoting health, furthering education and environmental protection, and stimulating economic vitality, while enhancing the quality of life in communities where we do business." The Sempra Energy corporate giving program also includes an employee matching program and a volunteer incentive program for employees. The company's Web site features contact information.
• Sega Foundation
  • The Sega Youth Education & Health Foundation, also known as the Sega Foundation, is committed to improving the lives of young people and has a particular interest in children's education and health. The foundation initiates most of its funding discussions with nonprofit organizations, but it accepts unsolicited proposals for small grants. The Foundation area of the company's Web site features information about foundation-funded projects and initiatives. Visitors funding information, grant application and eligibility guidelines, and lists of grants.
• Seagate
  • Seagate Technology is "committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities in which its employees live and work." The company demonstrates its support through donations of funds, furniture, computer and office equipment, and by encouraging employee voluntarism. The company focuses its giving on science and technology initiatives that enhance creativity and diversity in grades K-12. The company also gives special consideration to programs that offer employee-volunteering opportunities and funds programs that affect communities in which Seagate operates or its employees live. Grant requests must be submitted in letter format. The company's Web site features a list of contacts for those who need more information; a scrapbook, which contains photos from different projects and programs that Seagate has been involved with around the globe; and grant application guidelines.
• San Diego Gas & Electric
  • The San Diego Gas & Electric Company Community Center is the philanthropic arm of this southern California energy company. The center's goal is to "provide funds for programs that allow it the opportunity to build partnerships with organizations, businesses, and community leaders to meet community needs." Grants are made in five main categories: education, the environment, business and community development, health and human services, and civic and community affairs. The program also includes a Speakers Bureau, a Tree Smart program, and a Virtual Power Plant Tour to teach visitors about the company. The company's Web site features application guidelines, lists of grant recipients in each category, and a list of cities and counties that the company serves and supports.
• Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation Charitable Contributions Program
  • Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation, located in East Palo Alto, California, maintains a corporate giving program that supports local programs that keep children in school and build self-esteem, develop marketable job skills or job opportunities, and fight drug abuse and crime. Programs must serve primarily East Palo Alto residents. The company's Web site features a description of the company's giving interests, lists of funded programs, and contact information.
• QUALCOMM Incorporated
  • Based in San Diego, California, QUALCOMM Incorporated creates digital wireless communications products and services. Through QUALCOMM's corporate giving program, the company provides cash and in-kind donations and volunteer programs to support a variety of qualifying nonprofit organizations. Program support is limited to areas where the company has locations. Funding priorities include math and science education, arts and culture, and health and human services. The company's Web site provides details on the corporate giving and voluntarism programs, grant guidelines, application procedures, and contact information.
• Providian Financial Corporation
  • The Providian Financial Corporation, a bankcard institution operating nationally and internationally, funds grants, educational matching gifts, and volunteer service matching gifts through its Community Giving Program. Contributions are made in regions where the company has offices and are primarily directed to child care, consumer education, consumer financial literacy, and credit awareness. Support is also provided to community organizations and programs such as emergency services for children and families, affordable housing, economic development, and a variety of social and cultural programs. Priority is given to requests whose primary purpose is to benefit low- and moderate-income individuals. The company's Web site includes state-and country-specific grant guidelines and contact information.
• Fantastic Foods, Inc.
  • Fantastic Foods is committed to contributions nationwide in support of vegetarian, organic and Celiac Disease related health events and organizations. Contributions reach health and environmentally conscious consumers interested a healthier diet through the consumption of all natural, vegetarian products. The company's Web site contains an online application form and contact information.
• Pacific Gas & Electric Company
  • Formed in 1997, the Portland-based PGE-Enron Foundation is a corporate foundation permanently endowed by Portland General Electric and Enron Corp. to improve the quality of life for Oregonians. The foundation's giving program centers on education, healthy families, arts and culture, and the environment. The foundation also created a special initiative called Community 101, which "helps high school youth experience the value of community service learning and philanthropy." The foundation's Web site contains information on the Community 101 program and other grant initiatives, application information, an online version of the foundation's latest annual report, an archive of recent press releases and news on the foundation, board and staff listings, and contact information.
• Patagonia, Inc.
  • Patagonia, Inc. of Ventura, California, established its environmental grants program in 1985 to help protect habitat, wilderness, and biodiversity in the United States and internationally. The company gives preference to grassroots organizations that seek to address the root causes of environmental problems, approach issues with a commitment to long-term change, and build a strong base of citizen support. The company's Web site provides funding guidelines and restrictions, application procedures, lists of funded organizations by geographic location and category, and contact information.
• Palm, Inc.
  • Milpitas, California-headquartered Palm, Inc. established its Palm Products Donation Program in 1998 to provide Palm handheld technology products to nonprofits groups that serve community needs. The Web site provides an overview of the program and a list of recipient organizations.
• Pacific Life Foundation
  • The California-based Pacific Life Foundation supports qualifying organizations in the areas of health and human services, education, arts and culture, and civics, the community, and the environment. A considerable portion of the foundation's budget each year is directed to five to seven pre-determined issues. Contributions are made primarily in communities with large concentrations of Pacific Life employees; some California statewide and national organizations also receive support. The company's Web site features funding guidelines, a downloadable grant application, and contact information.
• Oracle Corp.
  • Through its giving program, the Redwood Shores, California-based Oracle Corporation is committed to "improving the quality of life in our global community by supporting concrete efforts that promise definite solutions." As part of its commitment to education, the Oracle Giving program invests in math, science, and technology programs; targets low-income communities and encourages young innovators; and increases access to technology by donating hardware and software as well as providing training and curriculum to academic institutions. A major education initiative is the Help Us Help Foundation, which assists K-12 public schools and youth organizations in economically challenged communities to obtain information technology tools. Oracle also invests in environmental and endangered animal protection efforts, and medical research programs.
• Northrop Grumman Corporation
  • The Northrop Grumman Corporation of Los Angeles, California, seeks to support programs that improve education, human services, and culture and that address diversity. More specifically, the company's Charitable Giving Program supports such areas as career and employment counseling; pre-college education; human services organizations; environmental, civic, and cultural organizations; and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. The company also provides education support through the Northrop Grumman Litton Foundation, which focuses on literacy, math, science, and technology programs spanning pre-college through collegiate levels.
• National Semiconductor Corporation
  • The National Semiconductor Corporation, based in Santa Clara, California, supports a number of corporate philanthropy programs and initiatives with the common goals of improving education and addressing critical community needs in the communities where National Semiconductor is located. The company's corporate commitment to education focuses on grades K-12 and provides school funding, volunteers, and technical assistance and equipment. The National Semiconductor Foundation, established in 2000 as a charitable fund with the Community Foundation of Silicon Valley, provides financial support to programs in the areas of higher education, primary/secondary education, and critical community needs.
• SUMCO USA Corporation
  • The companies that formed SUMCO, Sumitomo Sitix and Mitsubishi Silicon America, have consistently provided financial and volunteer support to organizations in the communities in which they do business. The company participates in programs that focus on resource conservation, waste reduction, and pollution prevention. Visit the company's Web site to learn more about the environmental interests, areas of company operation, and contact information.
• Mervyn;s, Inc.*
  • A subsidiary of Target Corporation, Mervyn's stores seek to improve local communities through financial support, volunteer activities, and involvement in nonprofit initiatives. Mervyn's stores partner with local schools and arts and social action organizations to help improve the quality of life for families, particularly children. Funding currently focuses on arts and education. The Mervyn's grantmaking program "begins and ends" at the store level. Store managers serve as the initial contact for nonprofit organizations making a grant request. The company's Web site provides funding eligibility guidelines, a store locator, details on the application process, and information on national giving programs, including the annual Local Hero Scholarship Program.
• McKessonHBOC
  • McKesson HBOC, headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a provider of healthcare products and services to retail pharmacies, hospitals, and healthcare networks. The company's principal charitable arm, the McKesson Foundation, Inc., works to "enhance the health and quality of life in the communities where McKesson Corporation operates and its employees live." Programs include Adolescent Health, to increase access to quality health care for at-risk children and youth; Youth-at-Risk, to provide opportunities for youth to develop life skills necessary to become productive citizens; and Employee Involvement, to encourage and support employee involvement in the community. The company's Web site features descriptions of the foundation's funding philosophy, grant guidelines and application procedures, a list of sample grants, and information on educational matching gifts, scholarships, special youth initiatives, and volunteering.
• Mattel Children's Foundation
  • Based in El Segundo, California, the Mattel Children's Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Mattel, Inc., encourages community involvement among its employees and makes charitable investments aimed at furthering Mattel's goal to better the lives of children in need. The majority of the foundation's resources are directed toward national initiatives that creatively address relevant children's issues. Priorities include the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, and the Mattel Family Learning Program, which establishes computer learning labs worldwide. (Due to major funding commitments, the foundation is not currently accepting new proposals.) The foundation also offers grants to match employee volunteer and financial contributions and provides toy donations to nonprofit organizations directly serving children in need.
• Shaklee Corporation
  • Through its Corporate Citizenship section, the Shaklee Corporation strongly supports corporate social responsibility. It is devoted to enriching the communities in which its employees and distributors live and work and providing educational opportunities through a wide variety of partnership programs, corporate contributions, and employee volunteer projects. The company's Web site features program details, a history of the corporation's charitable giving, and contact information.
• Materials for the Future Foundation
  • The Materials for the Future Foundation was founded in San Francisco in 1992 by a group of Bay Area funders and recycling advocates to "support community-based initiatives that integrate the environmental goals of resource conservation through waste prevention, reuse, and recycling with the economic development goals of job creation/retention, enterprise development, and local empowerment." The foundation focuses on low-income communities, communities of color, and communities with high numbers of unemployed persons, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area. The foundation accomplishes its goals through grantmaking, loans, providing business and technical assistance, referral services, community education, and other projects.
• Electronics for Imaging, Inc.
  • The eBeam Tech Fund was established by Electronics for Imaging, Inc. to provide technology grants to educational institutions, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Grants consist of a free or discounted eBeam System, which scans handwritten notes or designs to a computer. Interested applicants can fill out an online registration and essay form; more details on the program are available on the fund's Web site.
• Levi Strauss & Co.
  • Levi Strauss & Co.'s commitment to the needs of communities around the world where the company's employees and contractors' employees live and work. Giving programs are focused on HIV/AIDS prevention programs targeting women and youth, economic development programs for women and youth, and education access projects. Grants are also provided to community organizations located in sourcing communities for programs including basic healthcare access and workers' rights information. The company's Web site provides grant guidelines, application procedures, and a list of eligible communities and countries with contact information, grants lists organized by geographic area, and information on employee volunteer and matching gifts programs.
• Komag, Inc.
  • Komag, Inc., a San Jose, California-based producer of thin-film media for disk drives, provides support for nonprofit organizations with an emphasis on youth and education programs in regions where the company does business. The company's U.S. Corporate Grant Program provides cash grants and equipment to schools and nonprofit organizations.
• Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
  • The California-based, Varian Medical Systems makes grants, donations and gifts to non-profit organizations committed to supporting the provision of information and services involving the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer.
• Kingston Technology Company, Inc.
  • The Fountain Valley, California-based Kingston Technology Company, Inc.'s charitable giving program follows the core values of the company itself, focusing on organizations that support education, technology, and the well-being of citizens. Specific areas of interest are education, community service, and arts and culture.
• Intel Corporation
  • Intel Corporation and its employees "are dedicated to supporting community needs, educational initiatives, and environmental programs" in communities around the world in which Intel has a presence. The company's top priority is education, with support provided for K-12/higher education and programs that advance science, math, and technology education, particularly for women and underserved populations.
• Hitachi Data Systems Corporation*
  • The Santa Clara, California-based Hitachi Data System's Corporation maintains a corporate giving arm "to promote corporate citizenship in the communities in which Hitachi Data Systems operates." This mission is accomplished with volunteerism, funding and in-kind donations through two programs: the Community Action committees, for volunteer services and grants up to $5000, and Corporate Donations, for larger grants. Corporate Donations focus on the areas of science and technology education, civic and community development, health and human services, and arts and culture. The Community Action Committees center on community-based charitable events.
• Hewlett-Packard Company
  • The global philanthropic efforts of technology company Hewlett-Packard are informed by its "vision of the future where technology is accessible to everyone in the world as a means to learn, work, and benefit from information." The company's philanthropy and education programs are focused on developing and supporting programs that promote educational opportunity and "e-Inclusion" for people in underserved communities in the United States and around the world. In the United States, Hewlett-Packard awards equipment and cash donations through three programs: the U.S. grants program, local contributions programs, and employee giving programs. The national grants program does not fund projects from unsolicited proposals. Local programs provide contributions to nonprofit organizations and K-12 schools.
• Genentech, Inc.
  • Genentech, Inc., a biotechnology company headquartered in San Francisco, California, provides support through its corporate contributions program to national and local nonprofit organizations working in areas of healthcare and science and to targeted local giving in the communities in which it operates. Funding is provided through general support or project-specific grants to nonprofit organizations and through sponsorships of selected nonprofit events.
• Gap, Inc.
  • Based in San Francisco, California, Gap, Inc. provides support to nonprofit organizations around the world through the Gap Foundation. The foundation's primary areas of focus are education and youth development. Funding is also contributed to health and social service agencies, local arts and civic organizations, and nonprofit organizations committed to protecting the environment. While the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for cash grants, it does donate a limited number of gift certificates to public schools and youth-serving nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City.
• FileMaker, Inc.
  • Based in Santa Clara, California, FileMaker produces desktop-to-web information management software. Through FileMaker's Corporate Donations program, the company is able to donate software licenses to selected nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits must first purchase a copy of FileMaker before they can be considered for the license donation, and must have a budget of under one million dollars, with less than half from government appropriations. As an alternative, FileMaker offers ebase, a free software program designed for the management of membership, donations and volunteers. This program can be downloaded from the FileMaker Web site.
• Fieldstone Foundation
  • As the philanthropic vehicle of the Fieldstone Group, a home builder based in southern California, the Fieldstone Foundation supports nonprofit organizations serving the communities where it works: Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties in southern California and Salt Lake City in Utah. Donations are focused in the areas of humanitarianism, community and education, cultural arts, and Christian ministries. The foundation is particularly interested in programs serving children and families.
• Farmers Insurance Group
  • Farmers Insurance Group of Los Angeles, California, has a corporate giving program committed to improving the communities where its customers, agents, and employees live and work throughout its 41-state territory. The company provides support to programs that improve safety, enhance educational opportunity, and increase civic participation.
• eBay Foundation
  • Created in 1998, the eBay Foundation supports "organizations that provide tools, hope, and direction to those who seek new skills" and "organizations that implement programs that have long-term implications and maximize the ability to do good in the world." The foundation's global/national grants program seeks partnerships with programs that are national in scope; these grants may be applied for on an invitation-only basis. The foundation's community grants initiative provides funding for programs in U.S. communities where eBay has a major employment base (currently San Jose, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah).
• The Walt Disney Company
  • The Disney Learning Partnership grew from Disney's American Teacher Awards, begun in 1989 to recognize "creative, innovative teaching strategies." The partnership focuses on three program areas: teacher recognition and professional development, collaborative school-wide learning initiatives, and strengthened parent-teacher connections. Disney's American Teacher Awards are given annually to creative teachers across the United States.
• Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc
  • Located in Novato, California, Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc. supports charitable causes through its corporate giving program. Birkenstock makes grants and product donations to local community nonprofits, maintains an employee matching gift program, and has a volunteer program. The Community section of Birkenstock's Web site highlights information on charitable groups that the company supports, descriptions of the company's three giving programs, guidelines and program requirements for grants and product donations, and contact information.
• CNET, Inc. Community Involvement Program
  • Located in San Francisco, California, the CNET, Inc. Community Involvement Program is the philanthropic effort of technology media company CNET, Inc. The program is committed to assisting nonprofit organizations that work to improve the education and computer skills of members of the communities in which the company's employees live and work. The program concentrates its involvement on education, health and human services, arts and culture, and civic affairs and community service. Most contributions are made to San Francisco area organizations, while some support goes to national groups. CNET does not provide large financial donations or corporate sponsorship funds, but it does make in-kind gifts and organizes collections for Goodwill drives.
• Clorox Company Foundation
  • The Clorox Company Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life in communities where employees of the Clorox Company live and work. The foundation makes grants primarily in Oakland, California, its headquarters community, and in areas where company facilities are located. The foundation currently has two focus areas: education/youth development and culture/civic programs. The foundation also offers an Arts Mini-Grants Initiative to provide small grants to assist the Oakland nonprofit cultural community.
• Cisco Systems Foundation
  • Created in 1997 with a gift from California's Cisco Systems, Inc., the Cisco Foundation provides grants to organizations with "long-lasting impact on a local or global scale." Grants are awarded in communities in which Cisco Systems has a significant business presence. The foundation's Impact Grants support work in the areas of basic human needs, access to education, responsible citizenship, and technology and innovation in nonprofits.
• ChevronTexaco Corporation
  • Headquartered in San Ramon, California, ChevronTexaco Corporation conducts business in a "socially responsible and ethical manner," by protecting the environment, supporting the communities where the company operates, and promoting human rights. The company's Web site features information on community partnerships in locations around the world, community news, and an online copy of the company's annual report of contributions, which includes detailed funding information and grants lists.
• West Marine, Inc.
  • The California-based West Marine, Inc. works to "actively promote boating, reduce our impact on the environment, improve and protect marine habitats, and contribute to meeting social needs in the communities of operations." The company provides support for organizations focused on youth, communities, and the marine environment. The company's Web site features grant guidelines and contact information.
• The Candle Foundation
  • Candle Corporation, a software and services company, makes contributions through the El Segundo, California-based Candle Foundation. The foundation provides funding for programs in the areas of community investment, education and information dissemination, hunger and homelessness, preventive healthcare, and medical research.
• California Pizza Kitchen, Inc.
  • As part of its community relations program, California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. provides schools with Student of the Month Certificates and Pizza Passes, which can be used to award exceptional students throughout the year. Additionally, California Pizza Kitchen helps schools raise money through CPKids fundraising programs. Interested parties should contact the manager at the nearest restaurant location; a list of locations can be found on the company's Web site.
• Cadence Design Systems
  • Cadence Design Systems of San Jose, California, provides funding, in-kind donations, and volunteer support through its community affairs program. Direct corporate cash grants are focused on organizations that serve the communities in the greater Santa Clara Valley. General information on grant guidelines, applications, and the review process are available on the company's Web site. Additionally, Cadence Design sponsors a Matching Gift Program for organizations located where employees live and work that focuses on the areas of K-12 education, higher education, arts and culture, health and human services, the environment, and animal rights and welfare. The company also offers support to community programs through a bowling tournament and provides university donations and scholarships.
• Berry Petroleum Company
  • Since 1986, the Berry Petroleum Company of Bakersfield, California, has been awarding college scholarships to local high school students. The company's Web site features a listing of recent awardees, eligibility criteria, and contact information.
• Bechtel Foundation
  • Bechtel Group, Inc., located in San Francisco, California, develops and manages capital projects and facilities worldwide. The Bechtel Foundation supports communities where the company has offices or major projects. The foundation supports the volunteer activities of Bechtel employees; provides funding to business, technical, and engineering students at selected universities; offers college scholarships for the children of its employees; and matches the contributions its employees make to U.S. universities. The foundation also supports math and science education and global understanding programs. All grants are generated internally by Bechtel's office and project managers.
• Autodesk, Inc.
  • Design software and digital content company Autodesk, Inc., located in San Rafael, California, established its Community Relations Program in 1989 to support the communities where Autodesk employees live and work. The company provides monetary and product donations to nonprofit organizations focused on art and culture, civic and community issues, education and technology, the environment, and health and human services. The company's product donations program is managed by Gifts in Kind International.
• Aspect Telecommunications Corporation
  • The San Jose, California-based Aspect Telecommunications Corporation, a supplier of call center products, created the Aspect Community Commitment Fund, a direct corporate giving program, to support the education and healthy development of children in the communities where Aspect employees live and work through grants to local nonprofit organizations and schools. The fund provides monetary support for projects that help children up to age 14 "achieve specific results indicative of healthy development and educational success."
• Applied Materials, Inc.
  • Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California, created a corporate philanthropy program to make a positive social contribution in areas where the company has major operations. Grants are focused in three giving areas: education, civic development, and arts and culture.
• ALZA Corporation
  • ALZA, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, awards grants through its corporate giving program of up to $5,000 to nonprofits for education, health and human services, science, cultural, and civic programs. Preference may be given to organizations that have ALZA employees serving as board members or volunteers. In addition, ALZA contributes to specific universities for their work in pharmaceutics and biosciences and maintains an employee matching gifts program, a volunteer matching program, and an equipment donation program. The "Community Relations" area of ALZA's Web site describes its funding areas and provides grant application procedures.
• Agilent Technologies, Inc.
  • Palo Alto, California-based Agilent Technologies, Inc.'s corporate giving programs are focused on improving science and mathematics education around the world. The Agilent Technologies Donations Program and the Agilent Technologies Foundation focus on elementary and secondary education and support programs that actively support the company's pre-university education objective: "to improve student achievement in mathematics and science, and increase the number of women and underrepresented populations who study and teach technical subjects."
• Adobe Systems, Inc.(CA)
  • The San Jose, California-based Adobe Systems, Inc. provides software solutions for network publishing. Through its giving programs, Adobe supports primary and secondary schools and qualified nonprofit organizations/NGOs in the United States and internationally with donations of its latest software. The program is managed in partnership with Gifts In Kind International, and a nominal processing and shipping fee is charged for all software donations. Adobe makes cash grants through its Community Investment Grant Program to nonprofit organizations dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty, specifically hunger and homelessness, and to K-12 schools in San Jose/Silicon Valley, California, or Seattle/King County, Washington. Adobe also offers free software training programs for teachers and nonprofit organizations and a Volunteer Request Program through which schools and nonprofit organizations in select areas can request employee volunteer support for community activities.