HIF Champion Spotlight
The Sobrato Organization has been a strong champion of HIF for many years. HIF is fortunate to have Elizabeth Meadows (Asset Manager for The Sobrato Organization) serve on HIF’s Board of Directors. Elizabeth leverages her own generous support of HIF through the Sobrato Matching Gift program that is so important to the success of our annual September Summit fundraiser.
In addition to the grants we receive from the Foundation’s Essential Human Services focus area, HIF was chosen to be one of the nonprofits that relocated our offices at the beautiful, new Sobrato Center for Nonprofits in Palo Alto. This amazing opportunity will help HIF save thousands of dollars each year in rent, allowing us to invest those savings into our programs and staff.
Sobrato Philanthropies is part of The Sobrato Organization, a multi-generational, family-owned, and family-led firm that has played a dynamic role in the emergence and growth of Silicon Valley for nearly 70 years. As a family, they inspire current and future generations to steward family resources in service of others around the world.
The Sobrato Philanthropies’ mission is to advance social justice and enable social change by partnering with communities, creating access to opportunity, and addressing systemic barriers to build a more equitable and sustainable world. Guided by the business philosophy and personal values of the Sobrato family, three generations engage in grantmaking, advocacy, impact investing, and collaborative efforts to create impact in the communities they serve.
Sobrato Philanthropies works in three core areas: Investing in Silicon Valley, Advancing English Learners in California, and Committing to Sustainability. HIF receives support under the Foundation’s Investing in Silicon Valley focus area as well as office space at the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits in Palo Alto.
The Sobrato Family Foundation has made general operating support (GOS) grants since 2004, a rare and increasingly important focus for nonprofits to not only survive, but to meet the enhanced challenges of increased need throughout the region.
In response to feedback from a 2018 assessment, the unique realities of Silicon Valley, and additional input from community stakeholders, the Foundation implemented a few key changes to this program in early 2019. These changes amplify the most positive aspects of the historic GOS program, while also addressing the changing landscape in Silicon Valley.
- Deepening of the program’s focus on human services and social safety net services.
- Deepening of the program’s focus on serving low-income communities in Silicon Valley.
- Improving the application process and timeline for portfolio applicants
Sobrato Philanthropies’ Silicon Valley Community Programs increase stability and economic mobility for low-income individuals in the region, and builds a resilient and effective nonprofit community serving low-income Silicon Valley residents. As inequality of opportunity in Silicon Valley continues to grow, Sobrato Philanthropies partners with nonprofits, funders and the local community to capture the full potential of individuals and families and ensure equitable access to a strong safety net and pathways to economic mobility.
The Economic Mobility Program makes grants across three portfolios – Essential Human Services, Pathways for Success, and Postsecondary Success – toward a vision of expanded opportunity for low-income Silicon Valley residents. Sobrato Philanthropies also invests directly in the region’s nonprofit ecosystem by providing in-kind office and meeting space through its Sobrato Centers for Nonprofits program.
HIF’s mission and programs strongly align with these priorities, and we are grateful to Sobrato for their recognition and support of our work in the community.
To learn more about the Sobrato Family Foundation and its impact, click here.
