Community Action Grants - Movement- and Power-Building

Community Action Grants - Movement- and Power-Building

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Last Updated: February 05, 2026

Summary

The Community Action Grants - Movement- and Power-Building program by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation aims to empower organizations focused on racial justice and community-based solutions. By prioritizing local residents' leadership and addressing systemic disparities, the program supports initiatives that enhance civic participation. The grants are available to nonprofits with annual budgets under $3 million, fostering creativity and collaboration across various sectors to build a vibrant and equitable Silicon Valley.

Overview

NOTE: For 2025, the community foundation opened one RFP . Who We Are As a community foundation, SVCF brings together the resources and skills of donors, businesses, government, and community members to address the most pressing challenges in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. We actively pursue solutions to the region’s housing, childhood education and economic disparities. Alongside community partners and donors, we use tools such as grantmaking, advocacy, research and policy work to drive lasting, positive change and create a future where every community member can thrive. SVCF Community Action Grants Using an equity lens, the Community Action Grants Program identifies and supports organizations across issue areas that foster creativity and help build the community’s power to promote an equitable, economically secure and vibrant Silicon Valley. SVCF awards grants under the Community Action Grants program through an open Request for Proposals (RFP). Through this RFP, nonprofits may apply to multiple strategies through one application. The application is designed to recognize the important intersectional and intersectoral work of nonprofits in the region and provides organizations one entry to be considered for grants across the multiple focus areas. This application is open to organizations engaged in the following focus areas: Arts and Culture Environment Faith and Neighborhoods Health Local Journalism Movement- and Power-Building Community Action Grants - Movement- and Power-Building Across a range of issues, from housing affordability to the post-pandemic mental health crisis, the people feeling the most pain should have the power to fix the problems. SVCF is focused on supporting organizations that are building power and movements among local residents to ensure that the future of our region is in the hands of those who know what needs to be fixed. SVCF makes targeted investments in two areas that are vital to achieving the civic participation that will result in systemic change: movement-building and power-building. SVCF’s Movement- and Power-building: Community Action Grants Program aims to fund organizations that utilize strategies central to building power, including policy advocacy, voter engagement and others. In this focus area, SVCF supports organizations working to address systemic disparities and increase civic participation through base-building strategies that engage people in dialogue, decision-making and collective action.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Organizations applying should have a clear focus on racial justice and a plan to prioritize community-based solutions, centering the populations they serve in leadership, design and implementation of programs. This RFP will only consider funding organizations with annual budgets under $3 million. Budgets for FY 2025 or FY 2024-2025 are required in the application. Organizations must serve San Mateo and/or Santa Clara counties. Organizations headquartered outside the two-county region may apply but should demonstrate significant service to these areas or partner with a local organization that does. Organizations with a 501(c)(3) designation, those that have a fiscal sponsor with a 501(c)(3) designation, public agencies, collaborations of nonprofit and public agencies, or other entities that have a designated charitable purpose will be considered. Organizations must not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, citizenship status, creed, religion, religious affiliation, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status or any other protected status. Organizations with religious affiliations will be considered for funding only if the project for which they seek support addresses the needs of the wider community without regard to religious beliefs. Funding is primarily for general operating support.

Ineligibility

The following organization types are not eligible to apply for this RFP:Fiscally sponsored projects that are established solely to support the work of one individual. Foundations with the sole purpose to raise funds to support a public entity (such as education foundations).Funding will not be provided for:Capital improvements or budget shortfalls Event sponsorship or fundraising events Funding gaps due to organizational emergencies, such as office vandalism, the resignation of an executive director, or sudden loss of funding