What is Silicon Valley Strong?

• Silicon Valley Strong is an emergency relief effort that was developed with the leadership of the County of Santa Clara and the City of San Jose to help those in Santa Clara County affected by COVID-19. Silicon Valley Strong serves three key groups:
  • Residents, with a focus on those who are at the highest risk of displacement due to illness, caregiving, loss of work hours, and loss of income, both individuals and families with children.
  • Small businesses and microbusinesses that are at risk of closure due to loss of clientele or health and safety restrictions.
  • Community-based organizations, specifically nonprofits serving the vast needs of our diverse community, including arts and culture organizations.
• Silicon Valley Strong coordinates volunteers, funding and resources for residents. The effort includes the following:
  • Funding – The Silicon Valley Strong Fund provides financial resources to individuals and families, nonprofits, and small businesses. The Silicon Valley Strong Fund is housed at and administered by Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF)
  • Volunteering and Food Distribution – recruits volunteers to ensure food security for residents. It will assist nonprofits in food programs that serve seniors and the medically vulnerable who are self-isolating
  • Digital Resource Hub – updates community with vital updates and critical resources

Are donations to the Silicon Valley Strong Fund tax deductible?

• Yes, donations to the Silicon Valley Strong Fund are tax deductible through our partnership with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The SVCF tax ID is 20-5205488.

I donated online through PayPal, when do I get my receipt for tax purposes?

• After submitting your online donation, you should receive a PayPal email confirmation with donation details. In addition, SVCF sends an acknowledgement letter (i.e., tax letter) via email within five business days of your donation.

If my company matches donations, what do I need to do?

• If your company offers matching gifts through Benevity, please  go to Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s portal and select our project:  Silicon Valley Strong Fund for Coronavirus Relief 2020-03-24.

Who decides who receives funds from Silicon Valley Strong?

• Residents – SVCF distributes grants to Destination: Home, who will manage the disbursement of resources to individuals and families facing economic hardship due to COVID-19.
• Nonprofits – SVCF, with support from a community advisory committee, distributes grants in Santa Clara County based on an assessment of local needs and the opportunity to fill gaps in services and leverage other philanthropic resources.
• Small businesses – SVCF, in partnership with Opportunity Fund, disburses grants to small businesses according to their operating procedures.

Will there be a report back sharing how funds were disbursed?
Yes. SVCF will report back the following:

• • Amount disbursed
  • Number of individuals and families assisted
  • Names of nonprofits supported
  • Summary of small businesses supported through the fund
  • Outcomes and lessons learned from responding to the pandemic

Are undocumented residents eligible for Silicon Valley Strong?

• Yes. This fund is designed to support residents, nonprofits and small businesses that are facing economic hardship due to COVID-19 and that reside in Santa Clara County – regardless of their documentation status.

Why should I give to Silicon Valley Strong over the other funds?

• Silicon Valley Strong is focused on Santa Clara County and has established channels of rapid fund and assistance deployment to ensure those in need receive support as soon as possible.

How often will the grants go out from the fund?

• On a weekly basis.

How can anyone contribute?

• By clicking here

If I make a general contribution to the fund, how is that money allocated? Who decides?

• SVCF staff will allocate resources to the category with the most immediate need

Funding for Nonprofits

Why is the nonprofit fund capping gift to $50K per organization? org –Why is support not scaled to size of organization?

• The nonprofit fund is limited to grants up to $50,000 to provide support to as many organizations as possible during the current pandemic crisis.  Funds are also limited due to the number and size of contributions that are received.

How will the funds for nonprofits be distributed?

• SVCF, with support from a community advisory committee, distributes grants in Santa Clara County based on an assessment of local needs and the opportunity to fill gaps in services and leverage other philanthropic resources.

Who will decide how the nonprofit funds be spent in Santa Clara County?

• SVCF staff and a community advisory committee work in collaboration with other funders to coordinate and leverage our donations.

If a nonprofit isn’t based in Santa Clara County, but serves Santa Clara County residents, is it eligible for Silicon Valley Strong?

• Yes

Will the funds support agencies’ general operations or programs related specifically to the coronavirus?

• Funds will support emergency operations support for efforts pertaining to coronavirus response. Depending on the grantee organization, this may include general operations support.

Are SVCF-raised funds equally divided among nonprofit recipients?

• No. Funds will be distributed according to grantees’ specific budgets based on their capacities for crisis response. Up to $50,000 will be granted per organization.