Community Programs and Grants

n 2005, the Foundation's community grantmaking program marked its fifth anniversary, awarding grants that totaled $2.7 million to 25 community partners.

Seven-year-old Tiffany says that her mentor, Thuy, has changed her life, and Thuy says the same about Tiffany. The Foundation supports agencies that undertake the difficult task of recruiting mentors for children who hope for a relationship with a caring adult.

Patricia Foster, executive director of the Girls Club of the Mid-Peninsula, chats with Yesenia, who has grown into an independent and outgoing young woman since she began going to the club.

The Foundation's two grantmaking focus areas have not changed since the program's inception: prevention of abuse and neglect of children ages 0 to 5 and promoting resiliency and healthful choices among preteens, ages 9 to 13. The five-year milestone created an opportunity for a reflection on the program's work to date and consideration of future strategic directions. The Foundation commissioned an assessment that includes consultation with key stakeholders and analysis of data collected during the first five years. Plans will be announced in 2006.

Although the grantmaking focus areas did not change, in 2005 the Foundation devoted some funds to a new approach to child abuse, Differential Response. Grants were made to both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties to assist in development of pilot programs in which calls reporting possible abuse are investigated more quickly and more effectively.

Also in 2005, the grantmaking program published "Programs for Preteens: Community Partnerships That Work," a compilation of stories about grantees in the preteen focus area.

As part of its ongoing evaluation, the grantmaking program also commissioned the Center for Effective Philanthropy to conduct a Grantee Perception Report to assess the Foundation's performance. The evaluation's results are online at www.lpfch.org/grantmaking/granteesurvey-full.pdf.

For more information about the grantmaking program, see www.lpfch.org/grantmaking/.

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