Where do YOU want to Give?

Wherever your passions for giving lie, Giving List nonprofits are on the frontlines of making our community stronger.

Rhea Suh: Upholding Democracy

When we at The Giving List spoke with Rhea Suh last year (“Bringing Environmental Justice Home”), she had just taken the helm as President and CEO of the Marin Community Foundation after leading the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York and serving in the Department of the Interior for the Obama Administration. This year she settled into life in Marin County, where she regularly sports a Golden State Warriors jacket. “I relinquished my allegiance to the Brooklyn Nets,” she jokes.  With its nationally treasured landscape, Marin County is a dream locale for the environmentalist to take her “doodle mix” [...more...]

Using the Full Philanthropic Toolbox to Advance Racial Equity and Economic Inclusion As told to Daniel Heimpel

As the San Francisco Foundation’s (SFF) Chief Impact Officer, Judith Bell’s mission is to align the foundation’s many tools around a clear goal: creating a Bay Area where everyone can get a good job, live in a safe and affordable home, and exercise their political voice.  Beyond internal alignment, the public policy veteran sees her role as an opportunity to marry grassroots organizing with the philanthropic sector, all with an aim to drive significant policy change. There are many examples from her leadership at SFF that show how this strategy can be very effective.  Q.How does systems change factor into [...more...]

The ‘Other,’ Kalyan Balaven

As the first person of color to serve as Head of Dunn School in Los Olivos, California, Kalyan (“Kal”) Balaven is, in many ways, a long way from his youth in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his family found itself houseless, surviving on what Balaven calls community wealth.  From an ethnic perspective, Balaven says that he’s always thought of himself as “other.” An outsider identification that informs his work today as the head of an esteemed private residential school with a rich history that didn’t always include leaders (or many students) that looked like him. “The idea of being [...more...]

Mona Sinha’s Journey to Gender Justice

It’s a long way from Calcutta (now called Kolkata) for Mona Sinha, Board Chair of Women Moving Millions. Growing up in a family of three girls, Sinha could never escape the feeling that her parents had really wanted a son. She’s since overcome this feeling of inadequacy, but it informs her world view and her approach to philanthropy which works to build a gender equal world where everyone is valued for who they are. Supporting gender justice, for Sinha, is part of her DNA. “I grew up very well cared for. I’d watch my mother dole out the food for [...more...]

Lifting up the Region that Gave Her So Much

Nicole Taylor’s passion for “power-building” and lifting up those living on the margins has its inspirational roots 350 miles south in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, where her Jamaican immigrant mother’s spirit of giving and of service was, according to Taylor, unparalleled. “She just continuously gave to others and expected me to do the same. Even though we didn’t have literally anything to give, I was always expected to help.”  Despite being raised in Los Angeles, Taylor, CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the largest community foundation in the nation, feels a deep debt of gratitude to her adopted region. [...more...]

Project Aims to Bring All Veterans Home Homeward Bound of Marin

Summer opens with a clear path to ending veteran homelessness in Marin County! Crews demolished old warehouses this spring and […more…]

AAPI Heritage Month Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants

Mayor Shen Thao’s office nominated CERI staff member Sophal Yin as an honoree for the AAPI Heritage Month for the […more…]

Blessing Ceremony Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants

On April 11, 2023, CERI officially opened the doors at our new office on Grand Ave in Oakland. We marked […more…]

A Home Within Has Exciting News for Psychologists! A Home Within

A Home Within is thrilled to announce that we’ve acquired approval through the American Psychological Association (APA) to offer CE […more…]

Join us at the 2023 QPI National Virtual Conference Youth Law Center

YLC first launched the Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) in 2008. QPI is a strategy, method, and approach to transforming a foster care […more…]

Everyone Deserves to Live with Dignity and Respect Community Action Marin

Marin County is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. Yet many in our community go without the […more…]

Celebrate National Foster Care Month with JBAY & Author David Ambroz on May 25th John Burton Advocates for Youth

May is Foster Care Awareness Month and John Burton Advocates for Youth is delighted to be celebrating it with a […more…]

X-Out Cancer Campaign RUNX1 Research Program 

The RUNX1 Research Program (RRP) is holding its annual X-Out Cancer Campaign during the month of May. This year, we are debuting the RRP […more…]

JBAY Launches Campaign to Fund Second Year of Critical Needs and Opportunity Fund John Burton Advocates for Youth

JBAY is closing in on its first year of the Critical Needs and Opportunity Fund and one thing is clear: it has […more…]

Congressman DeSaulnier Presents $600,000 to A Home Within & CASA for Mental Health Services for Current & Former Foster Youth A Home Within

We’re excited to announce that on April 12th, 2023 Congressman Mark DeSaulnier visited the CASA office in Concord, CA to […more…]

Find Your Spark! 2023 Gala Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area

Join Friends of the Children Bay Area on Thursday, April 27, 2023 6:00-9:00PM for their Find Your Spark! 2023 Gala […more…]

SFYS @ School: Free Recess, Lunch or After School Soccer San Francisco Youth Soccer

All kids deserve the ability to play soccer. The mission of San Francisco Youth Soccer is to support youth soccer and […more…]

Statewide Campaign to End Family Fire Influences Firearm Storage Behavior with Encouraging Results Brady | United Against Gun Violence

In 2022, Brady launched a statewide End Family Fire campaign in partnership with the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) to […more…]

Foster Youth Speak Up to Increase Housing Affordability John Burton Advocates for Youth

“What am I doing here?”  That is the question that foster youth Yuki Huang asked herself when she lived in […more…]

YLC’s Policy Director Awarded ABA’s Fearless Children’s Lawyer of the Month Youth Law Center

We are so proud of YLC’s Policy Director, Jenny Pokempner, on being named the American Bar Association’s Fearless Children’s Lawyer […more…]

Get Involved & Together We Can Create a Stronger Marin Community Action Marin

Community Action Marin makes it possible for people in Marin to achieve well-being by providing the vital services they need. […more…]

From Chinatown to Bayview Hunters Point: Wu Yee Children’s Services Celebrates Lunar New Year and Black History Month Wu Yee Children’s Services

In January and February, Wu Yee celebrated the Lunar New Year and Black History Month in San Francisco! Wu Yee […more…]

Raphael House’s Legendary Gala Returns! Raphael House

Spend the evening of Saturday, May 13th, with your community to help Bay Area families experiencing homelessness at the beautiful […more…]

Yeah, Art! Students Featured on NBC’s “Play It Forward” Yeah, Art!

Yeah, Art! is proud to be one of the featured nonprofits alongside Youth UpRising on NBC’s docuseries “Play It Forward,” featuring the […more…]

State Grant Expands Career Training at Homeward Bound of Marin Homeward Bound of Marin

Culinary training and support services to enter the workforce will grow at Homeward Bound of Marin with help from $750,000 […more…]

Black History Month Book Drive East Bay Children’s Law Offices

In her beautiful children’s book, Amanda Gorman writes, “I can hear change humming in its loudest, proudest song. I don’t […more…]

Raphael House Of San Francisco Announces Formation Of New Executive Leadership Council Raphael House

Raphael House — the only privately-funded family homeless shelter in San Francisco — announces the launch of their Executive Leadership […more…]

Shanghai: Holocaust Port of Refuge Holocaust Museum LA

On Sunday, February 5th, Holocaust Museum LA’s staff members and curators of the traveling exhibition “Hidden History: Recounting the Shanghai […more…]

Raphael House is excited to announce a new board chair: Tom Poser, Senior Managing Director at Newmark Raphael House

Tom is a Bay Area native and has been a dedicated community builder and fundraiser. As a board member for […more…]

Committed to a Stronger Marin Community Action Marin

Community Action Marin, the county’s largest nonprofit anti-poverty agency, helps over 20,000 individuals each year. Our team works hard to ensure […more…]

Help Make Ends Meet Community Action Marin

This is a critical time of year for our Safety Net Services team, as winter weather, soaring electric bills, and food […more…]

Join YLC for the 2022 virtual Unsung Heroes celebration! Youth Law Center

Please join us for the first virtual Unsung Heroes event on Thursday, December 8th, 2022 from 3-4:30pm PST. We will be celebrating […more…]

Groundbreaking Party Spotlights Homes for Unhoused Veterans Homeward Bound of Marin

On the eve of Veterans Day, Homeward Bound of Marin celebrated a future community in Novato that brings the countywide […more…]

Protecting Rights and Saving Lives Around the World Human Rights Watch

War. Climate change. Poverty and inequality. Protecting democracy. Advancing education for women and girls.  Multiple agencies could spend years tackling […more…]

Providing Healthcare to the World’s Most Vulnerable Communities World Telehealth Initiative

Esperanza was 19 years old and living in Malawi when she faced a serious health crisis. While giving birth to […more…]

Everyone Needs a Place to Call Home Homeward Bound of Marin

Serving in the U.S. Army, Andrew learned to persevere through adversity. He later spent years living outdoors in a tiny […more…]

 Global Aid in Time of Global Crisis Direct Relief

In 1945, William Zimdin, an Estonian immigrant who had fled fascism to California, dedicated his fortune to sending relief parcels […more…]

Turntable Won’t Stop Until Young People Find Their Safe Place Turntable

Robynne Jeisman simply wants young people to find a safe place where they feel like they truly belong. As the […more…]

Personalized Family-Centered Solutions to Homelessness Raphael House

Support doesn’t end when you leave Raphael House, a long-term family shelter with a legacy of breaking barriers in Lower […more…]

Tackling Poverty Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa

A mother passing you on the sidewalk. An elderly man waiting for the bus. A child playing soccer with your […more…]

Supporting Local Journalism and Empowering Our Collective Social Health San Francisco Public Press

The San Francisco Public Press wants you to know two things: the truth behind the major problems afflicting the Bay […more…]

The Social Sector’s Preeminent Source of News and Knowledge Stanford Social Innovation Review

The year was 2003, and the philanthropic sector was going through a period of significant evolution. Every day, new technologies […more…]

Battery Powered Makes Collective Giving Easier (and More Fun) for Bay Area Philanthropists Battery Powered

When tech entrepreneurs Michael and Xochi Birch launched a private social club, dubbed The Battery, in San Francisco almost a […more…]

Pioneering a New Legal System Aimed at Ending Poverty Open Door Legal

While Adrian Tirtanadi was working in community development, he came upon an idea: If everyone could access legal help, poverty […more…]

Changing How We Think About Poverty Community Action Marin

Despite being one of the wealthiest counties in the country, Marin County is one of the least racially equitable in […more…]

Building a World Beyond Incarceration for Bay Area Youth Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice

Alex Diaz, 26, first encountered the youth organizing and community building nonprofit Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ, pronounced […more…]

Welcoming the Stranger: Helping Refugees Build a New Life Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay

Every week, JFCS East Bay resettles three to four refugee families, the majority of whom have been arriving from Afghanistan […more…]

Youth Law Center Carves Paths to College for Justice-Impacted Youth Youth Law Center

At 20, Jacqueline Rodriguez found herself at a critical junction in her life. If she continued on her path, the […more…]

An Exceptional Place Where Exceptional People Can Be Themselves Camping Unlimited for the Developmentally Disabled

After emigrating from Bulgaria in 1928, Alexander Angel Krem graduated from George Williams College in Chicago with a degree in […more…]

Inspiring Black Male Youth to Build a Bold, New Future The Hidden Genius Project

Well before Silicon Valley’s diversity problem routinely made headlines, The Hidden Genius Project began to tap into the talents of […more…]

For the Love of Soccer San Francisco Youth Soccer

In Scotty Kober’s eyes, soccer is the most versatile sport in the world. Anywhere, anytime, anyone can play – all […more…]

Turning Foster Care Into an ‘Engine of Opportunity’ John Burton Advocates for Youth

In 2018, a few months after Elizabeth Clews exited the foster care system at 18 years old, she was pregnant […more…]

A Legacy of Outdoor Education and Lifelong Learning Vida Verde

Jessica Kahlman knows that many Bay Area students have yet to lay eyes on a majestic coast redwood or dip […more…]

Joining the Fight Against Childhood Cancer Enzo & Me Pediatric Cancer Foundation

When Krista and Danny Keller’s only son, Enzo, became desperately ill without an explanation, their world spun. Then Enzo could […more…]

One Goal: Prevent Cancer RUNX1 Research Program 

Before 2009, Tim and Monica Babich were living in denial about Tim’s RUNX1 familial platelet disorder (RUNX1-FPD). After Tim’s aunt […more…]

Connecting Youth to Jobs And Career Pathways Juma Ventures

Perhaps, if you were watching the Giants and Padres play in Oracle Park one recent evening, you might have seen […more…]

A Reimagining of California’s Commitment to the Emotional Well-Being of Its Children California Children’s Trust

Over the past few years, California’s leadership has responded boldly to the well-documented youth mental health crisis – one that […more…]

Giving San Francisco’s Unhoused Youth and Young Adults a Chance to Thrive At the Crossroads

25 years of unconditional support. 25 years of long-term relationships. 25 years of never kicking anyone out of their program. […more…]

Higher Education as a Pathway to LGBTQ Rights Point Foundation

For many young people, the world can feel hostile. For LGBTQ youth, this feeling is too often a grim reality. […more…]

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area

During the first few weeks after David began mentoring Ronald, he would find the five-year-old child sound asleep, not participating […more…]

Helping First-Generation Students to & Through College Across the Bay 10,000 Degrees

Believe. Partner. Connect. These three values animate the work of 10,000 Degrees, a uniquely successful Bay Area organization supporting students […more…]

Razing the Bar: Turning Institutions Into Family Razing the Bar

At 18, after a youth spent in foster care, homeless shelters, and other county institutions, Dontae Lartigue rolled up his […more…]

Helping Foster Care Survivors ‘Weather the Storms’ A Home Within

Anthony Pico was homeless, unemployed, and had aged out of the foster care system when he started seeing a therapist […more…]

For Young Women and Girls, Community Is Power Alliance for Girls

Young women in the world often find themselves in perpetual combat with a system that has historically silenced and oppressed […more…]

A Tangible, Actionable Vision of a World Beyond Plastic Pollution Plastic Pollution Coalition

Plastic is causing unprecedented damage to the earth, wildlife, and humanity. This year, researchers found microplastics in Antarctica’s snowfall and […more…]

Civil Eats TV Spotlights the Inspiring Stories of Women – the Backbone of the Nation’s Food System Civil Eats

Doria Robinson grew up in a tough neighborhood in Richmond, California. Liquor stores and fast food restaurants lined almost every […more…]

Mercy Center Burlingame: Retreat and Conference Center Mercy Center Burlingame

Mercy Center in Burlingame has been a spiritual oasis for the last four decades, a place of healing and transformation. […more…]

Helping People Grasp Interconnectedness The Continuum Foundation

The Continuum Foundation, a two-year-old nonprofit with big ambitions, is developing a completely sustainable and regenerative retreat center on 30 […more…]

Youth Speaks Amplifies the Narrative Power of a New Generation Youth Speaks

Co-founder of the only tech news website for Black millennials; head writer for Disney+’s upcoming superhero series starring a Black […more…]

Giving North Bay Area Students a Voice Through the Arts Youth in Arts

Since 1970, Youth in Arts has been helping students find their voices through the arts and creativity.  “We try to […more…]

Helping Underserved Students Thrive Through Arts Classes That Reflect Their Reality Yeah, Art!

“You can’t be what you can’t see.” This quote from civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman is the guiding force […more…]

An Inclusive Community Asset Marin Art and Garden Center

The Marin Art and Garden Center was established in 1945 through the foresight of a group of local women who […more…]

Saying Yes to Students Who Need a Supportive School Community Dunn School

“Ne Tentes Aut Perfice.”  This is the Latin motto that students and faculty at Dunn School, a private co-ed college […more…]

Changing Lives Through the Power of Horses, Hope, and Healing National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy

Founded in 1971 and nestled on 12 acres in Woodside, the National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy (NCEFT) is internationally […more…]

Maitri Offers a Safe Place for People to Recover After Gender-Affirming Surgery Maitri Compassionate Care

As Daniel prepared to have gender-affirming surgery, he knew he would need a safe place to heal for several weeks […more…]

#Black Mental Health Matters Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness

Dr. Monique LeSarre wakes up in the middle of the night, over and over again, with the same thought: “I […more…]

Access to Diapers Should be a Right, Not a Privilege Help a Mother Out

The San Francisco Bay Area is an exceptional place to live and raise a family. But it shouldn’t be just […more…]

Berkeley FILM Foundation Helps Young Filmmakers Drive Social Change The Berkeley Film Foundation

In this golden age of documentaries, turbocharged by the streaming revolution, who is making sure that film’s potential to drive […more…]

From the Tragedy of the Oklahoma City Bombing Was Born a Human-canine Bond That Relentlessly Saves Lives National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

When two children got lost during a hike in rural New York with oncoming rain commingling with the darkening night, […more…]

A Second Chance for Formerly Incarcerated Battered Women Five Keys Home Free

As a kid, Nilda Palacios was sexually abused at home and at school. She tried to escape into a relationship, […more…]

Protect Your Kids, Invest in Brady Brady | United Against Gun Violence

In contemplating the scope and destruction wrought by gun violence, it is understandable to despair. But inaction won’t save your […more…]

More than Success, Students Rising Above is Giving Young People Lives of Fulfillment Students Rising Above

For 24 years, Students Rising Above (SRA) has helped thousands of students facing poverty and systemic barriers achieve success. “We […more…]

Providing for San Francisco’s Youngest Residents Wu Yee Children’s Services

Performance in the classroom, strong friendships, career success, and financial independence – these all start with a stable home life. […more…]

Urban Alchemy Practitioners Heal San Francisco’s Troubled Streets  Urban Alchemy

Ian, a former prison inmate paroled on the streets of San Francisco, knows how to do a tough day’s work. […more…]

Healing Trauma with Refugee Youth Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants

Kanley Souet-Pich was familiar with the struggles of refugees as a young mother living in Oakland in 2019. Born in […more…]

Building Pathways to Prosperity United Way Bay Area

The American Dream tells us that with enough grit and determination, anyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and […more…]

Holocaust Museum LA is Encouraging Upstanders Holocaust Museum LA

In recent years, as racism, antisemitism, and bigotry have exploded around the world, the lessons of the Holocaust seem increasingly […more…]

Eyeglasses: The Critical Difference for So Many Struggling Students Vision to Learn

Five-year-old Noah was almost legally blind, pressing his nose against the page to make sense of the words. Then a […more…]

Helping Vulnerable Kids Be Seen and Heard East Bay Children’s Law Offices

Here’s something you might not expect to hear from foster kids: “I want to spend more time with my lawyer.” […more…]

Community Action Marin’s Mission Community Action Marin

We make it possible for people in Marin to achieve well-being by providing the education, mental health, and vital services […more…]

Juma’s Steep Learning Lab: A Sweet Opportunity for Youth Juma Ventures

Juma’s latest venture, Steep Creamery and Tea, is set to become a new kind of learning laboratory for Juma youth. […more…]