The Silicon Valley Community Foundation has announced that it disbursed a total of $1.4 billion in grants in the first three quarters of 2021, including $541 million in support of community organizations in California.

Grants totaling $464 million were awarded to 4,736 organizations in ten San Francisco Bay Area counties working in areas such as education, youth and community development, health, and public safety — a 13 percent year-over-year increase in grant dollars.

While the vast majority of grants were awarded through advised funds, including donor- and corporate-advised funds, SVCF also makes discretionary grants from its own community endowment funds in support of nonprofits serving San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Over the past year, SVCF shifted its discretionary grantmaking strategies to provide more general operating support and capacity-building grants to organizations that help build an equitable community, including smaller and emerging organizations led by people of color and allied organizations that amplify the voices and agency of historically underrepresented communities.

"Last year, our donors and corporate partners gave more than they'd ever given before, and it is wonderful to see similar generosity in 2021 as we continue battling the pandemic, wildfires, inequity and more," said Silicon Valley Community Foundation president and CEO Nicole Taylor. "Our donors gave more to the Bay Area than to any other region, demonstrating their commitment to the communities where they live and work....As we continue through the pandemic and work to build more resilient communities, SVCF is devoting our energy and resources to organizations that are helping their communities build the power, agency, and voice to create movements that inspire real change."