Svcf Philanthropy Now Podcast

This past July, the State of California rolled out a new program called CalSavers – an affordable retirement savings program for workers who do not have access to a retirement benefit through their employer. This program will help more than 7.5 million Californians and more than 300,000 workers in Silicon Valley to begin saving for retirement and more.  In this episode, Alexandra Bastien, SVCF’s Financial Stability Program Officer, speaks with Bianca Blomquist, Northern California Outreach Manager at Small Business Majority, about the role of philanthropy in supporting outreach for this ambitious new program and promoting financial security for all Californians.  In our Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems.  Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Riki Wilchins is a leading author, activist and gender theorist as well as the founder of the first national transgender advocacy group, GenderPAC. Her work has been instrumental in bringing transgender rights into the mainstream LGBT movement and increasing awareness of how gender norms connect to issues of race and class. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

SVCF recently provided a grant to support the Silicon Valley Pro Bono Immigration Network (SVPBIN), a project housed within the Tahirih Justice Center that aims to increase access to no cost, culturally competent, and linguistically appropriate immigration legal services in Silicon Valley. In this episode, Anne Im, SVCF's Immigration Program Officer, Zulma Maciel, Director of the City of San Jose’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, and Chriselle Raguro, Coordinating Attorney for the Silicon Valley Pro Bono Immigration Network, discuss how the network will support local immigrant needs. In our Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org 

This past June, Governor Newsom named Kathleen Kelly Janus as his senior advisor on Social Innovation. This new position in the Office of the Governor elevates the role of philanthropic and nonprofit organizations as innovators and illustrates how our state’s philanthropy sector is poised to take cross-sector collaboration to the next level. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org 

Almost 100,000 people in the heart of Silicon Valley do not have access to the internet at home, limiting their educational, economic and civic engagement opportunities. In some low-income communities, nearly half the population lacks connectivity. Mayor Sam Liccardo is leading the charge to make San Jose the first city in the country to close the digital divide. In this episode, Gina Dalma, SVCF's Senior Vice President of Public Policy, speaks with Mayor Liccardo. Listen as they share San Jose's plan to bring universal connectivity to 50,000 households in the next ten years and discuss philanthropy's role in the Digital Inclusion Fund. In our Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

What does corporate social responsibility mean? Two of SVCF’s corporate responsibility team members, Vice President Stuart Burden and Senior Manager Juliana Deans, discuss what their team does, what brought them to SVCF and what excites them about working in CSR. Learn how SVCF’s fifteen-person corporate responsibility department helps clients advance their philanthropy, give back to their communities and engage employees. With our Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, social impact initiatives in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Systemic injustice is something that commonly plagues our court systems, and it is increasingly important to figure out how to resolve these issues and implement changes that serve the community. SVCF regularly explores and exposes these injustices, and works with lawmakers to bring people together, find common ground, and find solutions. In this episode, Gina Dalma, SVCF’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy, speaks with California State Senate Majority Leader, Robert Hertzberg, about the changes taking place over the past few years and how it is affecting the judicial system. They cover the possible ways to eliminate some of the systemic injustice of the court systems and where philanthropy comes in to play. With our Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, discuss social impact initiatives, and look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

For many in the Bay Area, a single emergency can derail a safe housing situation. And for some, losing that housing means living on the street in an RV. SVCF is working with elected officials, nonprofit organizations and homeless advocates to find solutions that will lead to permanent housing for our community members.  In this episode, Gina Dalma, SVCF's Senior Vice President of Public Policy, Chelsea Tercero, Program Director of Safe and Supportive Parking with LifeMoves and Chris, a San Jose RV resident discuss the proliferation of Silicon Valley community members living in recreational vehicles and the challenges around displacement. With our Philanthropy Now podcast series, we explore trends in the world of philanthropy, discuss social impact initiatives, and look at how SVCF promotes innovative philanthropic solutions to challenging problems. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

In Santa Clara County, 7,500 people are without a home on any given night. Destination: Home is a public-private partnership that uses collective impact strategies to to work towards ending homelessness in Santa Clara County. In this episode, Erica Wood, SVCF’s EVP of Community Impact, talks with Jennifer Loving, CEO of Destination: Home, about how communities can come together to end homelessness. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

SVCF supports California Common Cause through our civic participation grant making strategy. California Common Cause advocates for independent commissions to draw district lines for local elections. In this episode, SVCF’s Civic Participation Program Officer Jack Mahoney talks with Rey Lopez-Calderon, the Executive Director of California Common Cause, and Pamela Jones, a Menlo Park community activist, about California’s local redistricting revolution and how district elections can be one path towards better representation. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

What is it like to become a philanthropist for the first time? Donor Sally Liu knows first hand. A long time environmentalist, Liu became a donor with SVCF 14years ago, with a focus on green causes. Liu worked with SVCF to create a vision and mission for her giving. She’s now also a member of SVCF’s Donor Circle for the Environment. In this episode of Philanthropy Now, Liu talks about this and more with her philanthropy advisor Andy Perkins, SVCF’s Director of Donor Engagement. Listen in as the two discuss advice for new donors and some of the things Liu’s been working on. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

In this podcast, Vu Le, creator of the blog Nonprofit AF, executive director of Rainier Valley Corps and co-author of Unicorns Unite: How nonprofits and foundations can build epic partnerships, talks with SVCF’s vice president of corporate responsibility Stuart Burden. Listen in as the two discuss the challenges of securing funding, and the sometimes fraught relationship between nonprofits and funders. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

What can be done to help our homeless neighbors in the Bay Area? In this episode, Pastor Paul Bains, who leads Project WeHOPE and Dignity on Wheels, talks with Gina Dalma, SVCF’s vice president of government relations, about his work to find short and long-term solutions for displaced Bay Area residents; from a mobile hygiene unit to an RV safe parking program for those who live in their vehicles. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Our nation’s suburbanization has prioritized the use of cars and highways, leading to traffic, pollution and inequity. Silicon Valley is no exception. In this episode, Vinita Goyal, Program Officer for Housing and Transportation at SVCF, talks with Bob Allen, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Urban Habitat; Gary Hsueh, Director of Mobility Programs at Prospect Silicon Valley; and Lalo Gonzales, Program Manager  at the Youth Leadership Institute. Listen in as they discuss the state of transportation in the Valley and how the region can address community needs. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Many families struggle to find a balance when it comes to technology use with their young children. SVCF and Common Sense Media recently released a fully bilingual technology guide for grown-ups with young kids. In this episode, Michelle Sioson Hyman, Deputy Director at the Center for Early Learning at SVCF, talks with Maria Alvarez, Vice President of Common Sense Latino, a program of Common Sense Media. The two discuss how the guide came together, as well as their own struggles with technology use as parents. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

SVCF CEO Nicole Taylor has been at the helm for just over 100 days. During this time, she has been out in the community listening and learning, and meeting with community leaders and donors. In this podcast, executive vice president of marketing and communications, Melissa Daar Carvajal, speaks with Nicole about what Nicole has been hearing from the community and her thoughts about continuing to move SVCF forward. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Starting kindergarten is a big step for children and parents. Families often have questions and concerns as they prepare to launch into this exciting adventure! In this episode, Christine Thorsteinson, Early Education Manager at SVCF’s Center for Early Learning, talks with kindergarten teachers Heather Martinez and Adrianne Elfring, and SVCF’s Family Engagement Specialist, Leticia Gonzalez.  The group discusses kindergarten readiness and how families can prepare for this important step in their child’s education. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Over the past decade, Bay Area communities have faced intense gentrification pressure, resulting in increased evictions of residents and small businesses. In this episode, Bert Feuss, Senior Vice President of Investments at SVCF, and Kevin Stein, Deputy Director at the California Reinvestment Coalition, discuss forces contributing to rapid gentrification in the Bay Area and the Anti-Displacement Code of Conduct which calls on banks to end financing practices that lead to the eviction and displacement of residents. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

For the past 20 years, Raising A Reader has helped children and their families share a love of books. Founded in Silicon Valley, Raising A Reader provides books and parent training materials in 15 languages, and even braille, for families to share and integrate into their daily routines. In this episode, Leticia Gonzalez, Family Engagement Manager for SVCF's Center for Early Learning, talks with Michelle Torgerson, President and CEO for Raising A Reader National, about opportunities families have to support their children’s healthy development with a simple but powerful strategy: sharing books regularly. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Did you know that data from the census is used to determine all kinds of things, from the number of seats a state has in Congress, to the amount of federal funding it might receive for all kinds of programs? An accurate count is critical.  Anne Im, SVCF’s immigration program officer, talks with Aparna Ramakrishnan, the census coordinator for the County of San Mateo, and Nick Kuwada, the census program manager for the County of Santa Clara, about why the census is so important that it’s constitutionally mandated. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org