Photo by Grameen America
Economic Mobility
Sobrato Philanthropies’ Thriving Communities strategy envisions a region where low-wage, housing-insecure families and individuals can achieve economic mobility, educational equity, housing securing and long-term stability. Where every child benefits from high-quality education, every family feels safe and secure in their home and neighborhoods celebrate the languages, cultures and diversity that make them strong.
Fundamentally, our focus on Economic Mobility is designed to increase the share of households in our region that can achieve economic advancement and have agency to craft their future. Building on our history in grantmaking, nonprofit real estate, and capacity building, we partner with communities to:
- Advance community-driven agendas across the Bay Area with a focus on Silicon Valley to tackle systemic barriers to economic mobility and ensure equitable access to basic needs, educational, and navigational support. Funding priorities include support for regional organizations, coalitions, and collaboratives focused on systemic interventions, policy advocacy, and narrative change, and core support and capacity building to strengthen the Silicon Valley nonprofit sector.
- Strengthen paths to economic opportunity to increase financial security, well-being, and community cohesion in our most vulnerable communities. We prioritize community-driven cradle-to-career approaches that advance belonging, economic success, and build power and autonomy. Potential investments include building community power through support for grassroots organizations, community organizing, and capacity building, expanding access to high-quality childcare and early education, supporting community anchor institutions, and building pathways to good jobs and increased income.
- Bolster networks, coalitions, and community infrastructure in some of the most disinvested communities in our region to ensure responsive ecosystems. Funding priorities in these places include core support, capacity building, and leadership development to increase the connectedness and well-being of the nonprofit ecosystem in our eight priority geographies that include the Bay Area’s most vulnerable communities:
Spacing: small
- Daly City & South San Francisco
- Shoreview
- Unincorporated Hayward & San Lorenzo
- Redwood City & North Fair Oaks
- East Palo Alto
- Half Moon Bay & Pescadero
- Downtown & East San Jose
- Gilroy
