Essential Human Services

The Essential Human Services (EHS) program seeks to increase quality of life for low-income Silicon Valley residents by ensuring access to critical, high quality safety net services.  The EHS program has three key features that support its overarching goal:

• Provide unrestricted, multi-year grants. Flexible, multiyear funding is a best practice to strengthen organizations. Through unrestricted multi-year grants, the EHS program empowers nonprofits to respond to community needs, and helps foster increased trust between our foundation and community-based organizations.

• Invest in organizations that are mission-focused on serving the lowest income communities and communities of color in Silicon Valley. Focusing on these communities helps bring increased resources to historically underfunded communities in the region, direct services toward and stabilize those most in need of safety net services.

• Invest in organizations providing human services. EHS grantees provide a range of social safety net and human services to clients in the Valley, and the vast majority work directly with clients. The portfolio includes organizations that provide shelter, food, health services, legal assistance, and response for victims of domestic violence, in addition to a range of emergency assistance such as clothing, household necessities, and direct cash assistance.  

Application Guidelines

Click here to See the Essential Human Services eligibility requirements.