Tempe Javitz, a volunteer tutor with Girls to Women, helps fourth-grader Tonantzi Nava-Gonzalez with her reading homework after school at the tutoring program in East Palo Alto on Dec. 2, 2015. The Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund has supported the work of Girls to Women with a grant. File photo by Veronica Weber.

Local family gives $100,000 to Holiday Fund
Donor stresses desire to support local causes

A Palo Alto family has made a $100,000 donation to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund in hopes of inspiring other donors to join them in supporting local programs for kids, families and individuals in need.

The gift is from a family foundation that wishes to remain anonymous and that has made similar gifts for each of the last five years. The funds will be used to match the contributions of other donors.

"This generous Palo Alto family believes strongly in the mission of the Holiday Fund and the efficiency with which we are able to assist many local nonprofits," Palo Alto Weekly publisher Bill Johnson said.

The donors, in a statement accompanying the donation, stressed their desire to support local causes.

"We grew up in Palo Alto and have always appreciated the extraordinary services provided by the city, the schools and the many community-based organizations. We want to support these efforts and the Holiday Fund is a superb way to do that," they said.

Since the Weekly and Silicon Valley Community Foundation absorb all of the costs of the program, every dollar that is donated is distributed without any overhead or expenses deducted.

Over the last 23 years, the Holiday Fund has raised and distributed more than $5 million to local nonprofits.

The Holiday Fund program has enjoyed ongoing support from the Packard and Hewlett foundations, the Peery and Arrillaga foundations and several other family foundations. Proceeds from the annual Palo Alto Weekly Moonlight Run, which is held in the fall and has become one of Palo Alto's largest community events, benefit the Holiday Fund.