Holiday Spirit

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.

Posted Dec. 16, 2016

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.

Apply for a Holiday Fund Grant

Nonprofits serving children and families may apply for funds by downloading our Grant Application Guidelines and Grant Application Form. Application deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Friday, January 12, 2023.

Make a donation
2023 Recipient Agency
Able Works$10,000

Acterra$15,000

Ada's Cafe$25,000

Adolescent Counseling Services$7,500

Art in Action$10,000

Art of Yoga Project$5,000

Aspire East Palo Alto
Charter School
$5,000

Bay Area Friendship Circle$5,000

Beyond Barriers
Athletic Foundation
$5,000

Big Brothers Big Sisters
of the Bay Area
$5,000

Blossom Birth and Family$5,000

Canopy$5,000

CASA of San Mateo County$5,000

Christmas Bureau of Palo Alto$7,500

Community Legal Services
in East Palo Alto
$10,000

Counseling and Support
Services for Youth (CASSY)
$15,000

Downtown Streets Team$15,000

DreamCatchers$15,000

East Palo Alto Academy
Foundation
$10,000

East Palo Alto Kids Foundation$15,000

East Palo Alto Razorhawks
Rugby Football Club
$5,000

Eastside College
Preparatory School
$7,500

Ecumenical Hunger
Program
$10,000

Environmental Volunteers $7,500

EPACENTER$25,000

EPATT (East Palo Alto
Tennis and Tutoring)
$20,000

Family Connections$7,500

Fit Kids Foundation$5,000

Foundation for a
College Education
$15,000

FRESH APPROACH$5,000

Fresh Lifelines for Youth$5,000

Friends for Youth$5,000

Friends of the Palo Alto
Junior Museum & Zoo
$10,000

Heart and Home Collaborative$10,000

Hidden Villa$10,000

Hope Horizon East Palo Alto$7,500

Jasper Ridge Farm$5,000

Kara$15,000

Lauren's House 4 Positive
Change
$5,000

Learning Home Volunteers$10,000

Mannakin Theater & Dance$5,000

Music in the Schools Foundation$7,500

My New Red Shoes$5,000

Nuestra Casa de East Palo Alto$10,000

Palo Alto Art Center Foundation$10,000

Palo Alto Community
Child Care (PACCC)
$20,000

Palo Alto Players$10,000

Peninsula Bridge$10,000

Peninsula College Fund$10,000

Peninsula Healthcare Connection $10,000

Peninsula Volunteers$15,000

Pursuit of Excellence
Scholarship Foundation
$20,000

Ravenswood Classroom Partners$20,000

Ravenswood Education
Foundation
$10,000

Rebuilding Together
Peninsula
$7,500

REEL2e$5,000

Rich May Foundation$5,000

Riekes Center$5,000

Rise Together Education$15,000

Rosalie Rendu Center$5,000

Sager Family Farm$5,000

Science is Elementary$5,000

Silicon Valley Urban
Debate League
$7,500

StreetCode Academy$10,000

The Circuit EPA$5,000

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley$5,000

UNAFF (United Nations Association
Film Festival)
$10,000

Vista Center for the Blind
and Visually Impaired
$10,000

WeHOPE$15,000

WomenSV$7,500

Youth Community Service $25,000

Child Care Grants

AbilityPath$10,000

All Five$10,000

Children's Center of the
Stanford Community
$5,000

Children's Preschool Center$5,000

Covenant Children's Center$10,000

Grace Lutheran Preschool$10,000

Palo Alto Community
Child Care (PACCC)
$10,000

Palo Alto Friends Nursery School$10,000

Parents Nursery School$10,000

The Learning Center$10,000


As of November 29th, 81 donors have contributed $67,242 to the Holiday Fund.
* indicates amount withheld at donor's request

16 Anonymous1,970
Steven Feinberg10,000
Marcia & Michael Katz*
Roger V. Smith500
Jody Maxmin*
Kay Remsen*
Penny Barrett*
Ted and Ginny Chu*
Scott and Jan Kilner500
Andrea B. Smith100
Andrea B. Smith100
Greg & Penny Gallo500
Dixie Storkman100
Ted & Ginny Chu*
Ken Bencala & Sally O'Neil100
Richard Johnsson500
Bruce & Jane Gee1,000
William Debord2,000
Barbara Klein*
J. W. Morton100
Dan Pappas250
Ellen Turbow500
Bonnie Packer & Robert Raymakers1,000
A.C. & Kathryn Johnston250
Barbara Riper*
Paul & Sarah Donahue2,000
Judy & Tony Kramer*
R Zuanich200
Chris Kenrick1,000
Veronica Tincher*
Cynthia Costell150
Leif and Sharon Erickson500
Julie & Jon Jerome*
Ed & Linda DeMeo500
Joyce & Gerry Barker*
Sallie and Jay Whaley*
Marjorie Bridges25
Jean Dawes1,000
Arthur Keller500
Jesse Dorogusker and Jennifer DiBrienza1,000
Charles Williams200
Martha Shirk1,300
Kroymann Family250
Bonnie and Bryan Street*
Bonnie and Bryan Street*
Tess & Eric Byler100
In Memory Of

Ruth & Chet Johnson*
Nancy & Robert Lobdell*
Bob Donald*
Kathy Morris*
Bob Kirkwood*
Darla Tupper3,922
Dan Logan100
Aaron O'Neill*
Werner Graf*
E Yanosh ALT20
Jenna Hilleary750
Jack Sutorius750
Thomas and Louise Phinney*
Leo and Sylvia Breidenbach*
Jackie Boner*
In Honor Of

Bill Johnson*
Marilyn Sutorius750
As a Gift for

Sally Werling100
Businesses & Organizations

Arrillaga Foundation10,000
Peery Foundation 10,000

Past Holiday Fund Grant Recipients

2018-2019 | 2017-2018 | 2016-2017 | 2015-2016 | 2014-2015 | 2013-2014 | 2012-2013 | 2011-2012 | 2010-2011 | 2009-2010 | 2008-2009 | 2007-2008 | 2006-2007 | 2005-2006 | 2004-2005 | 2003-2004 | 2002-2003 | 2001-2002 | 2000-2001 | 1999-2000