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Committed to Successful Partnerships
Sand Hill Foundation is dedicated to giving locally — funding programs and activities within the geographic region we call home. This is the place we know best. We celebrate its successes and experience its challenges. Our reach stretches from the Pacific Coast to the San Francisco Bay, from Daly City to East Palo Alto, with an intentional focus in San Mateo County.
Rebuilding Together Peninsula
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Committed to Successful Partnerships
Sand Hill Foundation is dedicated to giving locally — funding programs and activities within the geographic region we call home. This is the place we know best. We celebrate its successes and experience its challenges. Our reach stretches from the Pacific Coast to the San Francisco Bay, from Daly City to East Palo Alto, with an intentional focus in San Mateo County.
Rebuilding Together Peninsula
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30 Years of Giving section - VP 1+2
Eligibility Guidelines
Within our focus areas of Opportunity, Wellness, and Environment, we support local efforts that build family economic security, promote mental health and wellness, and advocate for nature and sustainable communities.
To be eligible for funding, your tax-exempt organization or project must work within Sand Hill Foundation’s stated focus areas and primarily serve our local area of San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area.
We prioritize support for community-based organizations rooted in San Mateo County, with a particular interest in the communities of Daly City, South San Francisco, Redwood City/North Fair Oaks, and the Coastside where the most families with low-income live in our County.
The Foundation will support only those organizations with strong and consistently applied non-discrimination policies. Please note that we do not fund or provide loans for individuals or efforts designed to elect public officers.
Partnership Criteria
- Dedicate 50% or more of organizational efforts towards the people of San Mateo County
- Focus on youth aged 11-25 and their families as they navigate daily life with limited financial means
- Deliver high-quality programs and serve as a trusted community resource with strong leadership, visionary plans, and an appetite for continuous learning
- Incorporate diverse stakeholder perspectives in planning and operations with demonstrable cultural competence and humility
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Eligibility Guidelines
Within our focus areas of Opportunity, Wellness, and Environment, we support local efforts that build family economic security, promote mental health and wellness, and advocate for nature and sustainable communities.
To be eligible for funding, your tax-exempt organization or project must work within Sand Hill Foundation’s stated focus areas and primarily serve our local area of San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area.
We prioritize support for community-based organizations rooted in San Mateo County, with a particular interest in the communities of Daly City, South San Francisco, Redwood City/North Fair Oaks, and the Coastside where the most families with low-income live in our County.
The Foundation will support only those organizations with strong and consistently applied non-discrimination policies. Please note that we do not fund or provide loans for individuals or efforts designed to elect public officers.
Partnership Criteria
- Dedicate 50% or more of organizational efforts towards the people of San Mateo County
- Focus on youth aged 11-25 and their families as they navigate daily life with limited financial means
- Deliver high-quality programs and serve as a trusted community resource with strong leadership, visionary plans, and an appetite for continuous learning
- Incorporate diverse stakeholder perspectives in planning and operations with demonstrable cultural competence and humility
Committed To Successful Partnerships - VP 1 + 2
Application deadlines? We don’t have them!
You can apply any time. Proposals are accepted at any time of the year and are reviewed on a rolling basis. New applicants and those unsure if their request is aligned with our eligibility guidelines, please contact:
Committed To Successful Partnerships - VP 1-5
How to Apply
Getting Started
Our goal is to make your application process easy and streamlined. To get started, we recommend that you review Sand Hill Foundation’s focus areas and guidelines. You are welcome to apply at any time of year. If you are a new applicant and have questions about eligibility, please use the Contact Us form or give us a call.
Our Process
The Sand Hill Foundation board and staff meet monthly to review proposals, except in December. We know your needs are pressing so we want to consider your request as quickly as possible. Requests that must be considered before December 31 should be received no later than October 31.
Oftentimes an in-person or virtual site visit will be scheduled before or after your application is discussed with the board so that we can better understand your request. Generally, we make decisions about applications within two months — and we promise to keep you informed along the way if this is not possible.
Renewal
As a grantee partner, we schedule check-ins with you throughout your funding period so there is ample time to discuss the future. Renewal applications are welcome at the close of your prior 12-month grant period, unless otherwise stated. A final report and a new application can be submitted simultaneously.
Type and Size of Grants
Grant amounts vary depending on the specific project and the applicant’s needs at any given point in time, but most range from $25,000-$100,000 per year. We seek to be responsive to our partner organizations by funding a range of needs, such as general operations, projects, planning, capacity building, and capital campaigns. Many grants are multi-year. We regret that we cannot fund every worthy request that we receive.
Your Application Process
Review our focus areas and eligibility guidelines to determine if your request meets the eligibility criteria. If you are not sure if your request is aligned with the focus areas, please contact:
Grants Manager
grants@sandhillfoundation.org
For your convenience, we have created an application form that includes the application questions. We encourage you to download and use it as your guide throughout the application process. The application overview includes the narrative questions you’ll be asked once you access the online application portal. We encourage you to draft your responses outside the portal and have them ready to copy and paste into the online form. The application outline also lists the documents and supplemental materials needed to submit the application.
Sand Hill Foundation partners with Pacific Foundation Services for grantmaking and operational support. New users should register for a username and password for our application portal. Existing users can simply login to the portal. If you are not sure if you or your organization have an existing profile in the grants portal, please contact our grants manager at grants@sandhillfoundation.org or (415) 404-7714 ext. 846.
If your request is aligned with our eligibility guidelines, submit an application through the online grants portal. Once logged in, complete the following items:
- Complete the Organization Profile and the Personal Profile, found under the Organization and Contact Information section. If a profile already exists, please check to make sure the existing information is up to date.
- Click the “New Proposals” icon to begin an application.
- Be sure to save your work periodically, as the application form will not auto-save your work. You may save an application in progress and return to it by clicking the “Current Proposals” icon on your home screen.
Click “Submit” when complete. Submitted applications cannot be edited. Please note:
- If your agency does not have an IRS 501(C) 3 tax-exempt determination letter, please upload a completed W-9 form.
- To download a PDF version of your submitted application, click the “Current Proposals” icon, open the submitted application, and click the “Printable Application” button.
- Whenever exiting the portal, be sure to log out before closing the page or browser.
Your Application Process
STEP 1: REVIEW GUIDELINES
Review our focus areas and eligibility guidelines to determine if your request meets the eligibility criteria. If you are not sure if your request is aligned with the focus areas, please contact:
Grants Manager
grants@sandhillfoundation.org
STEP 2: REVIEW PROCESS
For your convenience, we have created an application form that includes the application questions. We encourage you to download and use it as your guide throughout the application process. The application overview includes the narrative questions you’ll be asked once you access the online application portal. We encourage you to draft your responses outside the portal and have them ready to copy and paste into the online form. The application outline also lists the documents and supplemental materials needed to submit the application.
STEP 3: REGISTER & LOGIN
Sand Hill Foundation partners with Pacific Foundation Services for grantmaking and operational support. New users should register for a username and password for our application portal. Existing users can simply login to the portal. If you are not sure if you or your organization have an existing profile in the grants portal, please contact our grants manager at grants@sandhillfoundation.org or (415) 404-7714 ext. 846.
STEP 4: PREPARE APPLICATION
If your request is aligned with our eligibility guidelines, submit an application through the online grants portal. Once logged in, complete the following items:
- Complete the Organization Profile and the Personal Profile, found under the Organization and Contact Information section. If a profile already exists, please check to make sure the existing information is up to date.
- Click the “New Proposals” icon to begin an application.
- Be sure to save your work periodically, as the application form will not auto-save your work. You may save an application in progress and return to it by clicking the “Current Proposals” icon on your home screen.
STEP 5: SUBMIT ONLINE
Click “Submit” when complete. Submitted applications cannot be edited. Please note:
- If your agency does not have an IRS 501(C) 3 tax-exempt determination letter, please upload a completed W-9 form.
- To download a PDF version of your submitted application, click the “Current Proposals” icon, open the submitted application, and click the “Printable Application” button.
- Whenever exiting the portal, be sure to log out before closing the page or browser.
Our Review Process
After you have submitted an application, your request will be reviewed by our team and assigned a program officer who will be your primary contact. Declines are prompt if your organization falls outside our guidelines or priority funding areas.
For applications within guidelines, your program officer will contact you with questions about your proposal and may want to find a time to meet for a site visit. If you are a renewing grantee, you’ve probably already been in contact with your program officer. If you’re new, we look forward to getting to know you. We sometimes request additional information or documents at this point in the process so that we have everything we need to take your request to our board.
The board meets monthly to make grant decisions (except in December) and we aim to move your application forward to the board within one month. We will keep you informed if the process is going to take longer. Our board loves hearing all about your great work in the community! Sometimes our board members join us on site visits too.
Within a week of the board meeting, we will let you know the decision. If your grant is approved, your program officer will work with you to finalize the terms of your grant agreement and payment. We welcome your feedback as we continue to improve the application process. If you encounter any problems or have suggestions about how we can improve your experience, please contact us.
Our Review Process
STEP 1: APPLICATION REVIEW
After you have submitted an application, your request will be reviewed by our team and assigned a program officer who will be your primary contact. Declines are prompt if your organization falls outside our guidelines or priority funding areas.
STEP 2: PROGRAM OFFICER FOLLOW UP
For applications within guidelines, your program officer will contact you with questions about your proposal and may want to find a time to meet for a site visit. If you are a renewing grantee, you’ve probably already been in contact with your program officer. If you’re new, we look forward to getting to know you. We sometimes request additional information or documents at this point in the process so that we have everything we need to take your request to our board.
STEP 3: BOARD MEETING
The board meets monthly to make grant decisions (except in December) and we aim to move your application forward to the board within one month. We will keep you informed if the process is going to take longer. Our board loves hearing all about your great work in the community! Sometimes our board members join us on site visits too.
STEP 4: DECISION SHARED
Within a week of the board meeting, we will let you know the decision. If your grant is approved, your program officer will work with you to finalize the terms of your grant agreement and payment. We welcome your feedback as we continue to improve the application process. If you encounter any problems or have suggestions about how we can improve your experience, please contact us.
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How to Report
We value learning and partnership, so reporting is
an opportunity to connect.
Grant agreements include co-created goals for the future and our check-ins focus on progress towards these goals and any new developments at Sand Hill Foundation or your organization. Our team has experience working at nonprofits and values your time. We will reach out to you during your grant period with reporting process details. Interim reports are verbal and final reports must be submitted through the online application portal. Specific due dates are included in the organization’s grant agreement and in the online portal related to your application.