About Gilroy Foundation

“Give Where You Live”

Gilroy Foundation was founded in 1980 to help meet the needs of the community in the specific areas of Agriculture, Health, Education, Recreation, Technology, Culture, and Civic Services. The concept is simple. The Foundation provides a way for individuals, families, and corporations, who share a common commitment to the future prosperity and well-being of the community, to come together to build an endowment that will last in perpetuity. Gilroy Foundation currently has assets of over $15 million.

We are grateful for those people who had the vision to create our community foundation. This group, the “Founders Circle,” whose foresight and determination to provide for the future of the Gilroy community, was instrumental to the good work Gilroy Foundation has done in our community.

Gilroy Foundation awards annual grants to nonprofit organizations that provide vital programs and services to meet the ever-changing needs of the community. The Foundation also awards scholarships to local students in high school, college, or vocational schools. Since 1980, Gilroy Foundation has awarded $16.3 Million in grants and scholarships. Foundation grants have made a positive and powerful difference in every sphere of life in the community.

Gilroy Foundation also serves the Gilroy community by providing funding for Special Projects, Pass-Through Grants, and Scholarships, as well as assisting groups in establishing their own nonprofit status.

Gilroy Foundation is governed by a Board of eleven local community leaders and advised by an Emeritus Board and the Ambassadors of Gilroy Foundation. Gilroy Foundation’s endowment is invested with Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF), the nation’s largest community foundation. SVCF also provides tax and legal assistance to our Board of Directors and donors. Gilroy Foundation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation designated by the I.R.S. as 501(c)(3). All donations are tax-deductible (Federal Tax ID #94-2719281).

Our Guiding Principles

• Our MISSION: To establish a legacy of giving, Gilroy Foundation links charitable gifts from donors to the vital needs of the community
• Our VISION: By engaging all aspects of the community, Gilroy Foundation is the recognized leader in connecting resources to community needs
• Our VALUES: Transparent, Responsive, Compassionate, Inclusive, Enduring

At Gilroy Foundation:

We believe that when people feel respected and included, they can be more creative, innovative, and successful.

We value the visible and invisible qualities that make all constituents who they are.

We welcome that every person brings a unique perspective and experience to advance our mission and vision in our efforts to support our local community.

We strive to include Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices at the center of all of the work we do. In our commitment to continuous improvement, we will seek training sessions and present sessions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to Staff and Board members on an ongoing basis.

We commit to communicate these values to all of our constituents; to create opportunities to listen to the voices directly from our community; to ensure board recruitment and employment is diverse and inclusive; and to assess the progress we make in these areas annually.

We pledge to use this policy as a lens not only to conduct day-to-day business but also call out the commitment to using when making grant and/or scholarship decisions.