About Embarcadero Media Foundation
To enhance the quality of life and democracy in the San Francisco Bay Area by reporting and publishing high quality local news and information, convening events and supporting programs that lead to a more informed, equitable, engaged and cohesive community.
Focus Areas
Local journalismEducationUnderserved communitiesImmigrantsHealthEnvironmentCivic engagementCommunity grantmakingScholarships for students
Who They Fund
nonprofit organizations (grant applicants approved by the Embarcadero Media Foundation Grant Committee)
Funding Style
general operating support
About Embarcadero Media Foundation
Embarcadero Media Foundation’s grantmaking is built around Bay Area community support, with recent awards centered on general operating support for local nonprofits and a separate scholarship program for students with records of exceptional community service. The largest recent award in the file went to Silicon Valley Community Foundation for $577,808, described as general support of nonprofit organizations reviewed and approved by the foundation’s grant committee. That committee-reviewed approach also appears in smaller operating grants to organizations working in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, Santa Clara, and Palo Alto. The foundation’s own summary ties this work to reporting and publishing local news and information, convening events, and supporting programs that aim to strengthen civic life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Recent grantees show a steady emphasis on organizations serving children, families, the poor, and other community needs, alongside institutions tied to education, health, food access, and neighborhood services. College scholarship grants add another layer of support, aimed at Bay Area students with service records from high school.
What Embarcadero Media Foundation Funds
A major theme is general operating support for local service providers. Embarcadero Media Foundation gave $42,500 to South County Community Health in 2025 for general operating support, and it also made repeated $35,000 operating grants to Second Harvest Food Bank in San Jose and LifeMoves in Santa Clara. Education-related grantmaking appears in awards such as $35,000 to Upward Scholars in Redwood City for general operating support and $20,000 to Youth Community Service Inc in Palo Alto for the same purpose. Community-based youth and family services also show up in grants to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Palo Alto Community Child Care, and Ecumenical Hunger Program. The foundation’s active programs indicate additional support for holiday assistance and college scholarships tied to community service.
How Embarcadero Media Foundation Gives
Typical award sizes cluster in the five-figure range: the 25th percentile is $7,500, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. Recent grants also show repeated support to the same organizations across 2024 and 2025, including South County Community Health Center Inc, Second Harvest Food Bank, StarVista, Literacy Partners Menlo Park, and City of Redwood City. That pattern points to recurring support rather than one-off grants. Embarcadero Media Foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF or PRI maker, and its grants are committee-reviewed. The available grant data is dominated by general operating support.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$926K
Total Assets
$3.9M
Total Revenue
$7.5M
Total Expenses
$6.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $8K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
William Johnson
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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