Established through the vision and generosity of Gordon and Betty Moore, the Community Fund reflects their commitment to strengthening the communities they call home, with a particular focus on Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
The Community Fund portfolio provides unrestricted operating support to charitable organizations that may not align with the foundation’s primary programmatic areas. Each year, the fund’s team selects a theme that addresses critical community needs. For 2024, the Community Fund has chosen to support the needs of foster youth, a community often overlooked, but one that faces significant challenges as they navigate the journey from childhood to adulthood.
Supporting foster youth
Foster youth in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties experience a unique set of challenges. From maneuvering through the foster care system to learning skills needed for independence, they benefit immensely from targeted support services. In response, this year’s Community Fund recipients are organizations dedicated to empowering foster youth, and youth who are at risk of entering the foster care system, with essential resources like life skills training, health resources, academic guidance, and advocacy. These efforts help to ensure these young people have the stability and opportunities they deserve for a brighter future.
Ticket to Dream Foundation
Imagine being a young person entering foster care, often with nothing more than the clothes on your back. Ticket to Dream steps in to change that reality, rallying members of our communities to provide foster youth with essentials like clothing, school supplies, and laptops — everything they need to feel supported and confident. Through partnerships and the generosity of people able to help, Ticket to Dream ensures the young people they support don’t just survive, they thrive. With over 400,000 youth in foster care nationwide, the impact is monumental, and each contribution makes a profound difference.
Unity Care
Unity Care’s story is one of transformation and dedication. Founded by André Chapman in 1993, Unity Care started as a vision to bring comprehensive support to foster youth and families across Northern California. Today, that vision has grown into a lifeline for thousands, providing critical resources like mental health services, educational support, and housing. André’s journey with Unity Care paved the way for his next venture: Fostering Promise, a project born from nearly three decades of commitment to foster youth. Through Unity Care, their passion for supporting foster youth has touched countless lives — and it’s just the beginning.
Fostering Promise
At the core of Fostering Promise is the belief that every young person aging out of foster care deserves a safe, stable future. Building on the legacy of Unity Care, André Chapman launched this initiative with a bold goal: to eradicate homelessness among foster youth in the Bay Area. With over 1,000 young people set to age out of foster care in the next few years, Fostering Promise steps in as a bridge to hope and stability, offering safe housing and mentorship. As you consider how to make a lasting impact, Fostering Promise invites you to join their mission — because together, we can ensure that no young person faces the future alone.
The 2024 Community Fund recipients
We are excited to announce the 2024 Community Fund recipients, recognized for their outstanding work with foster youth in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
- AACI (aka Asian Americans for Community Involvement)
- Bill Wilson Center
- Cake4Kids
- CASA of San Mateo County
- Child Advocates of Silicon Valley
- El Centro de Libertad
- First Place for Youth
- Fostering Promise
- Free at Last Community Recovery and Rehabilitation Services
- Help One Child
- Kinship, Adoptive and Foster Parent Association
- New Hope for Youth
- Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center
- Razing the Bar
- Rebekah Children’s Services
- S.T.A.R. Programs
- Ticket to Dream
- Unity Care
We celebrate these organizations for their dedication to our communities. Together, these organizations create a comprehensive support network that is instrumental in fostering positive outcomes for youth in the foster care system and those at risk of entering the system.
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About the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Gordon and Betty Moore established the foundation to create positive outcomes for future generations. In pursuit of that vision, we advance scientific discovery, environmental conservation, and the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area.
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