CONTACT:
Rebecca Salner, Media Relations Officer
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
650.450.5525 or rsalner@siliconvalleycf.org

NEW DONOR CIRCLE WILL OFFER GRANTS TO EMERGING ARTISTS

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s first donor circle is accepting applications for grants from emerging artists and small arts groups in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

The Donor Circle for the Arts is made up of individual philanthropists who share a passion for the arts. The donors are pooling their funds to extend the impact of their giving and plan to encourage the creation and appreciation of quality artistic work that reflects the region’s diversity. For donors, it is a chance to connect with others who share their passion for the arts and to participate in collective grantmaking.

The fund grew out of an invitation from the community foundation in May to donors who support the arts. Donors who have joined the circle will review proposals, participate in site visits and make grant recommendations as a group.

"In helping our donors achieve their goals, one of the roles we play as a community foundation is to connect them with the community and with each other," said Emmett D. Carson, Ph.D., CEO and president of the community foundation. "The Donor Circle for the Arts is one way that philanthropists with a passion for the arts can come together and work with the community foundation to enhance the experience of giving."

An advisory committee of community foundation staff, local artists and donors from the circle will review proposals and recommend grants to the community foundation’s board of directors.

The fund expects to award grants of $2,500 to $5,000 to 20 to 25 artists and small groups whose work reflects cultural diversity. Requests for grants are due Nov. 13. Recipients will receive funds in January. For more information about grant guidelines and eligibility, visit http://www.siliconvalleycf.org/donor-circle-for-the-arts.html

The Donor Circle for the Arts Fund was created through a partnership between individual donors, the James Irvine Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts Expansion Arts program and Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

About Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Silicon Valley Community Foundation is a catalyst and leader for innovative solutions to our region's most challenging problems. Serving all of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, the community foundation has more than $1.9 billion in assets under management and 1,500 philanthropic funds. The community foundation provides grants through donor advised and corporate funds in addition to its own Community Endowment Fund. In addition, the community foundation serves as a regional center for philanthropy, providing donors simple and effective ways to give locally and around the world. Silicon Valley Community Foundation launched in January 2007 following the landmark merger of Community Foundation Silicon Valley and Peninsula Community Foundation and is now one of the largest community foundations in the nation. Find out more at www.siliconvalleycf.org.