Sobrato Philanthropies

05/10/2026

For over 250 years, our democracy has been built and powered by Americans of all stripes showing up and helping everyone get involved. We are proud to support voter education and engagement in our region, and we invite all our nonprofit partners to explore their important role in keeping our democracy vibrant by visiting Nonprofit VOTE's website and exploring their Nonprofit Voter Engagement Guide to learn more on how our communities can stay informed and involved in the 2026 Election season:

We are the leading provider of nonpartisan resources to help nonprofits integrate voter engagement into their ongoing activities and services.

01/10/2026

We are excited to introduce our new interactive Spotlight Library. Housed on our Impact in Action page, this library will grow over time to honor and amplify the important work our grantees, partners, and SCNP tenants are doing in the community every day. Stories are searchable by organization name as well as by the pillars that guide our work: Educational Equity, Economic Mobility, and Housing Security. Check it out:

Impact in Action is where the people behind our mission come to life. Explore the stories of grantees, tenants at our Sobrato Centers for Nonprofits, and community partners whose work is advancing economic mobility, educational equity, and housing security to build thriving communities across the Ba...

29/09/2026

GRANTEE SPOTLIGHT: Somos Mayfair

For SOMOS Mayfair, lasting community change begins with the people who live there. Rooted in East San José’s historic Mayfair neighborhood, SOMOS Mayfair works to ensure residents can not only stay in their community, but thrive there. It’s a meaningful goal in a neighborhood where residents once used the expression Sal Si Puedes — “get out if you can” — to describe the challenges of living in a community shaped by underinvestment, discrimination, poor infrastructure, and limited opportunity. Today, rising housing costs and displacement present a different challenge: ensuring longtime residents have the opportunity to remain and build a future in the community they helped create. Read more:

For SOMOS Mayfair, lasting community change begins with the people who live there. Rooted in East San José’s historic Mayfair neighborhood, SOMOS Mayfair works to ensure residents can not only stay in their community but thrive there. It’s a meaningful goal in a neighborhood where residents onc...

28/09/2026

In the latest Top of Mind, Alexa Cortés Culwell, Chief Impact Officer at The Sobrato Organization and President of Sobrato Philanthropies shares updates on how we are helping build a region where economic mobility, opportunity, and belonging are within reach for everyone who calls it home.

"This conviction isn't new, and it isn't abstract. This is a moment to put every tool we have to work — grants, impact investments, real estate, and our own voice," she writes.

Read her full letter encouraging us all to meet the moment through concrete action:

I hope you were able to enjoy the beautiful Bay Area summer and found some time to step back, breathe, and reconnect with the people and places that restore you. Fall has always felt to me like a time to take stock of the harvest, to see clearly what took root, and what still needs tending.

27/05/2026

Welcome to our SCNP Redwood Shores Family, Success Centers! 🎉

For over 40 years Success Centers has maintained roots in San Francisco, Alameda and San Mateo Counties with a primary purpose and mission to empower marginalized communities through education, employment and the arts. This is our charter, our north star. It’s not just words on paper; it’s the guiding force that motivates our staff to continue breaking down barriers that prevent communities from opportunities to have a seat at the table. Be better. Do better.

Success Centers was founded by Superior Court Judges in 1982 with the goal to change the trajectory of incarcerated youth by providing different options than those choices that landed them into the juvenile justice system. Our clients were involved in crimes of an economic nature. They used their ingenuity for survival. If they were given opportunities to use those skills for positive alternatives, they’d be captains of industry. We provide that alternative and help our clients get their high school diplomas and gain marketable skills to secure employment in careers that have a future.

Our organization mirrors the growth that we see in our clients and over the years have expanded our services to include secure digital literacy training, coding through arts, web design and job readiness training for youth currently in San Mateo detention facilities, (long and short term). In addition, high-risk high school students in San Mateo are provided life coaching and employment training through young adult workforce development programs.

At Success Centers, we see possibilities where others see limitations. By empowering individuals with education, skills, and confidence, we are changing lives and strengthening communities.

18/05/2026

Welcome to our SCNP Redwood Shores Family, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center! 🎉

The Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center is happy to join Sobrato's Redwood Shores office space and is excited about being in closer proximity to community. The Center creates opportunities for connection, and that aligns with how we support entrepreneurs through relationships, practical guidance, and spaces where people can learn from each other. While we serve clients across the Bay Area, being at the Sobrato Center has helped us offer classes and events in a central location for San Mateo County.

As a center that transforms lives and communities through entrepreneurship, our mission is to empower and increase the entrepreneurial capacities of Bay Area residents and thereby strengthen our communities through the creation of sustainable new businesses, new jobs, and financial self-sufficiency.

Learn more about our Nonprofit Centers: https://bit.ly/4dwPP1R

13/05/2026

Welcome to our SCNP San Jose Family, Healthier Kids Foundation! 🎉

The Healthier Kids Foundation is excited to join the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits! This year, we celebrate 25 years of helping children in Santa Clara County access insurance, screenings, and the care they need. Looking ahead, Healthier Kids Foundation remains committed to meeting every family where they are — and there is no better way to do that than finding our new home at the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits, surrounded by partners equally committed to the children and families we serve.

At the Healthier Kids Foundation, we believe every child should have equitable access to quality care. Every day we work side-by-side with kids' families and those who love them to identify and eliminate health barriers. When we provide positive and proactive intervention, all children are able to joyfully climb the ladder of life.

We are grateful to Sobrato Philanthropies for this opportunity, and we are excited to strengthen our community partnerships and expand our reach in our new home!

11/05/2026

"From the funder perspective, being here in community with all of you and finding joy in our work is a form of resistance... Solidarity is our power," shared Alexa Cortés Culwell, Chief Impact Officer of The Sobrato Organization & President of Sobrato Philanthropies. Alongside Geoff Green, CEO of California Association of Nonprofits and Georgia Farooq, CEO of Thrive Alliance, Alexa joined a plenary session moderated by Edwin Tan, Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives of San Jose State University about "The State of Nonprofits: Realities, Resilience, and the Road Ahead" at Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits' inaugural Nonprofit Convergence conference on Wednesday, May 6.

Thank you for bringing us together and hosting an inspiring event for nonprofits in the region, SVCN!

01/05/2026

Although farmworkers play a key role in the operation and delivery of the state’s food system, they face a number of economic challenges (especially affordable housing choices) compared to California’s population as a whole.

The Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County will host a virtual panel discussion on "Meeting the Moment for Farmworker Housing: A Case Study of Stone Pine Cove," this Monday, May 4 from 12:00pm - 1:00pm. Hear from our very own Senior Vice President of Community Impact & Systems Change, Camille Llanes-Fontanilla, MPA alongside industry partners on how Stone Pine Cove in Half Moon Bay brings housing stability to our farmworker communities.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/4tbYc7R