WE ARE SO PROUD TO BE PIVOTAL.
This was a tremendous year. We brought Silicon Valley Children’s Fund and TeenForce together to create Pivotal, the only Silicon Valley nonprofit that focuses exclusively on meeting the educational and career needs of foster youth. Our new name, brand, and identity reflect the urgency and commitment we carry when working with our youth. It’s opening new doors for us and the young people we’re so dedicated to serving.
Now, as one mighty organization, we’re on an exciting trajectory of growth with ambitious goals for the future. There are more youth who need us and we’re determined to reach them. With your continued support, in the coming year we’ll coach more young people than ever.
We’re building a bigger team, strengthening our organizational capacity, and deepening the level of service we offer to every youth who walks through our doors.
We can’t do it without you—our donors, partners, friends, and advocates. Pivotal wouldn’t be here without your generosity. As we look to the future, you will help us to ensure every young person has the opportunity to be happy and successful.
Our mission.
We support young people in and from foster care to realize their educational and career goals and ensure their equitable access to opportunity.
Our vision.
We envision a community in which every young person gets the education, career, and life they want for themselves.
THE PIVOTAL DIFFERENCE.
Imagine one young person’s journey.
Why we’re here.
More than 400,000 American kids are in foster care. Through no fault of their own, foster youth find themselves staring down obstacles most young people never have to overcome. Statistically, foster youth experience higher levels of homelessness, unemployment, teenage pregnancy, and have more trouble with the law. Being in foster care shouldn’t prevent them from determining the life they want.
Some of the realities of life as a high school and college foster youth:
Typically attends a different school for every year in high school.
Manages their own school, counseling, and therapy schedules, in addition to part or full-time work.
Experiences multiple social workers, many of whom hold overwhelming caseloads.
Grows up without parents or adult role models to guide them through the challenges of adolescence or preparing for a career.
What we do.
Pivotal works with foster youth to defy the odds stacked against them. We change the course of foster youths’ lives by serving as a one-stopshop for academic and employment coaching— supporting our youth with college scholarships, tutoring, paid internships, and professional development training. We listen to each youth’s vision for success, create a plan with them, and stick by them until they achieve their goals.
We begin working with youth as early as the 9th grade to give them the best chances for success. Our coaches lean in as key figures in the lives of each youth they work with. We teach them basic life skills like self-advocacy, time management, and interpersonal communication. Our programs empower youth and position them to be self-reliant, positive contributors to their communities.
THE EVOLUTION OF PIVOTAL.
Foster youth have been our focus for 20 years and counting. It’s hard to boil down our history, especially when we’re proud of every minute. But if you’re curious, here’s how we evolved to become Pivotal.
1989
A group of community members forms Silicon Valley Children’s Fund (SVCF) and manages the building of a children’s shelter in partnership with Santa Clara County. The 130-bed shelter provides a safe haven for our community’s abused and neglected children.
2000
Hoping to increase the rate of college-bound foster youth, SVCF starts a college scholarship program. Although a handful of youth qualify for the scholarship, we learn that many are significantly behind in school and don’t believe that college is for them.
2010
We launch a powerful academic coaching program for 9th-12th graders in partnership with Santa Clara County Office of Education and Department of Family and Children’s Services. The program earns a county-wide reputation for increasing the high school graduation rate among foster youth by 25 percentage points.
2013
SVCF develops a robust college-level academic coaching program to boost the college retention rate among foster youth. With the program in place, 89% of students stayed in school (up from 61%). A 10year pathway of academic support, from freshman year in high school to college graduation was born!
2015
As youth get closer to emancipation age, they ask us for employment support. We partner with TeenForce, a non-profit that delivers workforce development and paid internship opportunities. Our team considers combining academic and employment support into a single delivery model.
2017
SVCF and TeenForce merge into a powerhouse of academic and employment coaching, tutoring, workforce development, paid internships, and college scholarships. We begin expanding our corporate portfolio to offer more internships throughout Silicon Valley.
2018
We come into our own as Pivotal, a name that our youth chose to reflect the role that we play in their lives. We complete our first full year with youth voice on our board.
2019
Today! We’re serving more youth than ever as the only one-stop shop for academic and employment coaching in Silicon Valley.
THE PIVOTAL IMPACT.
After decades of developing, testing, and refining our programs and with you by our side—we know what it takes to get results.
75% of Pivotal scholars graduate high school, compared to only 50% county-wide.
95% are first to attend college in their families.
80% of Pivotal scholars are staying in college.
Pivotal scholars graduate college
10x the rate of other foster youth.
94% of Pivotal interns now have a positive professional reference when they apply for jobs.
OUR COACHES SERVE UP UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT.
In 2019 Pivotal coaches supported 514 youth–high school and college–across Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.
Pivotal coaches are experts at guiding youth towards education and employment success. They know the ins and outs of what it means to be in foster care, what youth need to realize their academic dreams, and how to match them to internships that align with their career goals. They are also key figures and role models in the lives of our youth.
Whether they are helping them to meet credit requirements, develop professional communication skills, or supporting them through a housing transition, one thing is for sure: our coaches are consistent and steady sources of unconditional support.
Just a few of the ways Pivotal coaches support the youth they coach:
In High School In College At Any Age
• Preparing and registering for the SAT/ACT
• Completing FAFSA
• Helping students complete college applications
“
• Transferring to a 4-year university
• Pursuing and maintaining financial aid
• Private 1:1 academic tutoring
• Building a profressional network
• Professional skills training
• Resume-building
• Paid summer internships
My Pivotal coach was the closest thing to a family I had while I was suffering the consequences of my own actions. I owe everything to you wonderful people. It sucks that to others you’re just a counselor or a coordinator. To me, you’re all life savers.
- Pivotal scholar
BEATING THE ODDS STACKED AGAINST HIM.
Frankie is a passionate artist and college freshman who dreams of a career in animation. He was removed from his mother’s care when he was 12 years old. Getting through the instability of life in foster care has been particularly challenging for Frankie because he is on the Autism spectrum, which makes it tough for him to adapt to constant change.
While he shuffled between six different social workers, one constant in his life, starting in high school, was his Pivotal coach Sue. They worked together to create a career road map, and complete applications for college, scholarships, and housing. Through this process, they figured out which college was the best fit for him. Frankie also participated in Pivotal’s robotics and website development courses through our STEM Program.
As his coach, Sue was in communication with all of the people on “Team Frankie,” including his social worker, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), therapist, and “big brother” from Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Despite the many odds stacked against him, Frankie has been a consistent 4.0 GPA student!
Today, he lives on campus at San Jose State University and enjoys all the new things that college has to offer like football games and student clubs.
Frankie continues to work with Pivotal and his new post-secondary coach Marlysha, who provides him unconditional support every step of the way.
GIVING THEM THE TOOLS THEY NEED.
“
Everyone deserves someone who believes in them. The individuals I work with know that I’m always there for them, no matter what. Often, that trust is the first step in working towards their goals. At Pivotal, we model the skills they need to take them as far as they want to go.
One of the cool things about our post-secondary coaching program is the partnership we have with local community colleges. Thanks to this alignment, our Pivotal coaches spend time each week on campuses throughout Silicon Valley. This makes them more accessible to the youth they support.
Elijah Valdeolivar is one of these all-star postsecondary coaches, working with youth at West Valley and Mission Community Colleges. His kind and gentle demeanor is the perfect match to coaching at-risk and trauma-affected youth. Elijah is a constant in the lives of 30+ young people who range in motivation and talents, while navigating challenges like mental health and housing instability.
Abraham, one of the young people Elijah works with, has a variety of professional interests and has shifted his focus several times. “He’s been interested in plumbing, retail, animation, costume design, and now entrepreneurship as career paths.”
As a young person, finding your professional path and where you fit in isn’t easy. It’s even more difficult for foster youth who don’t have the direction and advice from a parental figure. That’s why Elijah’s thoughtful guidance and encouragement of Abraham is so critical. “Each time he suggests a new course, we talk about whether it’s a good fit for his personality and motivation and decide what steps and goals would be appropriate in that new pursuit.”
For example, when Abraham expressed an interest in drawing comics, Elijah gave him weekly “homework” assignments to motivate Abraham and guide him towards higher self-accountability. They explored storyboarding and character profiles together, visited comic shops, and even looked into courses at local community colleges.
The partnership between Elijah and Abraham has been life-changing. As the only constant for many of the young people he works with, Elijah’s ability to build trust and provide calculated and thoughtful academic and career coaching is truly invaluable.
OUR SCHOLARSHIPS SUPPORT THE GO-GETTERS.
89% of foster youth want to go to college but most can’t afford to.
Pivotal scholarship dollars are flexible, helping students pay the bills and cover everything from rent to books to child care to transportation. Because we want our scholars to graduate debt-free, our team works closely with students to help them apply for all the financial aid they’re eligible for as foster youth.
Our Scholarship Program helps young people feel like they aren’t alone in their educational journey. We’re always here, ready to listen and connect them to the resources they need.
Since 2000 we’ve awarded over $2.5M in scholarships making earning a college degree possible for foster youth.
In 2019
over $443,000
in scholarships was distributed to 161 scholarship recipients attending community college and 4-year universities in the 2018-2019 academic school year.
80%
of our community college students with the goal of graduating, transferred to a 4-year university or earned their AA.
“
My Pivotal scholarship was the difference I needed—I was able to focus on school and stay motivated to finish. I couldn’t have done it without Pivotal.”
- Pivotal scholar
I wanted a better future for myself and the scholarship went a long way towards helping me reach that goal. I feel like the sky’s the limit for me.
When Latif entered foster are at age 16, he was alone and disconnected from his family. Planning for his future felt like an impossible task. But he was determined to achieve a better life for himself. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at DeAnza Community College.
Even with the financial aid he received, he wasn’t able to make ends meet as a fulltime student in Silicon Valley. Thanks to Pivotal’s scholarship fund, Latif had money to help offset expenses like housing, books, and transportation to and from campus. His Pivotal coach helped him navigate the community college system, which can be tricky when you’re going at it alone. And when his internship seminar class required heavy writing, Latif asked Pivotal to pair him with a tutor to get the writing support he needed. With Pivotal’s help, Latif was able to focus his energy towards earning strong grades and meeting the transfer requirements for a 4-year university.
After successfully transferring to CSU Long Beach, he’s majoring in Criminal Justice. In 2019, Pivotal helped him get an internship at the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, where he received invaluable, handson experience. Latif hopes to one day attend law school after he graduates.
THIS IS CONFIDENCE AT WORK.
Pivotal internships match young people from foster care to paid summer work experiences that align with their individual passions, skills, and career goals.
By age 24, the only former foster youth who are consistently employed, earning wages near the national average, are those that had a job while in the foster care system.
Only 25% of foster youth have work experience; that’s why our goal is to provide 100% of our youth with an internship opportunity in high school or college. Our Internship Program provides youth with the professional skills, career readiness training, and work experience they need to become competitive job candidates in Silicon Valley.
81
Pivotal high school and college students participated in a summer internship in 2019.
85% of internship supervisors would like to host a Pivotal intern again next summer.
$192,000
Estimated total earnings of our 2019 summer interns.
“
I learned so much in this internship. The words life-changing don’t do it justice.
- Pivotal intern
Andrea Tostado-Casillas started 12th grade with a superpower uncommon on a high school campus: She knew how to use Salesforce. She learned to use the CRM platform through a Pivotal summer internship at the Silicon Valley Organization.
“Although it started out as a complex system, I surprised myself at how well I learned to use it,” she said.
In summer 2019, Andrea completed another Pivotal internship, this time at Comerica. Working closely with the Comerica team, Andrea was integral to a major database migration project centered around Microsoft SharePoint—adding a second superpower to her resume!
“ Pivotal taught me how to operate in the business world. I learned to write a resume and craft professional emails, speak professionally to my supervisors, and most importantly–I know what I want for myself.
Andrea’s supervisor at Comerica, Jessica Grant, describes her as hardworking, detail-oriented, and positive. “Andrea is unique in that she does impeccable work and has an exceptional attitude— people like her are very hard to come by. I’d serve as a professional reference anytime. We’re big fans of Andrea!” So, when it was time to get a job during her freshman year at Sonoma State University, she didn’t think twice about what type of opportunity she would look for. While many of her friends took jobs in campus food service, Andrea went in a different direction.
“I wanted a job where I could use the professional development and database skills I’d learned through my internships and where I could also be exposed to new things.” And she found one. She’s working at her university’s Financial Aid Office and increasingly gaining more responsibilities.
WE’RE ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES AND GETTING TO WORK ALONGSIDE OUR PARTNERS.
Foster youth deserve a team of key players who are aligned and working in coordination to make their experience in the system as positive as possible. That’s why we collaborate with the entire ecosystem of people serving our community’s foster youth.
By working alongside local government, educators, social services, employers, and other nonprofits, we’re building a movement to change the foster care system for good.
Thank you to our 2019 partners!
Government Agencies
City of San Jose
Santa Clara County Career Development Unit
Santa Clara County Education Services Unit
Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children’s Services
Santa Clara County Office of Education
San Mateo County Department of Children and Family Services
San Mateo County Office of Education
Community Organizations
Bill Wilson Center
California Youth Connection
Catholic Charities
CASA of San Mateo County
Central Labor Council Partnership
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley
Community Solutions
First Place for Youth
Foster Youth in Action HomeFirst
John Burton Advocates for Youth
Juma
Kids in Common
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley Manufacture: San Jose StarVista
Teen Success
The Silicon Valley Organization
Treehouse Foundation Uplift Family Services
Educational Institutions
California State University, East Bay
De Anza College
Eastside Union High School District
Evergreen Valley College
Foothill College
Gavilan College
Mission College
Opportunity Youth Academy
Palo Alto Unified School District
San Jose City College
San Jose Conservation Corps & Charter School
San Jose State University
San Jose Unified School District
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara Unified School District
West Valley College
Internship Hosts
8X8, Inc.
Aura
Bill Wilson Center
Brand Via
Cambridge Management Company
City of Morgan Hill
City of Saratoga
Comerica
Decca Design
Excite Credit Union
Gilead
Mass Precision, Inc.
Netskope
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Redwood City
Santa Clara County Office of Education
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office
Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Snap-On Diagnostics
Symantec
Uplift Family Services
Vander Bend Manufacturing
INVESTING IN GROWTH.
In fiscal year 2019:
of our resources were devoted to programmatic activities.
50%
80% of our revenue was contributed by private philanthropy.
Pivotal has built a strong reserve balance through prudent financial oversight and many years of successful fundraising. Given the urgent needs for our services, in fiscal year 2019, our Board of Directors invested $1M of its reserves to support the organization’s ambitious growth strategy.
2018-2019 Financials
Unaudited financial data for fiscal year 2019MEET OUR DREAM TEAM.
Board of Directors
Rick Williams
Pivotal Board Chair Community Volunteer
Former CEO - Sobrato Family Foundation
Lisa Sobrato-Sonsini
Pivotal Board Vice-Chair
Board President - Sobrato Family Foundation
Emmanuel “Manny” Amador Pivotal Alumni Specialist - Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office
Amy Cappellanti-Wolf Chief Human Resources Officer - Symantec
Lupe Diaz
Pivotal Alumni Enterprise Sales Representative - Pure Storage
Dr. David Lopez
Board President - National Hispanic University Foundation
Dianne McKenna
Former Santa Clara County Supervisor
Michael Saviage
V.P. of Investor Relations - Adobe Systems
Youth-led at our core.
Executive Staff
Elise Cutini Chief Executive Officer
Melissa Johns Executive Vice President
Jane Machin Chief Financial & Operating Officer
Marie-Christine Busque Vice President of Programming
We pride ourselves in being a youth-led organization and believe that we must base our decisionmaking on feedback from the population we serve. We have two alumni serving as voting members of our board of directors. Lupe Diaz and Manny Amador are instrumental to our strategic decision-making process. As the only people in the room who raised themselves through foster care, enduring the harsh realities and trauma of growing up without parental support, their words matter. We’re incredibly grateful to have Lupe and Manny part of the leadership team; their voices ground us and keep the organization focused on what matters most—the young people we serve.
I was 13 years old when I entered the foster care system. By the time I graduated from high school, I’d attended 13 different schools and I had a 1.7 GPA. I was broke, homeless, living in my car and the future looked bleak. I needed a fresh start and Pivotal was there for me. I still remember the day that I received my first Pivotal scholarship letter, because it was the first time I’d ever seen my name on a formal document that wasn’t affiliated with the court system.
Pivotal gave me the confidence I needed to start over, earn a college degree from San Francisco State, and thrive as a young adult. What I love most about Pivotal is that youth voices matter to them: Nothing for us without us. I should know; I’m their newest board member. Fourteen years later, Pivotal continues to be a huge part of my life. I’m honored to help my foster brothers and sisters get the opportunity that I was once given.
Meet Emmanuel “Manny” Amador Board MemberIn my family home, I grew up seeing things that no kid should ever see. One of my earliest childhood memories is watching my dad choke my mom and stab her with a screwdriver. When I was ten, I slept on a park bench to escape the violence at home. The next morning, I woke up covered in dew, and still managed to make it to school. The police picked me up and placed me in a group home where I lived with a bunch of older, teenage drug-dealing thugs. I cut class, shoplifted, and did whatever I had to do to survive life on my own.
That means that school took a backseat for a long time. I found Pivotal when I was 18 years old. With their help and unconditional support, I earned a college degree from San Jose State University and built a successful career. Now I can pay it forward and give young people from foster care the opportunities I was once given. I am honored to serve on a Board of an organization that I personally know is changing lives.
YOU MAKE IT P OSSIBLE.
Thank you to our donors who gave between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019.
$50,000+
Connie & Bob Lurie
Resonance Foundation for Children’s Health
Lisa & Matthew
Sonsini Family Fund
$10,000 to $49,999
Liza & Ray Beshoff
Ranae DeSantis
Hawes Family Fund
Mary & Mark Stevens
$1,000 to $9,999
Brian Annis
Shiloh Ballard
Christina Barrese
Roy & Michele Bolton Fund
Elaine Cardinale
Sue & Robert Davis
Linda & John Ellis
Kevin & Celeste Ford
The Dave and Evelyn
Heagerty Estate
Emily Lo
Ginny Lockhart
Dennis & Carol Martin
Sophina McDaniel
John & Ginger McDonald
Dianne & Regis McKenna
Priya Mistry & Carl Haywood
Mark Moser
Deborah Noel Tham
John & Shelly Paiva
Renée & Baptiste Paquier
Kendra Ragatz
Lainey & Bruce Richardson
Rosendahl Family Fund
Lynn Sakamoto
Michael & Leslie Saviage
Tracey & Kent Seymour
Greg Simpson
Oscar Tovar
Debbie & Brian Tuck
Amy Underwood
Emily Ward & Howard Ting
Amanda Wayman
Werner Family Fund
Rick and Barbara Williams
Charlie Wilmoth
$500 to $999
Jeffrey Ben
Deborah Blacker
Amy Cappellanti-Wolf & Douglas Wolf
Patricia & Gene Carter
Lin Florinda Colavin
Pat & Ron Eastman
Lynda Ellingson
Brian Fox
Nicholas & Katherine Galiotto
Patricia James
Mary Ann Jankord
Marcia Klein
Timothy Leets
Katie Matice
Doug McCutcheon
Anita Nunes
Kate Paisley
Rocky & Laurie Pimentel
Karl & Theresa Robinson
Allen & Cindy Ruby
Ruth Sherer
Rosabel Tao
Donna & Bill Terman
Shuang Xu
$100 to $499
Anonymous (3)
Marijke & Caleb Annis
Dora Beyer
Keith Bielat
Rachel Borovina
Michael & Virginia Bowman
Kevin & Manisha Brodie
Judy Bruzus
Marie-Christine Busque
Tim Bussey
Joan & Glenn Cross
Suzanne Davis
Sandy De La Cuesta
Dana & Elaine Ditmore
Pamela Dougherty
Laura Duganne
Mary Fields
Katy Fitzgerald
Maryanne Flynn
Deborah Swan Gorman
Jan Hagemann
Patty Hanford
Briana Hanson
Stephanie Hata
Pamela Hawley
Nancy & Dennis Heinen
John & Lisa Hogan
Carolyn Kenady
Janice Key
Hui Lancaster
Melissa Lelaind
Patricia & John Lindsay
James Lindsay
Jeanne Matysiak
Austin Marie McCord
Sandy & Mark Moore
Jaime Orendac
Evan Parker
Sam Pilch
Jessica Poulin
Adrian Power & Aimee Kilmer
Katie Radonich
Ed & Linda Selden
Paul & Jennifer Silverglate
Roger Smith
Kalle Snyder
Meena Stromqvist
Martha Toschi
Ilanit Unruh
Jennifer Van Every
Mary Ann Van Paul
Joyce Vineyards
John Vlahos
Pat Wahler
Lawrence Weinberg
Andrew & Doreen Williams
Marlene Zapata
Ronald Zraick
Up to $100
Anonymous (4)
Jennifer Abrams
Carlos Aguila
Denise Alberto
Ariel Alvero
Anamaria Amador
Paul Anderson
Aude Anquetil
Kevin Armstrong
Elaine Bedell
Aaron Paul Bolosan
Ann Bowers
Sherri Brooks
Marilyn Bryson
Kristina Bullock
Andre Busque
Howard Carnell
Jemiyah Ann Castro
Joy Caves
Patricia Chappell
Isabel Chou
Jennifer De La Cruz Vargas
Jane Doyle
Dora Espinoza
Kindra Fanoe
John Fioretta
Kathleen Fitzgerald
Martha Frank
Bridget Gibbons
Donna Gilmour
Essence Gresham
Michael Grossman
Arvin Haywood
Sara & Ricardo Jenez
Melissa Johns
Paul Jones
James Kao
Lisa Ketchum
Katherine Kim
Martin Kimani
Jayaprakash Kirankumar
Valerie Kortz
Justine Kuehn
Ujjwal Kumar
Bala Lakkaraju
Jimmy Lam
Alana Laudone
Samantha Lester
Robin Lutgert
Natasha Marston
Irene Martinez
Julie Mason
LaNor Maune
Nicky McAllister
Sarah McCann
Jamila Mcintosh
Jack McMurry
Fiona Meier
Mike Messinger
Susan Micheletti
Evan Miller
Jennifer Mullins
Ashley Nevins
Johnnie Nguyen
Davor Nikolic
Chris Norwood
Alondra Orozco
Richard & Patricia Pantoja
Bill & Maggie Parkin
Marc Parkinson
Kelly Peaton
Glenn Perkins
Barbi Phipps
Sam Pohlenz
Laurie Prestine
Deepti Racherla
Trish Rehert
Marilyn Rogers
Annette Ruiz-Esparza
Aashni Ruwala
Lisa Samaro
Jason Schalkham
Andrea Schwartz
Diana Seoud
Lydia Sherrill
Lucia Shiffer
Simeon Shigg
Georgianna Smith
Kenneth Smith
Sarah Sozzi
Barbara & Donald Springett
William & Dana Starling
Savonna Stender-Bondesson
Lee & Bonnie Stone
Susan Stone
Sean Sullivan
Amin Tayebi
Airene Tomboc
Neil Tuch
Jose Valenzuela
Nivedita Varadharajan
David Verdugo
Dan Weidman
Kate Wilkinson
Kim Wilkinson
Roger Winer
Ryan Wong
Karen & Richard Wylie
Pivotal Donor & Creative Director at Netskope with Pivotal intern John
Foundation & Corporate Supporters
$100,000+
Bank of America
$1,000 to $4,999
Adobe Systems, Inc.
May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust
PayPal
Sobrato Family Foundation
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation
Tipping Point Community
$25,000 to $99,999
“
Here in Silicon Valley, so many of us have the great fortune of working for successful companies. I think it’s almost an obligation that we share that with those who haven’t had the kinds of opportunities that many of us have. I’m lucky to work for a company that is committed to reaching out and helping our community.
Adobe Foundation
Epic Foundation
In-N-Out Burger Foundation
Leo M. Shortino Family Foundation
Pinpoint Foundation
Sand Hill Foundation
Sanders-Dickinson Foundation
Symantec Corporation
The Marie Calderilla Scholarship Fund
Westly Foundation
William & Charlene Glikbarg Foundation
$5,000 to $24,999
Battery Powered Foundation
Brandenburg Family Foundation
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Casino M8trix
Comerica
Cupertino Electric
Dreams 33
Enterprise Trust & Investment Company
Excite Credit Union
Intero Foundation
Junior League of San Jose
Juniper Networks
Rotary Club of San Jose
Thomas & Ellen Hogue Family Foundation
UA Local 393
US Bank Foundation
Warmenhoven Family Foundation
Western Digital Foundation
Whittier Trust
Anonymous Fund of Silicon Valley
Black Sheep Brassiere
Community Foundation
Comcast
DTex Systems
Gilroy Foundation
Integrated Device Technology, Inc.
Los Gatos Morning Rotary Foundation
Mission Bell Manufacturing
Nagi Universal Noodle USA
Oak & Rye
Table for Three
TOSA Foundation
Umpqua Bank
Up to $1,000
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Gates Pass Advisors, LLC
Laguna Seca Racetrack
Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials
Portola Hotel & Spa
Raytheon Company
Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority
VCBC Organization
ZAG Technical Services
PAYPAL PAYING IT F ORWARD.
It takes a village to support the 514 foster youth we served this year. We are incredibly thankful for all our corporate and foundation supporters and we were especially thrilled to welcome PayPal to Team Pivotal in 2019! PayPal awarded Pivotal a grant in the amount of $125,000 to help us fight the good fight and provide high school and college-aged foster youth in Santa Clara County with more opportunities to achieve their career goals. After all, we all know that public-private partnerships are pivotal to strengthening and growing our local communities.
When it comes to showing others how it’s done, PayPal is on top of it. Their 35 global GIVE Teams actively promote the health and inclusivity of the communities where their employees live and work. Apart from its grant, the PayPal GIVE Teams also get employees involved in volunteering, legal pro bono work, and youth mentorship work. Through its hackathon “Opportunity Hack” PayPal coders build solutions for nonprofits. “In addition to all of our funding, we’re trying to bring our expertise and resources to bear,” said PayPal Gives Director Julie Vennewitz-Pierce.
With PayPal’s help, we continue to help foster youth graduate from high school and college, prepare for professional jobs, and reach a life of self-sufficiency. When we say that we help foster youth determine their own path, we mean it. And now, with PayPal’s partnership, we’re on our way.
Pivotal has a comprehensive approach where they support youth not just for the short term, but for a number of years. They help youth get through high school, college, connect to internships, and overall, have access to these critical surrounding services. “
– Julie Vennewitz-Pierce - PayPal Gives Director
ARE YOU OUR NEXT CORPORATE PARTNER?
If your company wants to implement innovative and fun social impact initiatives, look no further! We’ve got a wide variety of engagement opportunities that can leverage the community spirit and sense of purpose felt by your employees. We know you want to make a difference, and we make it easy for you to do it. It’s a win-win story for social good.
We have many volunteer activities to offer to employees, and our expert team is standing by to help you craft the perfect experience. Whether it’s through sponsorship, employee volunteerism or some other aspect of your corporate social responsibility strategy, we look forward to partnering with you to help our community’s foster youth.
Want to help but aren’t sure how? Here are a few easy ways to be a Pivotal corporate partner:
Summer Internship
Host a Pivotal scholar for a summer internship and help them build professional skills.
Professional Experience
Invite a Pivotal youth to an informational interview, job shadow experience, or mock job interview practice so they get more face time with career professionals.
Get in touch to learn more about how you can become a corporate partner:
Become a Sponsor
Sponsor a Pivotal youth event or Pivotal fundraiser.
Collection Drive
Host a collection drive for gift cards our youth can use to buy professional attire for their first job experience.
Marilyn Rogers - Corporate Relations Officer650.269.6037
BEC OME A DREAM MAKER.
Pivotal’s newest giving club.
The Pivotal Dream Makers Circle is a special group of supporters who believe deeply in the potential of foster youth. By contributing $3,000 or more annually, Dream Makers invest in our students and help them turn their dreams into reality. The generosity of these individuals ensures we can serve every foster youth that walks through our doors.
As a member of the Dream Makers Circle—Pivotal’s newest giving club—donors receive expanded recognition, invitations to the annual Dream Makers Circle Luncheon and Scholarship Application Screening Party, as well as other exclusive opportunities.
To learn how you can become a Dream Maker, contact:
Janelle Blakely
Director of Development
janelle.blakely@pivotalnow.org 408.484.6202
“I remember the first time I heard the stories of the youth that went through the Pivotal program. I was in tears hearing about the tragic lives they lived. Many were raised in broken homes, lost everything, didn’t have basic survival needs, or an education—all the things no kid should have to endure. Pivotal changed their lives by providing them with a bright future. Every child deserves to be loved, and I’m thankful and touched by Pivotal and all of their supporters for the love they give foster youth and difference they make.”
Lynn Sakamoto Pivotal Donor & Dream Makers Circle Member Dianne McKenna, Regis McKenna, and Nancy Heinen with Pivotal scholar Miguel, at the annual Dream Makers Circle Luncheon.HELP US MAKE AN IMPACT.
Our goal is to give every young person an opportunity to be happy and successful. We’re here for them, and we ask you to help us give them what they need: more scholarships, coaches, internships, and passionate people working to change the system for good.
Whether you can give a little or a lot of your time, money or resources, there’s more than one way to be pivotal. Here are some ways to get involved:
Donate
We hold ourselves to the highest standard of ethics and transparency. Rest assured, your gift will directly impact a young person’s life.
Help with professional skill building
Pivotal provides professional development trainings to ensure successful work experience. Donate your expertise to help with informational interviews or job shadowing.
Get in touch to learn more about how you can help—as a donor, volunteer, or partner:
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Host a care package party
Do you have a circle of friends who would be excited to send care packages to our Pivotal scholars? Shop for one of our scholars and help us send a little package of love their way.
Refer a company that’s interested in partnering with Pivotal
Make an introduction to a business that could host a summer intern or sponsor one of our community-facing events.
408.484.6202 info@pivotalnow.org
JOIN THE PARTY.
Don’t miss Mix Masters 2020! Event details coming soon. Be sure to sign up at pivotalnow.org to get Pivotal news and invitations delivered to your inbox.
A big thank you to everyone that joined us for this year's Mix Masters in support of Silicon Valley's foster youth.
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HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE IN FOSTER CARE CREATE THE LIFE THEY WANT www.pivotalnow.org