November 2025

Progress Newsletter

For over a decade PVF has partnered with Meta to support their local charitable giving. In 2012, we were selected to administer their new Facebook Local Community Fund (now known as the Meta Local Community Fund), due to our grassroots approach to grantmaking and knowledge of the community. The Fund was designed to support community initiatives in Meta's neighborhood as a way to give back. 

Now 14 rounds of funding later, the Fund has given over $2 Million in 425+ grants to various local nonprofits in East Palo Alto and the Belle Haven community of Menlo Park, areas that particularly struggle in the midst of the Bay Area's ever-widening inequality gap.

Each year Meta focuses on supporting small, grassroots programs that have a big impact and a history of success in the communities served. This year, twenty-six organizations helping to meet critical needs were awarded a Meta Local Community Fund grant of up to $10,000.

Grants went towards a variety of projects, including providing low-income new parents with gently used baby clothes, supporting young learners with after-school tutoring and expanding their access to STEM education, increasing access to nature and exercise for residents, increasing access to food, clean water, and housing assistance, and engaging members of all ages in taking an active part in community organizing.

Below are just a few of the incredible organizations uplifting our local communities.

Photo courtesy of Youth Community Service

Youth Community Service (YCS) elevates youth voices to raise community connection through service by engaging participants from Belle Haven and East Palo Alto communities in meaningful service-learning. YCS guides and inspires youth to enjoy the experience of service in the moment, and to reflect on the impact it has on their personal growth as future leaders. Across their programs, YCS offers safe spaces where youth are valued for their contributions to make a difference through their service project.

"YCS addresses the critical need of engaging young people in service-learning to impact their lives, community, and sense of belonging."



- Mora Oommen, Executive Director of Youth Community Service

Photos courtesy of So Many Choices Community Project

So Many Choices Community Project supports at-risk youth in securing and maintaining stable housing, thereby fostering permanency and stability in their lives. Providing financial assistance for rent, this program aims to reduce housing insecurity, prevent homelessness, and promote long-term stability for youth facing housing challenges.

"[Our] ultimate goal is to prevent homelessness, foster a sense of security, and support youth in achieving long-term stability and self-sufficiency."



- Lamisha Brown, Founder of So Many Choices

Photos courtesy of the KIPP Esperanza x Back to Earth Summer Bridge Backpacking Program

Back to Earth Nature Connection works to uplift youth through nature-based rites of passage, mentorship, and wilderness experiences. They serve young people at critical life stages - especially boys and young men - by offering experiences that foster resilience, purpose, and a deep sense of belonging, providing a path to deepening relationships with self, community, and the natural world.

In 2025 they piloted The KIPP Esperanza x Back to Earth Summer Bridge Backpacking Program to give low-income students from East Palo Alto access to free transformative wilderness education. All participants received full scholarships, all necessary gear, personalized family communication, and ongoing mentorship. The pilot was so successful that the program will expand in 2026. 

"[We help] remove barriers that prevent participation by building strong relationships with families and schools - offering trust and continuity that are essential for success."



- Eli Marienthal, Executive Director of Back to Earth

PVF is honored to administer a fund so dedicated to its community. You can read more about the Meta Local Community Fund and requirements for applying in 2026 on our website or by clicking the button below.