December 2025

Progress Newsletter

Every day, Social Workers and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) stand beside young people experiencing foster care and court dependency—often during the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Their work requires deep empathy, creativity, and unwavering commitment. We want to pause and recognize the extraordinary care they provide, and share how PVF’s Social Worker/CASA Resource Grant Program helps fuel that work.

Recognizing the need for flexible, innovative support for youth in foster care, PVF created the Social Worker/CASA Resource Grant Program. These $250 grants may be small in size, but the impact is profound. Each grant gives a Social Worker or CASA the ability to meet an immediate, essential need—one that could make all the difference for a young person navigating uncertainty.

Over the years, grant recipients have shown incredible imagination and dedication in how they use these resources. They have:



• Supported physical & emotional well-being: Bicycles have offered children more than transportation—they’ve given them confidence, fresh air, and a sense of freedom.
• Created stability at home: A simple bunk bed has kept siblings together, offering comfort and connection during a time of upheaval.
• Empowered teens toward independence: Driving lessons and licensing fees have helped teens gain the skills they need to pursue jobs, education, and greater autonomy.
• Opened doors to creativity & education: Musical instruments, art supplies, extracurricular fees, and technology have nurtured passions, strengthened confidence, and supported academic success.

Each grant becomes a tool for empowerment—bridging gaps that traditional funding cannot and providing young people with opportunities to heal, learn, and grow.

To every Social Worker and CASA who shows up day after day with compassion, patience, and determination: Thank you! Thank you for seeing the potential in every child. Thank you for advocating when systems fall short. Thank you for using creativity and heart to ensure young people feel supported, safe, and valued. Your work changes lives—and we are honored to stand beside you.

Every gift, big or small, helps change the story for a child in foster care. Click here to donate.

By supporting this program, our community helps Social Workers and CASAs meet urgent needs, strengthen stability, and create brighter futures for youth in foster care. Together, we’re not only meeting immediate needs—we’re fostering resilience, hope, and opportunity for years to come.

PVF’s Founder Bill Somerville was recognized among this year’s National Philanthropy Day 2025 awardees for his leadership and impact, and we were honored to attend and accept the award on his behalf.

Bill Somerville has been active in philanthropy for over 60 years. As a graduate of UC Berkeley majoring in Criminology, he recognized injustices early on, left the family printing business, and dedicated his life to improving the lives of the poor and disenfranchised and building community.

Among Bill’s first leadership roles in the 1970s was as Executive Director of the San Mateo Community Foundation, now the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, where he served for 17 years. 

His motto was “find people doing outstanding non-profit work and fund them.” He brought this ideology to Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF), a public charity that he founded in 1991.