Gilroy Foundation
"Give Where You Live"
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Annual requests for grants to Gilroy Foundation average $225K with funding available for $50K for this ask. Our desire is to increase the funds at Gilroy Foundation and to cover more of the needs by bringing assets of Gilroy Foundation from the current $12 Million to $20 Million.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Grants and Scholarships
Our grants support a wide variety of programs in all nonprofits sectors including but not limited to, Health, Education, Recreation, Technology, Culture, and Civic Services.
Where we work
External reviews

Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Gilroy Foundation was founded to help meet the needs of the community in the specific areas of Health, Education, Recreation, Technology, Culture, and Civic Services. The concept is simple. The Foundation provides a way for individuals, families, and corporations who share a common commitment to the future prosperity and well-being of the community to come together to build an endowment that will last in perpetuity.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1) Increasing Planned Giving by working with financial advisors, wealth managers, lawyers and accountants to make Gilroy Foundation a more visible and viable choice through which to leave a legacy.
2) Continue to make Gilroy Foundation visible in Gilroy as the entity that links charitable gifts to the vital needs of our community.
3) The focus at Gilroy Foundation is donor acquisition and donor retention.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
1) An Executive Director who has been at the helm of Gilroy Foundation for 25 years!
2) An active and involved Board of Directors who are well-known and respected in our community.
3) An active Fund Development Committee that sets goals for funding.
4) A Thriving Development Office that works to communicate the need and the successes of Gilroy Foundation to donors and to the community.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Grants and scholarship applications, the main focus of Gilroy Foundation have been accepted according to the annual timeline. Gilroy Foundation continues to be a resource to our community and as our Mission Statement describes: By engaging all aspects of the community, Gilroy Foundation is the recognized leader in connecting resources to community needs.
However, while the day to day business of Gilroy Foundation continued, we have been challenged to convene resources to a community crisis--the July 2019 Garlic Festival shooting. Gilroy Foundation has been the vehicle through which the nearly $1.9 Million collected has been distributed. Nearly 90% of donated funds , held in the Gilroy Garlic Festival Victims Relief Fund and managed by the Oversight Committee, went to the 22 shooting victims and their families. Remaining donations went to hardship victims that were affected by the shooting at the Festival.
Our work continues.....
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person),
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Gilroy Foundation
Board of directorsas of 01/03/2023
Karen La Corte
VP, Marx Towing, Inc.
Term: 2021 - 2023
Vito Mercado
Retired
Term: 2021 - 2023
Jay Baksa
City Managers Senior Advisor/Range Rider for Santa Clara County
Carlos Pineda
Program Manager and Chef at the Culinary Academy and Kneaded Bakery at Rebekah Children’s Services
Jennifer Speno
Headstart Nursery
Lee Blaettler
Retired Financial Services
Ericka Davis
Finance Department, City of Morgan Hill
Don DeLorenzo
PGA General Manager, Gilroy and Gavilan Golf Courses
Joel Goldsmith
Retired, Goldsmith Seeds
Yesenia Gonzalez
Event Experience Manager, Tied Together Marketing
Rigo Vargas
Computer Systems Consultant, SJSU
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data