Step 1. Determine your Eligibility
The Y&H Soda Foundation supports organizations whose work qualifies as charitable, according to the IRS definition. This includes organizations with a 501(c)3 status, public agencies and projects sponsored by public charities.
Additionally, the work must serve the residents of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.
We do not make grants to individuals.
Step 2. Alignment with Our Equity Focus
Before we consider whether an initiative or program is a strategic fit with our funding priorities, an organization must be aligned with our equity focus. For us, that means:
Programming that identifies and addresses the root causes of inequity
Expected outcomes that build toward lasting change
Success indicators that are tracked by race and ethnicity, and the data is used to inform, revise, and strengthen the initiative
Impacted communities who:
Participate in developing, assessing, or refining project goals and outcomes
Are provided meaningful opportunities for leadership development by serving on staff, advisory boards, or the Board of Directors
Demographic alignment between the impacted community and the organization’s leadership and staff
Step 3. Determine Fit with our Programmatic Goals
As noted above, we approach all of our grantmaking with an equity focus. Accordingly, you must align with the criteria listed in Step 2. above before we will consider programmatic fit. After determining you are aligned with our equity focus, please review our Strategic Priorities to assess that your program or initiative is a fit with our grantmaking focus. We expect all of our partners to address inequity by advocating for local policy change in the areas of economic justice and/or immigrant rights and inclusion.
Additionally, we recommend you review the Key Elements of a Successful Application. You will also find a List of Previous Grants; however, note that they were made under our prior strategies so are not indicative of our funding beginning in 2022.
Step 4. Contact the Foundation
Please send us an email with the name of your organization, your contact information and identify which of our strategic priorities and funding strategies that you feel is aligned with your project.
We try to respond to inquiries within 10 business days. If you do not have a response from us after 2 weeks, please contact us by phone at (925) 631-1133.
If we determine that your project aligns with our Strategies, then we will invite you to submit an application for funding.
Step 5. Submit a Grant Application (by invitation only)
If selected, program staff will invite you to submit a grant application. Grant applications are submitted online through our password protected grantee portal.
Please note that program staff perform detailed due diligence which may include but is not limited to program and financial assessment, a site visit, and follow-up meetings with key staff.
The due diligence process can take 2-3 months to conduct before bringing a funding recommendation to our Board of Directors. Foundation staff will keep in touch with you during this process to keep you informed of the status of your request.
Step 6. Grant Application Review and Funding Determination
Program staff will notify you if your grant request will be presented to the Board of Directors and when to expect a decision. The Board meets monthly to make final funding decisions.
Mural Credit: The mural illustrates the pollinating of culture in deep East Oakland.
Warriors Rise Up (2020) by Community Rejuvenation Project