OVERVIEW: Sobrato Philanthropies supports K-12 education, programs for English language success, economic opportunity, sustainable agriculture, housing & homelessness, and a range of other issue areas. Sobrato supports organizations across the U.S., along with a program focused on education and economic advancement in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley.
IP TAKE: Sobrato Philanthropies is an umbrella organization comprised of several Sobrato charities and funds, including the Sobrato Family Foundation, the Sobrato Foundation at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and various other family funds and programs, including several DAFs (donor-advised funds). Sobrato is very much a family charity in both spirit and administration, with three generations of family members closely collaborating. IP has reported on Sobrato’s recent goals and trajectories. While family members remain active in Sobrato Philanthropies and serve on the Sobrato Family Foundation’s board, the philanthropy has undergone an “evolution of sorts,” bringing non-family members onto the board and into executive leadership positions.
A champion of place-based funding, Sobrato remains committed to Silicon Valley, but in recent years—driven by members of the real estate family’s second and third generations—the philanthropy has added various national and international causes to the agenda, with a limited focus on climate change, democracy, and other issues. In addition to grantmaking, Sobrato embraces less traditional approaches, including philanthropic collaboratives, impact investing, and funding for 501c4 organizations.
This funder does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Organizations that fit Sobrato’s priorities should consider introducing themselves through the foundation’s grants email, but should not expect an invitation to apply without clear alignment. Demonstrating deep roots in Silicon Valley communities or a strong track record serving English learners will significantly improve the odds of receiving staff attention.
PROFILE: The Sobrato family’s real estate wealth traces back to the 1950s, when family patriarch John A. Sobrato sold homes in Palo Alto, California, and launched Midtown Realty, selling residential properties in the burgeoning suburbs. In 1974, he sold his interest in the company, moved to Cupertino, and concentrated on developing industrial properties for the emerging high-tech industry. Today, John A. Sobrato is chairman emeritus of the organization, while his son, John M. Sobrato, serves as chairman. The Sobrato Family Foundation, meanwhile, was launched back in 1996. Family giving has since grown under the umbrella of Sobrato Philanthropies—which includes the Sobrato Family Foundation, as well as other entities—collectively managing assets exceeding $1 billion. The Sobrato family’s net worth is estimated to be $6 billion.
Family members most active in the philanthropy include John A. Sobrato and Susan Sobrato, and John M. Sobrato (the son of John A. and Susan) and his spouse Timi Sobrato. Both couples are Giving Pledge signatories. Also involved are John M. and Timi Sobrato’s two sons, John Matthew and Jeff Sobrato, among the third generation of Sobrato philanthropists. John A. Sobrato’s daughter, Lisa Sobrato Sonsini, a Giving Pledge signatory, was instrumental in getting the family foundation off the ground, in collaboration with her sister, Sheri Sobrato. Both remain actively involved.
Sobrato Philanthropies’ mission is “to partner with communities to meet immediate needs, address systemic barriers, and pursue social justice to build a more equitable and sustainable world.” The philanthropy’s two strategic grantmaking priorities are Silicon Valley and English Learners, while affiliated family funds support a broader range of causes.
Grants for Housing, Work and Opportunity
Sobrato’s grantmaking for Silicon Valley is its largest giving area and prioritizes initiatives that help low-income and vulnerable people of Silicon Valley increase their financial stability and “craft their future.”
- Grantmaking focuses on dismantling systemic barriers to economic mobility through educational, vocational and other social services.
- A portion of this giving supports “community infrastructure” and “nonprofit ecosystems” in the region’s “most disinvested communities.”
- Geographic priorities include San Jose, North Fair Oaks, Hayward, Unincorporated Southern Alameda County, South San Francisco, Daly City, East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, Shoreview, Half Moon Bay, Pescadero and Gilroy.
- Grantees include Year Up Bay Area, Destination Home of San Jose, Adobe Services, and the United Way of the Bay Area.
Grants for K-12 Education
Sobrato maintains a strong commitment to supporting K-12 English language learners in the Silicon Valley Region. The English Learners program names three main approaches to its grantmaking.
- Grants for Statewide Impact fund state-level policy and advocacy to help English language learners thrive and succeed.
- Grants for Regional Opportunities focus on the implementation of state-level policies and interventions for bilingual education.
- EL Ecosystem grants “seek to increase public and private investment” in EL anywhere in the state, including research, evaluation and “narrative change.”
- Past grantees of this program include San Jose’s Foundation for Hispanic Education, the California Association for Bilingual Education, Loyola Marymount University and the Campaign for College Opportunity.
Other Grantmaking Opportunities
Members of the extended Sobrato family have individual family giving priorities and focus areas that are shaped by their own interests.
- John A. & Susan Sobrato make grants for affordable housing and homelessness prevention, educational institutions and student supports, health care and humanitarian assistance, and financial inclusion.
- John Michael & Timi Sobrato support election reform and sustainable food systems.
- Sheri Sobrato’s giving focuses on health, wellness, medical innovation, and impact media.
- John Matthew & Andie Sobrato prioritize reproductive rights and justice, education and access, and economic, social, and racial justice.
Sobrato Philanthropies also offers affordable office space and conference facilities to Silicon Valley nonprofits via four locations of its Sobrato Centers for Nonprofits.
Important Grant Details:
Sobrato’s recent grants have ranged from $50,000 to several million, although the vast majority of grants remains below $500,000. Sobrato distributes well over $100 million annually across its various entities, although the exact total varies because some giving occurs through donor-advised funds and affiliated vehicles.
- This funder makes hundreds of grants a year to organizations of every size; small organizations are well represented among its Silicon Valley grantees.
- A portion of Sobrato’s giving is conducted through DAFs at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, obscuring details about grantees and grant ranges.
- While this funder does not accept unsolicited grant proposals or LOIs, inquiries may be sent to Sobrato Philanthropies via email at grants@sobrato.org.
- For general inquiries, email the foundation at info@sobrato.org. Inquiries about grants should be addressed to grants@sobrato.org. The foundation’s phone number is (650) 876-7010.
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