For the 13th consecutive year, the Town Crier has launched its annual Holiday Fund, which supports 20 local nonprofit organizations whose work directly benefits the needy in the community.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation of Los Altos continues its support, partnering throughout the fund's history. Earlier this year, the foundation pledged to seed the fund with $20,000 annually through 2015.

In addition to the Packard Foundation, donors include Passerelle Investment Co., the Skoll Foundation, Lisa and David Auerbach, Jack Melchor, the Morgan Family Foundation, Pamela and Ed Taft, Joy and Dinesh Desai, Nan and Charles Geschke, Bob Grimm and Kipp and Tom Gutshall.

The fund raised approximately $215,000 last year. Donations have totaled more than $1.7 million since its inception in 2000.

Nineteen of the 2011 recipient organizations return this year: Partners for New Generations; the Veterans Resource Center at Foothill College; Downtown College Prep - Alum Rock; the RotaCare Clinic; Bayshore Christian Ministries; the Krause Center for Innovation Merit Program at Foothill College; Child Advocates of Silicon Valley; ALearn; the autism program at the Community School for Music and Arts; Career Closet; the Community Health Awareness Council; the Community Service Agency's healthful foods program; the East Palo Alto Kids Foundation; Help One Child; Hidden Villa summer camps; Sunday Friends; House of Grace; Music for Minors; and Jeremiah's Promise.

The Town Crier added one new nonprofit for the 2012 Holiday Fund: Reach Potential Movement. Look for its profile in the Nov. 21 issue.

Contributions to the Holiday Fund are tax deductible. The donations are routed through a donor-advised fund at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which provides letters acknowledging the contributions and writes checks to distribute the money.
Through Dec. 12, the Town Crier will be publishing profiles of each group and its needs – read on to see what we've covered so far:

Veterans Resource Center at Foothill College

Downtown College Prep - Alum Rock

Sunday Friends

House of Grace

Partners for New Generations

RotaCare

Bayshore Christian Ministries

Child Advocates of Silicon Valley

Reach Potential Movement

MERIT program at KCI

CSA nutrition program

CSMA Artistic Intelligence Program

Jeremiah's Promise

Music For Minors

East Palo Alto Kids Foundation

Help One Child

Career Closet

Hidden Villa camperships

Community Health Awareness Council

ALearn

There are three ways to give:
• Mail donations payable to Silicon Valley Community Foundation (Attn: Town Crier Holiday Fund) to 2440 W. El Camino Real, Suite 300, Mountain View 94040.

• Call 450-5444 to use a credit card.

• Donate online at www.siliconvalleycf.org/latc-holiday-fund.

For more information, visit www.latcholidayfund.org.

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