Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Announces Additional Grants to Support Bay Area Communities Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic

REDWOOD CITY, CALIF. — The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) today announced $1.3 million in grants to Bay Area programs and organizations that are providing critical health services and addressing the needs of individuals and families facing increased economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants include:

Health Care and Direct Services:

• $500,000 to the Mission Asset Fund for the San Mateo County Immigrant Relief Fund to support low-income immigrant families impacted by COVID-19 and lockdowns, and who are ineligible for federal relief.
• $250,000 to the San Francisco Latino Task Force to support a “test to community care” model for testing, and an aftercare community wellness team that provides direct services and support for the Latinx community, particularly residents who test positive for COVID-19.
• $250,000 to the Rafiki Coalition for Health & Wellness to support COVID-19 testing, tracing, and health services for Black and African American communities in San Francisco.
• $50,000 to Chinese Hospital in San Francisco to support their leadership and response to COVID-19 in the community.
• $50,000 to Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Childcare Project, which supports private childcare providers who have limited financial means and do not qualify for other relief funding. Childcare providers receive emergency grants and technical assistance in accessing federal and state funds.

Educational Support and Digital Access:

• $200,000 to Redwood City School District to strengthen remote learning and help educators assess progress and support students throughout distance learning.
• More than 1350 WiFi hotspots to the San Mateo County Office of Education, local school districts, and schools, for student use for the 2020-2021 academic school year.

From culturally competent health services, to financial assistance and support, these organizations and community-led programs are serving people disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including Black and Latinx communities, and other communities of color.

“We sought input from community leaders and organizations on where the need was greatest and what is required urgently to help stabilize and support those most impacted by the pandemic,” said Cristina Huezo, Director of Community at CZI. “We are grateful to these organizations for their frontline efforts to address health disparities, provide access to critical services for individuals and families, and bridge the digital divide for students.”

This $1.3 million in additional grants follows an initial $5 million to support emergency relief efforts in the Bay Area. To date, CZI has committed more than $65 million to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more at: https://chanzuckerberg.com/covid-19/.

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About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Founded by Dr. Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg in 2015, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is a new kind of philanthropy that’s leveraging technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges — from eradicating disease, to improving education, to reforming the criminal justice system. Across three core Initiative focus areas of Science, Education, and Justice & Opportunity, we’re pairing engineering with grant-making, impact investing, and policy and advocacy work to help build an inclusive, just and healthy future for everyone. For more information, please visit chanzuckerberg.com.