Children's Discovery Museum

Grantmaking Approach

Together with our partners, we foster and fund equitable opportunities for youth who have limited access to resources so they can achieve educational and personal success. To do this, we invest in strong nonprofit partners who are working to ensure youth have the resources, support, and opportunities to define and realize their own dreams.

We fund exclusively in San José, California, with an emphasis on communities and schools that have been systemically marginalized due to institutional racism, economic, and educational inequities, with high proportions of low-income households, English Learners, and BIPOC students.

Geographic Focus

We invest in organizations working with youth with multiple barriers to academic and personal success such as poverty, disabilities, mental health challenges, English learning, or connections to the child welfare or juvenile justice system.

Target Demographics

We strive to partner with organizations that share our vision and values. As such, we invest in organizations that 1. Integrate youth voice to ensure programs reflect community need; 2. Use trauma-informed practices and asset-based approaches; 3. Understand the barriers youth face and help them access the holistic services they need to thrive; and 4. Are connected to the broader array of youth service providers and collaborate to improve systems.

Partner Profile

We provide flexible, multi-year support to organizations that provide direct services within our funding areas. We aim to limit the administrative burden with short applications and opportunities to meet in a way that is most efficient for grantee partners. Finally, we ask partners to report on only the data and outcomes that are most meaningful to their work.

Funding Approach

Springboard Collaborative families celebrate a successful workshop learning strategies to support readers.  Photo Credit: Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation.

Funding Areas

Springboard Collaborative

Academic Enrichment

We know that academic enrichment programs can accelerate learning and reduce the opportunity gap, so we invest in extended learning, out-of-school-time supports, and embedded academic programs.

Graduate with family at graduation. Photo credit: Alex Knowbody

Latino Advancement Education Foundation

Supportive Scholarships

In order to close the resource gap, we invest in programs providing financial aid and supportive services to K-12 students and post-secondary students who are the first in their families to attend college.

Girl painting tile in Bill's Backyard at Children's Discovery Museum. Photo Credit: Children's Discovery Musuem

Children's Discovery Museum

Arts Education

We invest in high-quality, hands-on, culturally diverse arts education programs because we believe every child deserves a creative, rich, and joyful education.

Two student debaters discussing strategies for future debate rounds. Photo Credit: Howard Lui, Breaking Sky.

Silicon Valley Urban Debate League

Wellness and Connection

To remove mental health as a barrier to learning, we support school-based programs that enhance social-emotional development through mentoring, counseling, and wellness initiatives.

Latino Advancement Education Foundation

Aligned Community Collaboratives

We invest in community collaboratives working toward our collective vision because we know we cannot do it alone.

How to Seek Funding

The Shortino Foundation aims to be a committed partner offering our grantees multi-year support. Since our focus is primarily on renewal grants and our endowment is relatively static, we do not typically have broad, open invitations for new grantmaking opportunities. However, we are interested in learning about programs in San José that align with our grantmaking strategy. We would be happy to arrange a meeting to explore possible collaborations. If your program or organization meets the criteria above and you are interested in discussing potential partnerships, please contact us.