As part of the Mayfair Improvement Initiative, Community Foundation Silicon Valley supports building the capacity of strategic partner nonprofit agencies in the Mayfair Neighborhood. LFA was contracted by the foundation to design the capacity building assessment process and develop customized plans for each organization identified for capacity building. The process included administering a set of 360° assessment surveys to participating organizations and meeting with key organization representatives to gather qualitative information related to capacity. With the capacity analysis, LFA created logic models for each organization and a customized capacity work plan.

In an effort designed to support and enhance the performance of Santa Clara County’s nonprofit sector, Community Foundation Silicon Valley (CFSV) and CompassPoint Nonprofit Services commissioned the services of LFA to conduct the 2005 Santa Clara County Nonprofit Benchmark Study. The purpose of the study is to provide a current profile of nonprofit organizations in the County; describe the array of services available in the County by type and geographic reach; identify service type and geographic areas that appear to be under-represented in the County; clarify the current health status of the nonprofit sector; surface areas of current need for nonprofit organizational capacity-building support; and reveal a variety of trends over time in the sector. LFA will conduct a literature review, revise and administer the 2005 survey and conduct focus groups with executive directors of Santa Clara County nonprofits.

Community Foundation Silicon Valley (CFSV) engaged the services of LFA to conduct a retrospective assessment of CFSV’s seven years of participation in the place-based Mayfair Improvement Initiative from the managing partners’ perspective—that of CFVS—with an eye for what worked and lessons learned along the course of the Initiative-management process. The product of this assessment is a publication designed to share CFSV’s experience and provide recommendations to an audience of other organizations involved in or considering place-based and other types of initiatives that involve a managing partner relationship.

Silicon Valley is home to many innovative and influential corporations, but how socially responsible are they? The Community Foundation of Silicon Valley engaged LFA to conduct its 2006 study of corporate philanthropy in Silicon Valley to answer this question. This study aims to provide up to date information on the levels and types of corporate philanthropy practices in Silicon Valley and to highlight models of corporate philanthropy being used that are particularly effective and innovative. The hope is for the study to not only be a benchmark to measure future growth in corporate philanthropy but also to promote and encourage all Silicon Valley corporations to develop their civic engagement and philanthropic programs.