Silicon Valley One - Fall 2008 - (Page 10)

In addition to improving their own communities, these individuals are helping organizers discover more about civic engagement. Engaged citizens develop the knowledge, skills, values and motivation needed to promote better quality of life in a community. By taking a closer look at people who already have stepped forward, nonprofits and scholars alike hope to discover new and better ways to bring more reticent citizens into the fray. Silicon Valley has historical connections to community organization; famed farm labor advocate César Chávez once called San José home. But Silicon Valley today is not known for high levels of volunteerism and civic engagement. In a 2007 survey of America’s 50 largest cities, San José came in 32nd in average volunteer rates. The reasons for that are myriad. A diverse community requires communicating in many languages, a skill not all organizations have developed. Long commutes mean longer hours away JosHuA roberts Rabbi Jay Miller—with Peninsula Clergy Network staff members Joelle Jenkins and Gina Quiney, right—works for policy change in Washington, D.C., and connects at-the-ready leaders in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. from home and family, not to mention fewer hours to work on issues of public interest. Silicon Valley is not alone with this problem. Overall, civic engagement nationally has dropped from one generation to the next since the beginning of the 20th century. If allowed to continue unchecked, this trend could threaten the democratic ideals upon which the United States was founded. Fortunately, the decline in civic engagement has not gone unnoticed. As a result, nonprofits and philanthropic groups are seeking new ways to entice a greater cross-section of the public into active engagement. Leveraging Philanthropy Civic engagement can start with a crisis or a question. Why can’t I see the mountains today through the smog? Why am I seeing more people on the street without shelter? From there, people seek information, then donate their time and money to causes they grow to understand. Silicon Valley Community Foundation and other organizations help donors go even deeper by teaching them how they can leverage philanthropic investments and work to change public policy. The community 10 o n e innovation through philanthropy www.siliconvalleycf.org http://www.siliconvalleycf.org

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Silicon Valley One - Fall 2008 Contents From Emmett D. Carson The New Face of Need Five-star Philanthropy Ready to Learn Board School Civic Citizens Built to Last siliconvalleycf.org What If?

Silicon Valley One - Fall 2008

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