About the Project

Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) funds the Bridging the Cultural Gap program, a cohort of immigrant-serving organizations working to create and implement cultural projects that foster immigrant integration throughout Silicon Valley. Grantmaking Director Manuel Santamaria was intrigued by how Active Voice’s beyond the choir approach could help his grantees bring in new allies in support of immigrant integration. Active Voice helped SVCF build greater cohesion among their grantees’ projects by developing overarching campaign framing, defining shared objectives, and identifying opportunities for collaboration. Our initial assessment affirmed that many grantees — working on a range of projects from short documentaries to theatre performances to dialogue circles — hadn’t clearly thought through their goals, audiences, messages, or calls to action. To help grantees think strategically, we provided one-on-one support for each project, and continue to assist the group in building a shared vision and more collaborative approach toward achieving equity in Silicon Valley.