Family Support

No single safety net system exists to support low-income families who cannot afford food, shelter, healthcare, and other basic needs. These barriers to access for families seeking support contributes to persistent racial inequity as the majority of low-income families in the Greater Bay Area are disproportionately Black and Latinx. Navigating a patchwork of programs and services can be a major challenge for some families or they may need support exercising their rights to access services. Expanding access to these resources and benefits, as well as legal advocacy, can help a family achieve financial stability, improve their long-term prospects, and advance equity.

What We Fund

Sunlight Giving helps families stabilize by supporting:

Multiservice Agencies

Multiservice community agencies where families with young children can access a full suite of social services and referrals, often paired with case management. Services include enrollment in health plans and CalFresh, food distribution, emergency financial aid and rental assistance, health and dental care, referrals to housing, and immigration support.

Legal Aid Organizations

Legal service nonprofits where families with young children can seek advice and representation on matters related to housing, access to benefits, and immigration. Aligned legal services include eviction protection, affirmative immigration legal services, and benefits advocacy.

Systems Change

Organizations or initiatives that improve the system within which the safety net operates by reducing transaction costs and supporting overlooked communities.

What We Look For

Organizations that provide access to safety net services including enrollment in health plans and CalFresh, health and dental care, food distribution, emergency financial assistance, referrals to housing or eviction prevention, and immigration support to help families with young children.

What We Don't Fund

Programs focused solely on individual adults, school-age children or seniors.