It Takes Public and Private Partnerships to Strengthen Communities

Social Workers Are Our Unsung Heroes

It’s no secret that social workers are the unsung heroes of the foster care system. From making tough decisions that will change the course of a young person’s life to advocating for that child’s best interests, these stellar men and women often don’t receive the recognition they deserve.

Stormin' through Summer

by Storm McNerney

During the last semester of my undergraduate studies at San Jose State University, it seemed as if I was the only person without an internship. I knew the importance of finding one. After all, many of my peers had already interned at places such as LinkedIn, Google, and Apple. But those internships always felt out of my reach.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

On any given day, there are roughly 430,000 children in the American foster care system. Here are the top 5 things to know about children who enter foster care.

1. Children enter foster care through no fault of their own.

They’ve been removed from their family homes because an investigation has confirmed there is abuse and/or neglect in their home and that, for the time being, they will be safer elsewhere.

Foster Youth Recognize the Change-Makers in Their Lives

Emmanuel “Manny” Amador is a Pivotal Board Member and former foster youth who spearheads the selection process for our highly anticipated 2019 Masters of Change Awards. We caught up with Manny, who shared his thoughts about this awesome award. 

Volunteers “Jump" to Help Silicon Valley Foster Youth

Ask any nonprofit and they’ll tell you that volunteers are pivotal to carrying out their mission. Stretched thin by budgets and staff members who wear multiple hats, there isn’t a nonprofit out there who can make it without volunteer support. When Jump Associates located us with the help of Universal Giving, we knew we hit a home run.

Superhero Coaches, You Say? Yeah, We've Got a Few of Those

Net Promoter Score Is a Valuable Tool in Nonprofit Work

Have you ever wondered how successful brands like PayPal, Best Buy, and American Express measure their customers’ loyalty and satisfaction?  

Winning on the Mat and in Life

We love sharing stories of our college scholarship recipients like Noor Almusahwi, a former foster youth, and current Pivotal scholar. Noor is well on his way to realizing his career goals. He sets the bar high for all college students, not just those from foster care.   

Homelessness Is a Barrier to Earning a College Degree

Just three weeks ago, California voters passed two propositions expected to battle homelessness in our community. With tent encampments growing in cities across the area and people lining up as early as 8:00 am for a shelter bed, it’s clear that homelessness has reached a watershed moment in California.

Welcome to Pivotal – Our New Name for the Next Chapter of Our Organization’s Story

You may know us for our work as Silicon Valley Children’s Fund – or perhaps you knew us as TeenForce – but now, you can just call us Pivotal.

Pivotal is so much more than just a new name and logo. If there's anything we've learned from our 20 years of experience working with foster youth, it's that the nature of what we do - providing academic and employment support to foster youth - is pivotal to their future. And, it's clear that the timing of this support - receiving it before the emancipation clock ticks down - is pivotal to their career success.