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Frequently
Asked Questions
Our Frequently Asked Questions section is
divided into the following categories:
Membership
How do I become a member?
To become a member of the 1200 Foundation, email us at 1200foundation@pacbell.net or
call us at 510-595-4203. You may also download a copy of the
Donation Form by clicking on the following PDF document (Donation
Form), complete the form, and send it to us.
How can I become more actively involved beyond donating
money?
Please contact us to see how you can volunteer to serve on one
of our committees or projects.
Donations
What is the recommended donation
amount?
The original premise behind the 1200 Foundation was to have each
donor give $100 a month for a yearly total of $1200 – all
tax deductible. We appreciate monthly donations in amounts greater
than $100, and we also welcome one-time donations in any amount.
.
How do I set up a monthly donation?
You can choose to donate monthly either through deductions from
your checking account or by charges to your Visa, MasterCard,
American Express or Discover credit card. Your pledged amount
will be deducted from your checking account or charged to your
credit card on the 5th or 20th of the month. Please click here
to see the Donation
Form with specific instructions.
How do I donate if I don’t want automatic monthly
deductions?
We accept individual donations in any amount. Checks should be
payable to the 1200 Foundation and mailed to:
1200 Foundation, 2079 Oakland Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611.
How do I change my monthly donation?
You can terminate or change your agreement at any time by giving
written notice to us in such time and manner as to afford us
a reasonable opportunity to act on it. Notices should be mailed
to: 1200 Foundation, 2079 Oakland Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611.
Do I get a statement of my donations
for tax purposes?
Yes, you will receive a statement in February for donations made in the previous
year.
How much of my donation would be used for your overhead?
Well over 90% of all donations received are given out in grants. Our overhead
costs are very low for three reasons.
(1) Our association
with the East Bay Community Foundation enables us to draw on their expertise
and experience with Bay Area non-profit organizations and the use of their facilities
for meetings.
(2) We use volunteers
rather than paid staff for all ongoing organizational activities.
(3) Our monthly donation
program lets us avoid the usual costs associated with fund-raising.
Why shouldn’t
I give directly to an actual program rather than to you?
The 1200 Foundation identifies and monitors the organizations
making the biggest difference for the working poor right here
in the East Bay. These are not necessarily the large national
non-profits that most of us know by name. They are smaller community-based
organizations targeting their services to local needs. We visit
these programs and organizations and monitor them on an ongoing
basis, making sure that our collective donations are having the
greatest positive impact for the working poor here in our very
own community. As a member of the 1200 Foundation, you are invited
to participate in these activities.
Grants
How does the 1200 Foundation select
recipients for grant awards?
Our grant committee identifies candidate grant recipients and
determines if each candidate program supports the foundation’s
core goals of effectively serving the working poor. Next, the
committee determines if the funding will make a significant difference
to the program and will offer the best possible return on the
foundation’s investment. Grant recipients are required
to submit periodic reports. These reports, and our interaction
with the recipients, make it possible to evaluate the effectiveness
of the funded programs.
What organizations have received
1200 Foundation grants?
We have awarded grants to the following outstanding Bay Area
non-profit organizations.
- The Bread Project trains low-income and
unemployed persons in commercial baking and food preparation
skills.
- Building Skills Partnership,
a coalition between California janitors’ union SEIU
1877 and responsible businesses, presents worksite programs
in a number of different areas for janitorial employees.
- C.E.O. Women creates
economic opportunities for low-income immigrant and refugee
women by teaching entrepreneurship, English and communication
skills so they can establish successful livelihoods and small
businesses.
- Opportunity Junction (formerly
known as OPTIC) fights poverty by helping low-income adults
get the confidence and competence to get good jobs that enable
them to support themselves and their families.
- Saint Vincent’s Day Home’s
Family Learning Program provides educational
workshops, classes, and advocacy that encourage families
to become self-sufficient and pursue their educational
and employment goals.
- Sophia Project serves
children and families who are at risk of recurring homelessness
and its effects.
- Street Tech is
a non-profit organization offering low cost computer training,
certification, and job placement for deserving adults from
disadvantaged communities in the Bay Area.
- Wardrobe for Opportunity provides
professional clothing and career support to low-income jobseekers
in the Bay Area.
Learn more about these organizations on
our Current Grants page
How do programs benefiting the
working poor apply for grants?
The 1200 Foundation partners with the East Bay Community Foundation
(EBCF) to identify organizations serving the working poor. EBCF’s
grantmaking priorities and guidelines can be found on their website
at www.ebcf.org under “Grantmaking Overview/Grant
Guidelines.”
Working
Poor
Can you recommend some sources
where I could learn more about the working poor, especially
in California and the Bay Area?
Yes, the following recent publications provide in-depth information
about the working poor:
More
Information
Do you have a brochure I
could send to a friend?
Yes, just send us an email or
call us at 510-595-4203 asking for a brochure and giving us your
name and mailing address.
I still have other questions that
you haven’t answered here.
Send us your questions by email to: 1200foundation@pacbell.net or
call us at 510-595-4203.
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