Bay Area Inspire Awards
Supporting innovative, community-oriented projects spearheaded by
young people aged 18-30
Program Details
Awards of up to $5,000 to be used for an innovative community-oriented project for a maximum of one year. This should be something you would be unable to do without the award. You should have a fresh idea that will help advance social equity in your community.
Project might relate to one of the areas below, but all fresh ideas are welcome:
- Youth mentorship
- Underserved populations
- Housing displacement
- Environmental sustainability
- Economic development
- Grassroots journalism
- Immigrant rights
- Family services
- Civic engagement
- STEM education
Young people between 18-30, living and working in either Alameda, San Francisco, or San Mateo Counties who are dedicated to helping improve peoples’ lives in their communities.
The submission period for the 2019-2020 round is closed.
To apply, please click on the “Interested in Applying?” button to the right.
The 2019-2020 application period is closed.
The application period is closed.
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2020 Winners




2017 Winners





2015 Winners

2014 Winners

Program Founders
Connie Rubiano and Peter Yedidia are retired healthcare professionals living in San Francisco. In recent years, they have become concerned about the Bay Area’s growing income inequality and the lack of capital for innovative, socially progressive young people to pursue fresh ideas for improving their communities. Inspired by the young people in their lives, they conceived of the Bay Area Inspire Awards and arranged for the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation to host the program in 2014.


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Help us keep this community initiative thriving.
I believe that if a student is disengaged in education, this is because someone somewhere somehow failed them, and it is our job as educators to change that mindset.
– Christian Martinez, Bay Area Inspire Award grantee