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Y & H Soda Foundation

Annual Giving
$3.6M
Grant Range
$25K - $0.1M
Decision Time
3mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $3,638,000 (2023)
  • Decision Time: 2-3 months due diligence + quarterly board meetings
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $150,000
  • Geographic Focus: Alameda and Contra Costa Counties (East Bay, CA)
  • Application Method: Invitation only (no unsolicited applications accepted)

Contact Details

Address: 1635 School Street, Moraga, CA 94556
Phone: 925-631-1133
Fax: 925-631-0248
Website: www.yhsodafoundation.org

Initial Contact: Email the foundation with your organization name, contact information, and alignment with strategic priorities. Expect response within 10 business days; follow up by phone after 4 weeks if no response received.

Overview

Established in 1964 by the late Y. Charles "Chet" Soda and the late Helen C. Soda, the Y & H Soda Foundation is an anti-poverty organization committed to the full participation and prosperity of the underserved in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Following the deaths of Helen Soda in 1983 and Chet Soda in 1989, the Board of Directors began formal grantmaking in the East Bay. The foundation distributes approximately $5 million annually in grants to East Bay nonprofits. Their mission is to "Build an equitable community where everyone thrives, belongs, contributes to the common good and participates in shaping the future." The foundation centers its grantmaking on equity, is responsive to community needs, and prioritizes addressing systemic barriers for immigrants and people of color through trusted partnerships with local organizations.

Funding Priorities

Strategic Focus Areas

The foundation has consolidated its funding around two primary strategic priorities:

1. Economic Justice: Building an inclusive local economy that works for everyone

  • Family economic success initiatives
  • Workforce development and access to living wage jobs
  • Financial asset building programs

2. Immigrant Rights and Inclusion: Building a region that values immigrants and protects immigrant rights

  • Immigration legal services
  • Support for eligible community members to adjust legal status
  • Advocacy for immigrant community participation

Additional Program Area:

  • Urban Catholic Education: Supporting Catholic educational institutions serving underserved communities

High Priority Initiatives

The foundation places "a high priority on grant requests that work at the intersection of economic justice and immigrant rights." They prioritize advocacy at the public systems level and seek to partner with organizations addressing inequity through local policy changes. The foundation emphasizes initiatives combining advocacy, community organizing, and narrative change, with a focus on "local solutions from impacted communities."

What They Don't Fund

  • Individuals
  • Organizations outside Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
  • Private foundations (only fund 501(c)(3) organizations not classified as private foundations under IRS section 509(a))

Governance and Leadership

Historical Leadership

Bob Uyeki (Robert Uyeki) served as longtime CEO of the Y & H Soda Foundation for more than 30 years in the Bay Area philanthropic sector before retiring.

Luis Arteaga joined as Chief Program Officer in 2018, previously serving as a program officer for The Levi Strauss Foundation focusing on social justice issues.

Founders

Y. Charles "Chet" Soda was the first general partner of the Oakland Raiders and initially worked as a cement contractor before investing in various business and property ventures. Together with his wife Helen C. Soda, they established the foundation in 1964 to serve their community.

Board Structure

The Board of Directors meets quarterly to make final funding decisions. Board member names are not publicly disclosed in standard nonprofit databases.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Y & H Soda Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. They use an invitation-based process:

Step 1: Verify Eligibility

  • Must have 501(c)(3) status, be a public agency, or be a project sponsored by a public charity
  • Must serve residents of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
  • No grants to individuals

Step 2: Confirm Equity Alignment Before considering strategic fit, organizations must demonstrate alignment with the foundation's equity focus, including:

  • Programming that addresses root causes of inequity
  • Outcomes focused on lasting change
  • Success indicators tracked by race/ethnicity
  • Meaningful community participation in developing project goals and leadership opportunities
  • Demographic alignment between organization leadership and the community served

Step 3: Review Strategic Priorities Assess whether your program or initiative aligns with Economic Justice and/or Immigrant Rights priorities. The foundation expects all partners to address inequity by advocating for local policy change in these areas.

Step 4: Submit Initial Inquiry Send an email to the foundation with:

  • Organization name
  • Contact information
  • Identification of which strategic priorities and funding strategies align with your project

The foundation responds to inquiries within 10 business days. If no response within 4 weeks, call (925) 631-1133.

Step 5: Invitation to Submit Full Application If selected, program staff will invite you to submit a grant application through their password-protected online grantee portal.

Decision Timeline

  • Initial Response: Within 10 business days of inquiry (2 weeks acknowledgement)
  • Due Diligence: 2-3 months (typically includes site visits)
  • Board Meetings: Quarterly
  • Notification: The week following the board meeting where your application is presented
  • Format: Notification via phone call from Program Officer followed by electronic letter

Success Rates

Specific success rate statistics are not publicly available. The foundation uses a highly selective invitation-only process, which means only organizations that align closely with their strategic priorities are invited to submit full applications.

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful applicants should consult with their assigned Program Officer for guidance on reapplication timing and approach.

Application Success Factors

The foundation has clearly articulated what makes applications successful:

1. East Bay Impact

  • Must directly impact residents of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
  • Include local leaders in project design and implementation

2. Equity-Centered Approach

The foundation emphasizes: "Before we consider whether an initiative or program is a strategic fit with our funding priorities, an organization must be aligned with our equity focus."

This means demonstrating:

  • Identification and addressing of root causes of inequity (not just symptoms)
  • Success indicators tracked by race/ethnicity
  • Impacted communities participate in developing project goals
  • Impacted communities have leadership opportunities
  • Organization demographics align with the community served

3. Clear Outcomes and Accountability

  • Incorporate current research and learning
  • Provide baseline data on the problem being addressed
  • Demonstrate anticipated impact
  • Show how progress will be measured
  • Prove direct benefit to East Bay residents

4. Strong Organizational Practices

  • Transparent and effective processes
  • Cultural competence
  • Well-articulated work plan and realistic budget

5. Effective Partnerships

The foundation states: "We are looking for opportunities to invest in ways that build on the individual and combined strengths of partners to achieve greater impact."

Successful applications demonstrate:

  • Shared understanding of the problem
  • Community-derived policy solutions
  • Strong collaboration structure
  • Realistic planning for social change
  • Partnerships that span policy advocacy, community organizing, and narrative change

6. Policy Advocacy Focus

"We expect all of our partners to address inequity by advocating for local policy change in the areas of economic justice and/or immigrant rights and inclusion."

7. Data-Driven Continuous Improvement

The foundation values organizations that use data to continuously improve their initiatives and can demonstrate measurable progress toward lasting change.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only process: Initial inquiry must demonstrate strong alignment with equity focus and strategic priorities before you'll be invited to apply
  • Intersection funding priority: Grant requests working at the intersection of economic justice AND immigrant rights receive highest priority
  • Equity is non-negotiable: Equity alignment is assessed before strategic fit—you must demonstrate equity-centered practices throughout your organization, not just in the proposed project
  • Policy change required: All partners must engage in local policy advocacy; direct service alone is insufficient
  • Community-derived solutions: Your project must be designed with—not for—the communities you serve, with impacted community members in leadership roles
  • Long timeline: Plan for 3-6 months from initial inquiry to funding decision (2-3 months due diligence + quarterly board meetings)
  • Geographic specificity: Both organizational location and project impact must be in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties—East Bay focus is strict

References

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