January 29, 2016

Yelp Foundation gives $750,000 to fan-favorite nonprofits

Yelp Foundation gives big: Recently divvying out three-quarters of a million dollars to nonprofits in 75 US cities through their “Gives Local” grant contest.

The contest encouraged community members in cities across the country to vote for the organizations they love most. By the end of the contest, 160,000 votes were cast and the top three nonprofits in each city were awarded grants up to $5,000 to help support their programs in local communities. Erica Galos Alioto, Yelp Foundation Board Member says:

It’s so important to the Yelp Foundation to involve the community and Yelp employees in driving decisions about how best to give back to the local communities we all love.

Each winning nonprofit aligns with an area of the Yelp Foundation’s mission to address the needs of local communities, including: access to information, education, local economic development, and freedom of expression.

Reading Partners supporters showed their love, securing grants for eight regional locations. These vital funds will directly support our one-on-one reading programs in these communities—ensuring students reach their full reading potential by fourth grade. Winning teams included:

San Francisco awarded $5,000
Denver awarded $3,000
Seattle awarded $3,000
Minneapolis awarded $5,000
Charlotte awarded $3,000
Charleston awarded $5,000
Manhattan awarded $5,000
Los Angeles awarded $3,000

Thank you, Yelp, for your support of our work and the work of our fellow nonprofits. See a full list of grant winners nation-wide.