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There’s a sea of grant opportunities out there, but this one definitely stands out as unique.
Four of Mountain View’s premier tech companies are pooling money to invest in ideas to make the city more compassionate and equitable. Anyone with an idea how to foster that goodwill is urged to write it up and send it in.
Does that mean free tacos for everyone? Maybe a fleet of bicycles for anyone to use? Or perhaps more public Wi-Fi across Mountain View? Whatever your idea is, the new grant initiative — Inspire Mountain View — wants to hear it.
“We’re calling on all innovators, creators and dreamers who want to make Mountain View a better place,” said Joe Eyre of the Los Altos Community Foundation, the managing partner for the program. “The whole idea here is to make the community more compassionate, equitable and a better place to live and work.”
The grant idea comes thanks to generous funding from Google, Synopsys, Symantec and LinkedIn — corporations that have played a major role in Mountain View’s growth. But tied to that growth is a set of byproducts such as traffic congestion, insufficient housing and a lack of parks.
Inspire Mountain View is offering three grant awards for $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000. Applications are being accepted starting this week. The deadline is March 15.
All submissions will be reviewed first by a group of Mountain View leaders and the donor committee. The highest scoring proposals will then be posted online for the public to vote on.
Anyone interested in applying for Inspire Mountain View should visit the program’s website at www.inspiremv.org.
— Mark Noack
Grant seeks citywide goodwill
Not a grant proposal, but a suggestion: Google has very generously provided a free bus around town. I think it is not used much as we in Mountain View are not practiced in using public transportation. However, I wish we were, I would like to learn to use public transport rather than driving everywhere.
I wonder if there is any way to expand the Google Bus and do more to encourage people to use it? Maybe some sort of contest to get people to use it?
We had “free” google wifi and then they took the box away from in front of our house. When we did have it, it was quite intermittent/not reliable. So, no. Their wifi isn’t worth much.
Giving monthly vouchers to those of us who rent here, to help us keep paying rent and providing for our families, would be best. We now pay five times as much as a result of Google setting up shop here. Google’s do no harm motto. That’s laughable. Help renters by helping subsidize their their rent. Sounds far fetched but if Google wasn’t here, the landlords wouldn’t have become so greedy thinking we all could afford high rents as Google employees can. We can’t. Move away. Yes, that would be a great idea. Have Google move to Las Vegas instead of the Raiders.
It seems to me that goodwill should affect everyone equally not just specific groups. Expanding Wi-Fi throughout the city and planning to maintain it would benefit everyone.
How about these tech companies put their money where it would do the most good and provide a grant to keep Planned Parenthood in Mountain View open? If they really want to support the community in a meaningful was, providing access to healthcare for thousands of families is a compassionate and equitable option.
How about they all leave Mountain View. It was a very nice place to live until they came along and invaded the town.What a bunch of BS at this point.
a year or so ago, Google’s plan for extensive housing in the North of Bayshore area was shot down by the City Council. I think that was a mistake but their action was consistent with the general plan, Mountain View 2030 which has no provision for additional housing there.
I agree the cost of housing in Mountain View is too high, but the solution is not rent control or rent subsidies, but more–a lot more–housing. I think that’s something Google would be willing to do, and i think North of Bayshore is a good place got do it, in spite of Mountain View 2030.
Yes the tech companies have changed our town and our lives but they are not leaving and the damage is done. Why don’t we stop complaining and try to think of something positive to suggest with their minimal efforts to improve what’s happened here.
Use the money to boost public transit around Mountain View and nearby cities to a usable level. Everyone needs transportation. Public transit allows everyone to actually meet their fellow city residents face to face.
Many ways to define what’s equitable. Need? Lowest income? Families with young children?
However… they’re apparently looking for innovators, so not a grant to just give a block of money way. That’s a lazy idea. Always read the rules to try to figure out what sort of idea they’re envisioning. The top prize is just $100,000, so a more innovative solution is what they’re asking for, probably an entrepreneur idea. A business that just needs some help starting? A new piece of technology perhaps? Housing tech? More efficient transportation?
In regards to one specific comment above, subsidizing rent seems like a particularly poor idea in addition to not creative, after all, the government has decades of experience doing exactly that.
If only people knew what they want… complaining is so much easier.
How about basic income? Also needs government involvement.
How about some sort of interactive virtual be at work (work from home) goggles. “The next big thing in telecommuting!” That would reduce traffic in and around Mountain View.
@ Google, you are halfway there already!
Relocation assistance for people leaving town.
@Kate the contrarian
Well, VTA plans to reduce service to areas that are served by free community shuttles, so that will encourage/force more people to use the free community shuttles.