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A new nonprofit organization in Portola Valley aims to address the town’s budget issues by fundraising for various projects. Organizers of the Portola Valley Fund unveiled the organization during the Town Council meeting on May 14, but the fund has been in the works for over a year.
Jon Goulden, Portola Valley resident and former chair of the Planning Commission, came up with the idea to start an official organization that would fundraise for the town during the peak of its financial crisis. He recruited Sarah Dorahy and former council member John Richards to join as board members.
The organization is project focused, said Goulden. Fundraising projects will first be approved by the town before the Portola Valley Fund lists the project on its website where community members can make donations. This is a free service that the nonprofit is providing to the town, he clarified.
“People can say, ‘Oh, I like Project A, I’ll put some money in for that.’ But if they don’t like Project B, that’s fine, as opposed to just generally giving us money then we would decide what to do with it,” Goulden added.
These projects could potentially include infrastructure improvements, upgraded cameras to livestream meetings, professional development for town staff, a dog park and resurfacing of the pickleball courts. Projects approved by the town are yet to come through to the fund, said Goulden.
For each listed project, a goal amount will be determined in which contributors can donate to help the anticipated costs for the project. The money will be donated to the town in the form of a grant.
In the past, independent fundraisers were held to raise money for projects such as the $16 million Town Center renovation completed in 2008. The neighboring town of Woodside has had a community foundation since 1952 but this will be the first time Portola Valley will have a nonprofit dedicated to supporting it financially.
“While I was on the council, we were at least under the impression that our finances were really solid, and they have for as long as I’ve been in town, but there’s just never been really felt to be in much of a need (of a foundation)” said Richards.
The town’s financial crisis appears to be at ease for now, Goulden added. With the creation of the fund, the town will have a supplementary budget for projects it may not have the means for in the future.
“There’s always been more ideas on the committees than there was ever money to actually satisfy all their thoughts and ideas,” Goulden said.
Although the town is still watching its finances closely, the Town Council was presented with a balanced budget in March after the new proposed budget estimated town expenses would be reduced by $2.5 million. That left the town with a surplus of $97,000 for fiscal year 2024-25. The staffing shortage and reduced service hours continue to be a challenge for the town, but has allowed for a temporary cut in the budget.
The Portola Valley Fund’s board includes longtime residents who have all been involved in many sectors of town government. Richards, who grew up in Portola Valley, served on the Town Council for 13 years, four years on the Planning Commission and seven years on the Architectural and Site Control Commission. Goulden carries experience from co-chairing the Portola Valley Schools Foundation and recently ended his term on the Planning Commission. Dorahy is a member of the Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee, a former PVSF trustee and has volunteered for local schools.
With Portola Valley’s strong history of volunteerism, Goulden said the fund is a natural way for residents to give back to the town.
“It gives us a better opportunity to continue with something we’ve been doing in town for a long time, and that’s trying to create community,” said Richards. “It’s another option for people to get involved with the town and volunteer without having the stress of dealing with things like the Brown Act.”
The Portola Valley Fund is still at its beginning stages. To take its next step, the board is waiting for the town to make its next move in approving a project.
For more information on the nonprofit organization visit portolavalleyfund.org
