Press

In 2025, the SAMCAR Foundation awarded more than $36,000 in grants and donations to a dozen charities in San Mateo County thanks in large part to the generous support of SAMCAR members and sponsors. Read more for a detailed report of 2025 charitable giving.

On Tuesday, December 9, the SAMCAR Foundation Council, Marketing Meetings and Special Events Committees hosted the fifth annual "Judy Ploshay Memorial Holiday Auction" at the Monterra Credit Union corporate headquarters in Redwood City, treating guests to breakfast sponsored by Janet Pepe Davis, and lively bidding with auctioneer Alan Kirth for a chance to take home auction items donated by SAMCAR members and local businesses, and support several beneficiary charities. The auction raised over thirteen thousand dollars in total for several beneficiary charities: Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room, Coastside Hope, Pacifica Resource Center, San Carlos Education Foundation, SchoolForce Belmont-Redwood Shores Public School Foundation.

In 2024, the SAMCAR Foundation awarded $27,000 in grants and donations to numerous charities in San Mateo County thanks in large part to the generous support of SAMCAR members and sponsors. Read more for a detailed report of 2024 charitable giving.

In 2023, the SAMCAR Foundation awarded $51,700 in grants and donations to numerous charities in San Mateo County thanks in large part to the generous support of SAMCAR members and sponsors. Read more for a detailed report of 2023 charitable giving.

In 2022, the SAMCAR Foundation awarded $54,000 in grants and donations to numerous charities in San Mateo County thanks in large part to the generous support of SAMCAR members and sponsors. Read more for a detailed report of 2022 charitable giving.

In August 2021, the SAMCAR Foundation awarded CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse) a $2,500 grant to provide support towards keeping domestic violence survivors and their children safely housed in the San Carlos area. Read more for a report from CORA providing a snapshot of the impact of this partnership on the lives of survivors of intimate partner abuse and their children.

In 2021, the SAMCAR Foundation awarded $46,800 in grants and donations to numerous charities in San Mateo County thanks in large part to the generous support of SAMCAR members and sponsors. Read more for a detailed report of 2021 charitable giving.

Thanks to the generous support of SAMCAR members, sponsors and community, our 2021 #SAMCARGivesBack fundraising campaign has raised $41,000, far exceeding our initial fundraising goal. Supported by unique fundraising events including "Thursday Night Live," this year's fundraising campaign drove community involvement and generous giving, which allowed Foundation Trustees to approve quarterly grants to numerous housing-related charities throughout the year. Read more for an overview of what the SAMCAR Foundation has been able to accomplish with your support.

In 2020, the SAMCAR Foundation awarded more than $80,000 in grants and donations to numerous charities in San Mateo County, including a wildfire relief fundraising effort led by Half Moon Bay REALTORS®, several member-directed pass-through donations, and a special donation to the San Bruno Community Foundation Crestmoor Neighborhood Scholarship. Read more for a detailed report of 2020 charitable giving.

In 2019, the SAMCAR Foundation awarded over $62,000 to numerous housing-related charities in San Mateo County and grants to first time buyers working with the HEART program. The primary funding sources for SAMCAR Foundation grants are voluntary contributions made by SAMCAR members with dues payments and fundraising from annual events.

In 2018, the SAMCAR Foundation awarded $49,574 to numerous housing-related charities in San Mateo County. The primary funding sources for SAMCAR Foundation grants are voluntary contributions made by SAMCAR members with their dues payments and fundraising from annual events. In addition to funding from member contributions and events, the SAMCAR Foundation was awarded a $50,000 grant from the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) Housing Affordability Fund (HAF) in 2018.

In 2017, the SAMCAR Foundation awarded $37,000 to numerous housing-related charities in San Mateo County. The primary funding sources for SAMCAR Foundation grants are voluntary contributions made by SAMCAR members with dues payments and fundraising from annual events.

The SAMCAR Foundation's June 2016 grant of $10,000 to HEART of San Mateo County is helping provide assistance to first-time homebuyers in our community.

Do you know about the great work that SAMCAR Foundation grant recipients do in San Mateo County? Mission Hospice & Home Care is using Foundation grant funds to purchase an exceptional 12-bed residential care home in the heart of San Mateo.

On September 2 at the Combined Tour Meeting SAMCAR members heard from Assemblyman Rich Gordon on the 2013-2014 legislative session, and from grant recipient organizations supported by the SAMCAR Foundation's quarterly grant program.