Program Spotlight: Tipping Point Community
Youth homelessness is a pressing issue in the Bay Area, where Visa is headquartered, affecting thousands of young adults and adolescents. In 2022, Visa Foundation partnered with Tipping Point Community to help address this crisis. The Foundation awarded Tipping Point a $12 million grant to drive lasting change in the lives of youth who are at risk of or experiencing housing insecurity. Under the leadership of Sam Cobbs, CEO, Tipping Point combines effective, direct-service grantmaking with policy work that disrupts the systemic conditions perpetuating poverty. Thanks to Sam and his team, last year, more than 100,000 residents of the Bay Area were positively impacted.
This partnership extends beyond a grant award – it also includes volunteer support from Visa employees. In 2023, Visa employees donated more than 400 hours of their time to support Tipping Point and its grantees. Notably, a team of Visa staff consultants participated in a pro bono project that built data systems for capacity building and grantmaking work. The impact of the final data visualization product has allowed program staff to engage more strategically with Tipping Point’s 60-plus grantees and has created better informed, data-driven decisions to ensure youth are given the support and opportunity to succeed.
We at Tipping Point understand what is possible when people have access to the right interventions, support and opportunities at key moments in their lives. Visa Foundation’s long-term support will help us disrupt the conditions that hold poverty in place and refine what works for youth homelessness prevention.
– Sam Cobbs, Chief Executive Officer, Tipping Point Community