The main sentiment you feel when talking to the members of the Nicholson family is: Invested. The Nicholson family is deeply invested in San Jose, Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area with roots planted nearly two centuries ago when the family first arrived in the region. Across generations, the Nicholsons have sustained and nourished their commitment to improve the communities in which they have lived, worked and raised families.
If we don’t change, we don’t grow
and if we don’t grow, we aren’t really living
-Gail Sheehy
Backdrop of Transformation
In the 1850s, expanses of willow trees and yellow-laced wilderness of wild mustard blanketed much of the San Jose area, yet pioneering transformation had already begun across this hinterland. San Jose was incorporated at the same time California became a state — both in 1850, and significant building efforts were well underway with hotels, stores, factories, elementary schools and colleges. This included what was then Santa Clara College — signaling the promise of what was to come.
An agricultural bonanza began to emerge as farmers saw the area’s rich soil yield a cornucopia of crops, including apples, pears, potatoes, tomatoes, wheat and barley, with fruit orchards and vineyards lining the landscape. Along with the physical changes came social shifts. The rowdiness and transitory spirit of pre- incorporation years were giving way to order, stability and a sense of permanency: San Jose was becoming a true city, with its reputation as a mercantile center. Churches were flourishing amid the commerce, and farmers and their families were fanning out all across the Valley. Among the families establishing roots here were the Nicholsons.
The Nicholson Family Foundation
While serving in a multitude of capacities, the family is also widely recognized for The Nicholson Family Foundation, founded by a Nicholson son, which currently has three generations of Nicholsons on its board.
Since its inception in 1996, TNFF has supported a range of nonprofits throughout the entire Bay Area, championing organizations that create opportunities for underserved youth in arts, education and social services. Funding has been provided to over 20 organizations in Santa Clara County and beyond including:
