The San Francisco Foundation
Personal tools
Home  >  Programs  >  Philanthropy & Nonprofit Sectors  >  Nonprofit Sector
Document Actions

Nonprofit Sector

 

The San Francisco Foundation is committed to providing leadership to the nonprofit sector. We achieve this by increasing educational opportunities, expertise, and research to help guide nonprofit resources to maximize community impact.

There will be no Nonprofit Sector request for proposals issued this fiscal year due to other Foundation priorities. We expect to release the next request for proposals for the Nonprofit Sector in the fall of 2009.

 

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for Nonprofit Sector funding:

  1. Organizations must be intermediaries or associations:

While all intermediaries and associations are eligible, special consideration will be given to those that demonstrate ability to work with small or grassroots nonprofit organizations and/or demonstrate cultural competency or ability to work with low-income populations and communities of color.

  1. Organizations must provide services in a minimum of two counties in which The San Francisco Foundation funds (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin).
  1. Organizations must serve the sector at large or serve organizations across a minimum of three of the Foundation’s programmatic areas (Arts and Culture, Community Health, Education, Environment, and Community Development).

If you have questions regarding the Nonprofit Sector, please contact James Head at (415) 733-8514 or jwh@sff.org.

 

 

Nonprofit Transitions Fund Supports Intentional Change

September 2009

While Bay Area nonprofits have been resilient, and even grew during recent recessions, they must radically adjust given the scope of the recent recessions. Some face hard decisions about streamlining, merging, consolidating, or even sunsetting. Growth used to be a barometer of success. In the current economic climate, adaptability is a more pertinent measure. As part of The San Francisco Foundation’s emergency response grantmaking, we invite organizations to apply for a grant from the Nonprofit Transitions Fund, providing $350,000 to support serious planning efforts, consultants, due diligence, and other expenses. Read the What's New article to learn more about the Nonprofit Transitions Fund and how to apply by the Monday, October 26, 2009, deadline.

 

2009 Grants

We grant to a wide range of organizations in accordance with our strategic goals and objectives. In 2009 we made 21 grants totaling $690,000.

View the Nonprofit Sector grants awarded in 2009.

Nonprofit Sector Goal and Objective

 

Goal
To help maintain a healthy and dynamic nonprofit sector by supporting targeted and responsive efforts by intermediary organizations that increase the effectiveness and capacity of Bay Area nonprofits.

Objective 1
To support intermediary organizations that build the staff and board capacity of nonprofit organizations.

Strategies

  1. Support efforts that develop and sustain staff and board leadership.
  2. Support efforts that provide peer learning, cohort development, individual consultation, and coaching to nonprofit organizations in organizational development, financial literacy, sustainability planning, succession planning, and intergenerational leadership transfer strategies.
  3. Support efforts to engage in public policy by educating nonprofit organizations about their legal rights and responsibilities for advocacy and lobbying.

 

Objective 2
To support intermediary organizations that help strengthen the infrastructure and operations of nonprofit organizations.

Strategies

  1. Support innovative approaches to increase operational efficiency of nonprofit organizations (e.g., multi-agency cost-sharing of administrative and/or specialized staff).
  2. Support efforts that expand the communications capacity of nonprofit organizations.
  3. Support efforts to increase access to affordable software, staff training, and ongoing technical support for nonprofit organizations.
  4. Support efforts to strengthen nonprofit organizations' ability to respond to increased government regulations and oversight by establishing clear legal and financial accountability standards.