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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 only one funding cycle for Nonprofit Sector this year. We are especially interested in projects this year that are developing and implementing strategies for intergenerational leadership transition in the sector.


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, Community Development, and Social Justice).


Grants Applications

In order to apply, please submit both the Intent to Apply form and the Encouraged Proposal form by 5:00 pm on Monday, December 3, 2007.  The forms can be submitted by email (by 5 pm on the deadline date) to apps@sff.org, or they may be mailed (postmarked by December 3, 2007) or hand-delivered (by 5 pm on the deadline date) to:  

            Nonprofit Sector Grants
            Grants Management
            The San Francisco Foundation
            225 Bush Street, Suite 500
            San Francisco, CA 94104-4224

All applications will be reviewed by a funding panel. Applicants will be informed the week after February 12th of the decision of the panel and our Board of Trustees. Organizations that are funded will have grants with a period of January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2008.

If you have questions regarding the Nonprofit Sector, please contact Ron Rowell at (415) 733-8520 or rmr@sff.org. 


Current Grants

We grant to a wide range of organizations in accordance with our strategic goals and objectives. In 2007 we made 13 grants worth more than $312,000.

View the Nonprofit Sector 2007 Grants.

 

Nonprofit Sector Staff

ron rowell.jpg

Ronald M. Rowell [bio]
Program Officer, Social Justice

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.