OVERVIEW: The Full Circle Fund is a funding network of Bay Area professionals that supports local nonprofits working in the areas of health, education, economic opportunity and environment and energy.
IP TAKE: There are a lot of powerful people from powerful places behind the scenes in this Bay Area funding group. Application for funding is generally by invitation only, but this group runs open calls for applications one or two times each year.
PROFILE: Established in 2000, thee Full Circle Fund is not a traditional a foundation but rather a network of professionals that have come together to help nonprofits reach their goals. The geographic focus of this funding network is the San Francisco Bay Area. Grantmaking interests for this group include health, education, economic opportunity, environment, and energy.
Health grants often advance solutions for public health and healthcare issues. Education grants commonly aim to improve the effectiveness of education in California for underserved communities. Economic grants go to groups pursuing scalable models to boost opportunity. Environmental and energy grants focus on clean tech, alternative energy, urban sustainable development, green jobs, global warming, climate change, water conservation, and environmental health and social justice. Support is in the form of strategic planning, marketing, business development, fundraising, product development, and general organizational development. Education grants have gone to groups like Early Edge California and College Track, economic grants to The Last Mile and Family Independence Initiative, health grants to YTH and Zen Hospice Project, and environmental/energy grants to the Center for Food Safety and Walk SF.
Grants from this fund range from $15,000 to $20,000. Nonprofits can learn more about past grant partners here. The San Francisco Bay Area is the geographic focus of this foundation.
The grantmaking process is member-driven, which means that Full Circle members seek out nonprofits to work with. Applications are mostly accepted by invitation only, but the fund runs open calls for nonprofits one or two times per year. Information about the requirements and timing of these open calls is available at the group’s partners page. The funding group explores current issues January through March, identifies potential grantees in April, selects grantees in May, and works with the new grantees for the rest of the year. Direct questions to the Full Circle Fund staff at 415-824-4840 or info@fullcirclefund.org.
PEOPLE:
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