craigslist Charitable Fund
/OVERVIEW: The craigslist Charitable Fund’s work supports a broad range of efforts across several funding areas; however, it prioritizes funding for human rights, the environment, civic engagement, public health, and community development.
IP TAKE: This is a low-key funder that has clearly-defined priorities, but does not offer much insight or transparency into its grantmaking strategies. It prefers to fund mid-sized to smaller organizations, but funds established, large ones as well. craigslist prefers to research it’s own grantees to fund, so calling or networking here won’t work unless you can network with a C-level employee. Do great work and hope you get noticed here.
PROFILE: The craigslist Charitable Fund (CCF) is the philanthropic arm of craigslist.com, a classified advertisement website based in San Francisco and founded by Craig Newmark. The craigslist Charitable Fund should not be confused with Newmark’s personal foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies. While the Charitable Fund does not have a stated mission, it divides its grantmaking among four “broad areas of interest”: Environment & Transportation; Education, Rights, Justice, Reason; Non-Violence, Veterans, Peace; and Journalism, Open Source, Internet.
Grants for Security and Human Rights
While CCF does not have a dedicated grantmaking program for human rights, it does make a number of grants in that area, specifically through its Non-Violence, Veterans, Peace initiative. Past grantees include Peace Development Fund, Resist, Inc., CODEPINK, Alliance for Global Justice, and Human Rights Watch.
Grants for the Environment, Climate Change, Animals and Wildlife
CCF’s grants for environmental issues fund causes related to biodiversity, climate change, domesticated animals, and environmental education. Past environmental grantees include Environmental Defense Fund, Ruckus Society, VEGAN OUTREACH, Society of Environmental Journalists, Inc., and California League Of Conservation.
Grants for Public Health, Diseases, and Mental Health
craigslist does not have a grantmaking program dedicated to public health; however, it has supported organizations working in the areas of public health, diseases, health care access, and mental health care. Past health grantees include Alameda County Network of Mental Health Clients, Alzheimer's Association, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Partners In Health, and St. James Infirmary.
Grants for Housing and Homelessness, Community Development
CCF’s grants for community development broadly fund organizations and programs in the areas of community improvement, economic development, and housing and homelessness. Past grantees include Walk San Francisco Foundation, The National Alliance To End Homelessness Inc., Peace Development Fund, Cycles of Change, and Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team.
Grants for Democracy and Civic Engagement
While CCF does not have a specific program dedicated to democracy and civic engagement, it supports organizations that do work in those areas through its grantmaking in education, rights, justice, reason, non-violence, journalism, open source, and Internet. Past grantees include Voto Latino, Critical Resistance, Poverty Action Lab, Project Reason, War Resisters, Metta Center for Non-Violence, Mother Jones, Reporters Without Borders, and ProPublica.
Important Grant Details:
Grants generally range from $1,000 to $100,000. CCF shows “special consideration” to organizations with a budget under $1 million. Note that while CCF funds organizations across the United States, it shows a preference for those working in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the company’s headquarters are located. CCF does not accept unsolicited proposals.
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