How Does the Full Circle Fund Work in the Bay Area?

Based in the San Fransisco Bay Area, the Full Circle Fund stands out as a nontraditional grantmaker with many influential people behind the scenes. This funding group is a network of professionals who come together to help local nonprofits reach their goals, and it takes an interesting approach to philanthropy.

Here are some basics on the Full Circle Fund and how you can connect with this organization in Northern California.

The fund’s approach and impact

The Full Circle Fund has over 23 years of community-based work and leadership under its belt. It has supported over 250 nonprofits and facilitated over 100,000 volunteer member hours. The fund is distinctive because it recruits and trains high-level volunteers who work directly with nonprofits outside their day jobs. Thousands of executives, public and nonprofit sector leaders, and entrepreneurs have been involved. In addition to this skilled teamwork approach, the fund often provides financial grants from a pool of member donations and sponsors' contributions.

Topics of interest

The Full Circle Fund focuses strictly on the Bay Area of California. It aims to disrupt traditional philanthropy practices and enlist the help of members from all sectors and professional backgrounds. Past topics of interest include the environment, energy, education, health and economic opportunity. Recent grantees include Fresh Approach, My New Red Shoes, Planting Justice and Miracle Messages.

The fund awards grants that provide a team of four to 10 professionals to work pro-bono for three to four months on projects to help nonprofits in need of assistance. Its social issue area circles address climate change, economic justice, racial justice, education and healthcare. It recently developed the YCore Fellowship to engage early career professionals between ages 18 and 35. There are also accelerators and partnerships available in corporate and collegiate settings.

Getting in touch

The Full Circle Fund has awarded grants on an invitation-only basis, but it has also offered open calls for nonprofits in the past. It usually provides two project/grant cycles annually to support three or four nonprofit grantees every year. For Bay Area nonprofits looking for support, the best way to establish a relationship is to email or fill out the funder's online contact form.

Learn more about the Full Circle Fund in IP’s full profile of this funder, which is part of our Bay Area and Northern California grantmaking guide.

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