Pace Able Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The San Francisco-based Pace Able Foundation was founded by Silicon Valley veterans Bart Burstein and Leslie White. This funder supports global development, global health, work and opportunity, sustainable agriculture and education. A significant portion of funding serves organizations working in Africa.
IP TAKE: Pace Able tends to support organizations that are involved in the development of infrastructure and finance in its areas of grantmaking interest. While its grants rarely top $50,000, this funder often works with its grantees for several years and provides consulting and technology services in addition to financial support.
Pace Able will not consider or respond to unsolicited proposals. It’s relatively responsive, however, so email general inquiries to the foundation’s staff.
PROFILE: Established in San Francisco by former Silicon Valley executives Bart Burstein and Leslie White in 2015, the Pace Able Foundation seeks to support “energetic organizations that want to effect changes that improve people’s lives measurably, improving health, economic status and educational outcomes.” Its current funding initiatives are agriculture, education, capacity building and health. This funder prioritizes U.S. organizations working in Africa, but some of its education funding goes to organizations in the Bay Area.
Grants for Global Development, Sustainable Agriculture, Work and Opportunity
Global development grantmaking is sourced from Pace Able’s agriculture, education and capacity building giving areas.
The agriculture program focuses on “technology that improves farmers’ productivity and profitability.” A recent grant supported the India-based Kheyti, which helps small holder farmers mitigate effects of climate change with its “Greenhouse-in-a-Box” products and services. Another recent grant provided unrestricted support to Mnandi Africa, which supports farmers with mechanization of tilling and irrigation for increased productivity.
Education grantmaking focuses on improving “school achievement for children of color” around the world. A recent grantee partner, Peas, works in in Uganda and Zambia to provide secondary educational opportunities to rural, underserved and low income children. Another recent grant supported the work of Limited Resources Teacher Training, which works in underserved areas of nine developing nations to train teachers to improve their impact on student achievement.
Grantmaking for capacity building is broader in scope, aiming to support “innovations that create jobs and increase the capacity of society.” In Colombia, the foundation supported Aflore, which provides financial literacy and services to “unbanked” people. Another recent grant went to South Africa’s Lumkani, which works improves lives in underserved communities by “reducing risks & inequalities and promoting inclusive economic growth.”
Grants for Global Health
Pace Able’s health funding supports “solutions to improve public health systems and health outcomes.” In recent years, the program has prioritized organizations and projects in Africa. Grantees include Watsi, which works with healthcare providers in the Rwibaale area of Uganda to develop a system of health insurance, and EMGuidance, a web-based support platform for medical professionals in South Africa.
Grants for Early Childhood and K-12 Education
Pace Able’s education funding program focuses on improving academic outcomes for children of color. In years past, the education funding focused on programs in Africa, but some recent funding has supported K-12 programs in the San Francisco Bay area. Pace-Able supports 10 Books a Home, an after-school basic skills program for struggling students in grades PreK-12 in Palo Alto.
Important Grant Details:
The Pace Able Foundation made $327,000 in grants, according to its most recent annual tax filings. Grants are awarded in amounts up to $120,000. Its average grant size is about $25,000. Many grantees receive multi-year funding as well as consulting and technology support from the foundation’s staff. Grantees tend to be well-established organizations involved in building or expanding financial and technological infrastructure in the foundation’s areas of interest. For additional information about past grantmaking see the foundation’s tax filings and its Who We Fund page.
Pace Able does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding and invites only a few organizations to apply for grants each year. General inquiries may be directed to the foundation’s staff via email.
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