Grantmaking

Grantmaking

SV2 is a "giving circle." SV2 Partners pool our annual
contributions, and then together we decide where to grant our collective funds.

Currently, SV2 makes grants in three areas: Education, Environmental Sustainability, and International Development. We run three rigorous, competitive grant rounds each year to choose our three Grantees, and also to provide interested Partners with a deep, experiential education in grantmaking and exposure to innovative nonprofit organizations.

SV2 grants typically range from $100,000 to 150,000 over three years. Our grants are intended to invest in the organization's structure and operations, not just pay for current programs. This means that Grantees spend their SV2 grants on necessities such as upgraded databases, fundraising staff, or evaluation studies -- all of which position them for organizational growth and improved services to their clients. So far in our 13-year history, SV2 has granted over $3 million to 35 nonprofits.

SV2 does not accept grant proposals. Instead, during each grant round the Partners decide what community need we want to address, and then we research the nonprofit landscape to find organizations that are working on meeting that need. After thoroughly researching all the organizations, we invite finalists to come meet with us before we make our final decision. SV2 Grantees always have a Bay Area presence so that Partners can engage with the organizational leaders in their capacity-building goals. SV2 Grantees generally have budgets between $250K and $2M, and are poised to strengthen their organizational capacity and scale their services.