News

Who are our Members and what inspires them to be a part of the Full Circle Fund family? Time to find out! We’re kicking off a new series of Member Spotlights to get to know our Members better.

New Member Ian Hudson spent a few minutes will Full Circle Fund and gave us a glimpse into his world.

Ian Hudson, Member since March 2013
Vice President, Bernstein Global Wealth Management

FCF: So Ian, what made you want to become a Full Circle Fund Member?
IH: I was fortunate to be involved with non-profits my entire life and learned early on the importance of giving back to the community in a meaningful way.

I became a member because I was drawn to FCF’s membership, process and impact. I was impressed with the people that I met and the deliberate process of finding areas of need, organizations that operated in those spaces, performing due diligence on the non-profits and then leveraging the membership’s talents and resources in a hands-on approach. Full Circle Fund is a great group of people and they are making a meaningful social impact in the Bay Area community.

FCF: Why is being a Full Circle Fund Member so meaningful to you?
IH: As a member of FCF, it is very humbling to be working alongside such impressive intellectual capital and inspiring to see such motivation to make a difference in the local community.

FCF: In your opinion, what are the qualities that make someone a great leader?
IH: I think a great leader is competent, honest, reliable, a good communicator, has a sense of humor and can inspire people.

FCF: If you could switch places with any public figure for a day, who would it be and why?
IH: Richard Branson – He’s been successful in a number of things and he’s always pushing the envelope with new ventures and thinking big. And he has his own spaceship!

FCF: What are you most passionate about?
IH: I love the outdoors! Any time spent out of the office and enjoying the Bay Area is a plus!

FCF: What are 3 items you can’t live without?
IH: My Vitamix – insanely expensive but it makes me happy just looking at it. My Road Bike – its great to get on the bike and just go for an escape. My Bed – Warm, comfortable and helps me recharge!

FCF: What book is currently on your nightstand?
IH: The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall – he links the neuroscience of the brain to our survival instincts and social fallout – really interesting!

Thanks for sharing, Ian! Are you a Member interested in participating in an upcoming Member Spotlight? Email Tejal at tejal@fullcirclefund.org.

Posted in Ian Hudson, Member Spotlight, members

Full Circle Fund Members, Alum and Staff got together for a beautiful April spring day at TomKat Ranch in Pescadero. The day started at the ranch’s sustainable garden, where everyone worked together to layer a gardening patch and built up an appetite! A lovely picnic lunch awaited guests near the grill, and TomKat staff spent a few minutes educating everyone on the ranch’s history, operations, and agriculture.

After enjoying a delicious lunch, everyone spent the afternoon relaxing, taking a tour of the ranch, and tossing some horseshoes and lassos. We’re thankful to have this special opportunity to spend a gorgeous Saturday afternoon with our Members and Alum. Many thanks to Rob Trice, Annie Fresquez, Wendy Millet, and of course, TomKat Ranch for hosting us! Click here to view photos from the day.

Posted in Member Engagement, TomKat Ranch, members

Make history by being a part of Full Circle Fund’s first-ever Idea Jamathon, presented by our Rising Leaders Program and made possible by the Koret Foundation.

Date: Saturday, June 8th, 2013
Time: 11a - 5p with Cocktail Reception to follow
Location: Tagged, Inc. HQ at 848 Battery St. in San Francisco
RSVP: Click here to register and spread the word!

Join this inaugural event on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at Tagged, Inc. in San Francisco, where a select group of eight nonprofits and social entrepreneurs outside the current Full Circle Fund Grant Portfolio will get a full day of pro-bono consulting from our Members and partner network. Get together at an innovative San Francisco loft space with killer views, and support these nonprofits and our Rising Leaders! At the end of the event, organizations will present their “solution” to the challenge presented, and the Rising Leaders will award a grand prize of $5,000 to the most promising organization.

About the Eight Selected Nonprofits:

Back On Track: A free San Francisco-based one-on-one tutoring and academic mentorship program for underserved K-12 students.

Daily Acts: Empowers citizens and grows community self-reliance through creating media, initiating and sharing sustainability models, cultivating community networks and providing hands-on education.

Kitchen Table Advisors: Empowers sustainable small farms by providing 1:1 in-depth business and financial management support that enables farms to sustain long-term success.

NexGeneGirls: Promotes women in science by giving young girls from underrepresented communities the opportunity to become the next generation of future STEM leaders.

One Justice: Resolves legal problems for Californians in need by removing barriers to justice.

Refugee Transitions: Assists refugee and immigrant families in becoming self-sufficient in the United States by providing services in language, life, job and academic skill development needed to succeed in their new communities.

Roots of Success: Prepares youth and adults for opportunities in the green economy and to improve environmental conditions in their communities

Wishbone: Helps low-income students attend high-quality out-of-school programs.

Posted in San Francisco Nonprofits, San Francisco innovation, 2013 Idea Jamathon, Grant Partners, Rising Leaders, members

Today we launched our 2012 Annual Report! Read about last year’s highlights, impact, Members, Grant Partners, projects and more. Let us know what you think!

Thanks to our network — our Board of Directors, Members, Alumni, Grant Partners, and staff — for making 2012 such an exceptional year for Full Circle Fund. We’ve entered 2013 with great momentum and cannot wait to see our Members’ energy, dedication and commitment materialize once again.

Click here to view the report, or download the pdf.

Posted in Bay Area Philanthropy, Philanthropic Network, Annual Report, Grant Partners, members

In May, our Members will start narrowing their selection of nonprofit organizations to support this upcoming Grant Cycle. We’ll unveil the final portfolio at our 2013 Grant Partner Demo Day on June 18, which we hope you can attend! Click here for more information.

Here’s a quick rundown of our potential Grant Partners.

Black Girls Code
buildOn
Caliber Schools
Ed100
Impact Carbon
International Rivers
iZone
Medic Mobile
MOUSE Squad
San Francisco Green Film Festival
Sokikom
Watsi

Special thanks to our Circle and Team leads for their due diligence on identifying potential Grant Partners and leading this process!

Posted in Bay Area nonprofits, 2013 Demo Day, Grant Partners, members

From April 4 to 7, National Geographic Mission Programs, Full Circle Fund, the 34th America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project and Restore the Delta hosted a special Photo Camp for 20 students from San Francisco and the Stockton to document their journey from the Delta to the San Francisco Bay. The weekend was jam-packed of events and opportunities for learning about water conservation and environmental issues, but not just for students!

Several Full Circle Fund Members and supporters were present this weekend to participate in a lecture by Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, attend a beach cleanup on Treasure Island, and watch the students’ final multimedia presentations at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco.

Said Sylvia Earle to the students: “I just wish that everyone who is writing California’s water policy would do what you are doing this weekend. You have power. You have knowledge. The question is how do you deploy your power to make a difference.”

Special thanks to Susan Reeve and Michael Frost, our Members who helped lead this initiative.

Posted in Grant Partners, National Geographic, members

Eight new Members joined Full Circle Fund this month, representing companies such as Google, PG&E, and Elefint Designs. We’re so glad to have you!

EDUCATION

Danielle Cohen, The Stanford Fund for Undergraduate Education
Ellen Goodman, Playworks
Bent Hagemark, Google
Rob Joyce, Elefint Designs
Kevin Perkins, Libitzky Property Companies

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Andrea Clatterbuck, PG&E

GLOBAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Ian Hudson, Bernstein Global Wealth Management
Leigh Rodwick, Hub Bay Area

Posted in members

We are thrilled that Tim Smith, our Director of Engagement and Operations, represented Full Circle Fund at the Foundation Center’s open house panel How to Connect with Giving Circles in late February. Moderated by Raquel Donoso, CEO of Latino Community Foundation, the panel also featured Nancy Heinen from SV2, Ginger Hintz from the Women Donors Network, and Anna Welton of Foundation for Sustainable Development.

The panel highlighted how these four giving circles employ different models for connecting donors to nonprofits; each organization suggested some simple do’s and don’ts for the nonprofit audience members looking to build funding relationships with innovative donors. The Foundation Center’s recap of the event outlines these tips, adding to the wealth of resources the organization offers grant seekers.

A recurring theme in the panel discussion became how giving circles are breaking down exclusivity in philanthropy. Full Circle Fund and SV2 both emphasized how our member-driven models aim to encourage participation in the social sector by engaging new types of philanthropists. Nancy Heinen remarked that an often overlooked but especially powerful tool in fundraising is the simple action of asking people to become donors. Ginger Hintz also noted that increasing inter-generational collaborations helps dissolve historic silos in philanthropy, and prepares a new generation of citizens to engage with the social sector in new ways. Further, the panel noted that giving circles are trending towards committing to transparency, making it clearer who the organizations’ donors are and how they are drawn to build networks with each other.

When giving circles share best practices, models, and connections, we work together to push the engaged philanthropy movement forward; as Nancy Heinen said, we “increase the catalytic power of the network.” The panel continued the thread of future opportunities, such as creating new ways for giving circles to engage with nonprofits that might not fit a circle’s regular portfolio. There was also substantial interest in seeing how giving circles might fund networking entities or more giving circles, as reflecting the basic belief behind strategic philanthropy, that together we are greater than the sum of our parts.

Posted in staff, event

Eight new members joined Full Circle Fund in early 2013, representing companies such as Visa, The Goldman Environmental Prize, and Housatonic Partners. We’re excited to introduce them to you! Follow the links for full bios of each person. Asterisk indicates member of the Rising Leaders Program.

EDUCATION

Terry Bergeson, San Francisco School Alliance
Josh Galland,* Housatonic Partners
Sarah Kwon,* Castlight Health
Camilla Nelson, H.C. Nelson Consulting

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Gemma Bradshaw, Goldman Environmental Prize

GLOBAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Emily Elder, Save the Children
Katie Mitchell,* Visa Inc.
Kristen Pederson, The Arc San Francisco

Posted in Rising Leaders, members

Our new Rising Leaders Program is a group of motivated early-career professional Members. Their first big initiative this year is the upcoming Idea Jamathon, which is a mashup of an Idea Jam and a Hackathon, to be held in San Francisco on June 8th.

At this one-day event, eight selected nonprofits and social entrepreneurs will benefit from hands-on consulting support from the broader Full Circle Fund Membership. In addition to the pro-bono support, at the end of the event, organizations or individuals will present their “solution” to the challenge presented, and a grant prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the organization or social entrepreneur selected by the Full Circle Fund Rising Leaders as the most promising.

Applications are now being accepted from nonprofits and social entrepreneurs interested in participating. Click here to apply now. Former Full Circle Fund Grant Recipients are eligible and encouraged to apply as well!

Sample areas for assistance include:

Marketing/messaging session to enhance your pitch and collateral

Social media strategy and campaign development

Development strategy sessions

How to use technology to optimize your reach

Advisory or executive board development brainstorm

How to scale your product or idea

The social entrepreneur or a representative from the nonprofit organization must be able to attend in person on June 8. Stay tuned for more information! For questions, contact tim@fullcirclefund.org.

Posted in Rising Leaders, grantees