News

Full Circle Fund grantee, Community Technology Network (CTN), will host another community meetup this week designed to share ideas, innovative curriculum and resources among community technology providers in the Bay Area. CTN’s mission of improving effectiveness of participating community technology providers is achieved by these monthly meetups, organized by community fellow, Kami Griffiths. Each month a different topic is discussed ranging from refurbished computers to successful community partnerships. This month they will be discussing after school technology programs at Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center.

>Learn more information about CTN’s August 13th meeting and other meetups by clicking here.

Posted in Kami Griffiths, CTN, technology

This summer, Full Circle Fund’s Technology Circle members have skipped the beach for the board room. The circle has hosted 3 meetings since June showcasing organizations with the best ideas in technology for nonprofits in the Bay Area. These meetings are the necessary juice for their Grant Cycle, a process where members seek out and vet organizations using innovative solutions to solve pressing social problems. Under the leadership of Marc Smolowitz, the circle has hosted 11 organizations ranging from new ventures to quarter century old nonprofits launching new programs. They have varied in focus as well: digital equity, cultural education, alternative media funding, and more.

If you would like to attend the Technology Circle’s last inquiry evening on August 18th click here…

Check out the great work these organizations are doing by going to their website (links below):

• Stride Center
• Spot.US
• One Economy
• Youth Noise
• GreatNonprofits.org
• BAVC
• CauseTV
• Team Play Foundation
• Resdida
• NuResume
• Global Lives

Posted in grant cycle, technology

After months of late night meetings, extensive research and tough decisions between top candidates, the Environment Circle has chosen the grant finalists for the 2008/2009 grant cycle. At a meeting on July 30th hosted by new member Jonathan Axelrad at Wilson Sonsisi, the circle narrowed down potential grantee projects to a remaining four. The final grantees will be decided on before the end of the month.

>Members: Take a look at all the presentations from the Environment Circle grant cycle by going to the the members only site…

Grantee Finalists

Members Marc Payne and Shawn Simpson’s project with potential grantee, GRID Alternatives will focus on capacity building for the organization. GRID Alternative installs solar electric systems for low-income homeowners using volunteers. With Full Circle Fund’s help, they will be able to successfully replicate its Bay Area program in Southern California.

Led by Jack Oswald and Josh Becker, the Green Cities California project will build a best practices website to provide easy accessibility to the policy documents, performance measures and media outreach tools for any city or jurisdiction to use to accelerate their journey to sustainability.

Imagine H2O aims to foster innovation in water by aggregating thought-leaders and provide a central hub for start up organizations working in water innovation. Team leaders Meera Balakumar and Johanna Johannesson have designed a project to help the organization attract additional funding to move the organization from its current seed stage.

Members Stephen Zollman and Alexandra Sangmeister proposed to the circle to work with MOMS (Making Our Milk Safe) on their Dollar Store Detox Program. Team members will work with the grassroots organization to get imported lead-filled toys & baby products off the shelves of national discount stores.

>If you are interested in getting involved, contact Jonathan Kurshan by email to talk about becoming a member and joining one of the Environment Circle’s project teams.

Posted in GRID Alternatives, Making Our Milk Safe, Imagine H2O, members, environment, grant cycle

Karen Hanson, Full Circle Fund member and former community fellow, is the Executive Director of The Freedom Prize Foundation an innovative organization aiming to award the best solutions to the nation’s dangerous problem of dependence on foreign oil. Along with the Freedom Prize Foundation and Senator Jeff Bingaman, the U.S. Department of Energy recently announced that it would provide $5 million in seed funding for the Freedom Prize Foundation. This funding is integral in helping the foundation during its startup phase, and will allow them to pursue additional funding to grow beyond first year. The original idea for the Freedom Prizes emerged from co-founder Jack Hidary’s support for the X Prizes. He and Full Circle Fund Founder, Josh Becker, then pursued the idea and were successful in their efforts to include the Freedom Prizes in the 2005 Energy Policy Act.

>Read about the Josh Becker and Jack Hidary’s successful lobbying three years ago by clicking here…

The Freedom Prize Foundation will be looking for the most creative ideas as to how existing technologies can be deployed to reduce our dependence on oil. Prize criteria and guidelines are still in development, and applicants can begin applying in the fall.

Inspiration from Full Circle Fund

“Josh and I share a similar passion for putting a challenge out to the community at large, and using a combination of policy and business levers to achieve change,” shared Karen about her relationship with fellow Full Circle Fund member and The Freedom Prize co-founder. Karen notes that The Freedom Prize is interested in the nexus between public policy and entrepreneurism and innovation— one of the reasons the Department of Energy wanted to support the foundation was to really drive the problem-solving into a more innovative and creative arena.

Like Full Circle Fund, the Freedom Prize model brings multiple creative powers together. At her work at the Freedom Prize, Karen has drawn inspiration from Full Circle Fund and the Environment Circle Grant Cycle. “My engagement with the circle has kept me very committed to elevating good ideas—the common theme between the Freedom Prize and Full Circle Fund is elevating good ideas that are at an inflection point that could really make a difference in society. That’s the same type of effort we’re trying to make happen with the Freedom Prize, just at the national level.”

Full Circle Fund Environment Circle member and Ella Baker Project co-Lead, Sanjay Wagle, is also a member of the Freedom Prize Foundation Advisory Board.

“I first found out about the Full Circle Fund when I was doing research on social entrepreneurship and looking for examples of how business leaders were bringing their experience to challenges that nonprofit leaders were also tackling,” says Karen. Executive Director Amy Lesnick and Founder Josh Becker encouraged her to apply to the Full Circle Fund Community Fellows Program, which she became part of in 2005.

>Applications for the Full Circle Fund Community Fellows program will be available in the Fall. Learn when they are available by subscribing to our newsletter

Posted in The Freedom Prize, Sanjay Wagle, Karen Hanson, Josh Becker

After months of behind the scenes work, the Global Economic Opportunity Working Group held its first prospect event on July 22, hosted by Salesforce.com. More than 30 potential members attended to learn more about Full Circle Fund and participate in the early stages of the learning cycle for the new circle focused on supporting poverty alleviation strategies in the Bay Area and around the world.

The new Global Economic Opportunity Working Group is part of a larger effort championed by Full Circle Fund’s Affordable Housing Circle members and Full Circle Fund staff who realized affordable housing is just one of many solutions in the fight towards self-sufficiency. A stakeholder survey and countless hours of research revealed Full Circle Fund members can better leverage their skills and the fund focusing beyond housing and into global economic opportunity. The Global Economic Opportunity Circle will encompass the Affordable Housing Circle and their current grant projects. The new circle will support organizations in the Bay Area who seek to break the cycle of global poverty, using strategies such as asset building, micro-enterprise, and social entrepreneurship.

As in any engaged philanthropy organization, the new circle will launch once there are enough members to support the circle’s future grant projects. Last week’s meeting was designed to engage those interested in getting involved in the ground floor of the emerging circle and develop ideas for the circles potential focus. After the circle is formally launched, members will develop a theory of change, further defining the focus of the circle, and dive into the first grant cycle — a period when members, in due diligence, seek out and identify leaders and nonprofit organizations applying innovative solutions for social problems affecting populations globally. In the coming months, Full Circle Fund will continue to host a series of meetings and events to gather the best minds in the private and public sectors ready to invest in solutions and develop leaders.

>If you are interested in getting involved on the ground floor of the Global Economic Opportunity Circle or just interested in learning more, attend the next Global Economic Opportunity Circle Founders Meeting and Happy Hour on August 19th

Posted in Global Economic Opportunity, happy hour, new members, event

The Environment Circle has been working since January with grantee Ella Baker Center for Human Rights helping to make the Oakland Green Jobs Corps a success. To that end, the initial phase of the project focused on creating a strong “Green Employer Council” to ensure that there would be jobs available for graduates when they finished with the training program. This week, the Ella Baker Center proudly shared that the Oakland Green Jobs Corps has broken through the last barrier to beginning operations in September 2008. After an extensive RFP process, the Oakland City Council Public Works Committee approved a $250,000 award to a special partnership between Laney College, Cypress Mandela Construction Training Program, and a workforce intermediary called Growth Sector.

This exciting decision will ensure that 40 low-income Oakland residents will receive 16 weeks of intensive construction training, plus life skills, academic, environmental, and financial literacy education; 4 weeks of solar panel installation, energy efficiency, and green construction training; and 3 months of on-the-job training with green employers. After graduation, participants will be connected to opportunities in the solar industry and the construction trades. The Environment Circle’s Ella Baker Center project team is excited to be working with the Ella Baker Center to strengthen the Green Employer Council.

In addition to working on the Green Employer Council, the Full Circle Fund project team has also been involved in supporting public policy efforts that would drive demand for energy efficiency projects, in particular SB 1672, a multi-billion bond measure sponsored by CA State Senator Steinberg. A final phase of the project will include consolidating lessons learned from the Oakland experience into a “best practices” document to help replication efforts across the country.

One of the key strategic questions for the Green Employer Council has been how to develop incentives for the employers’ active participation and ensuring their commitment to hiring Green Jobs Corps graduates. The team attended the first meeting of the council, and developed a strategy memo to advise the Ella Baker Center. In addition, team member Nadine Weil, was able to secure a pro-bono branding and logo design effort with a top firm, Addis Creson, to drive recognition for the Green Employer Council.

The Ella Baker Center project is at the mid-point of its Full Circle Fund grant, and Circle members are looking forward to continuing the strategic work with the Green Employer Council and the Ella Baker Center. Next steps will include meeting with the winner of the RFP to see how the team can continue to help ensure the success of the Oakland Green Jobs Corps.

Posted in impact, green jobs, Ella Baker Center, environment, grantees

We’re excited to welcome Kari Nathon to Full Circle Fund team. As our new Marketing and Programming Manager, Kari will use her background in nonprofits events and marketing to help expand Full Circle Fund’s programming. She’s already tackling the upcoming Quarterly Meeting on Sept 9th with speaker Elizabeth Funk, and laying groundwork for an amazing fall Forum. To find out more about Kari - read her bio.

Full Circle Fund staff is keeping pace with our incredibly dynamic organization and has doubled in size in the past year. With our talented staff, hard-working members and committed board, Full Circle Fund is poised to have tremendous impact.

If your company would like to show support for innovative community leadership and get some great exposure too, there are many opportunities to sponsor our events, host us at your corporate offices, or donate food, wine and other products and services.

>Join our family of supporters and sponsors - contact Kari by email to find out more!

Posted in Uncategorized

Amy Lesnick, Executive Director of Full Circle Fund, joined a prestigious panel at the Annual Corporate Philanthropy Summit & Awards on Thursday, July 17, to speak about skill-based volunteering, an emerging trend of which Full Circle Fund sits at the forefront.

The panel also included Gwyneth Borden, IBM; Juliana Deans, Deloitte; Joel Bashevkin, Taproot Foundation; and moderators John Power, The Volunteer Center and Colin Lacon, Northern California Grantmakers.

Although gathering a group of volunteers to a school to paint a wall for a day is helpful, all the members of the panel agreed that skilled professionals could be leveraged to make a greater impact with their volunteer time. All panelists gave examples of what their organizations are doing to facilitate this. Juliana Deans from Deloitte (and a Full Circle Fund member!) spoke about their annual “Center for Leadership & Community”. Each year Deloitte staff runs a workshop to train nonprofit professionals in auditing, proposal writing, and coaching for peak performance. Taproot’s West Coast Executive Director, Joel Bashevkin, spoke about how Taproot trains and coaches skilled volunteers to work on service grants for nonprofit organizations ranging from strategic development to customized databases to marketing tools, like Full Circle Fund’s website!

As with other panelists, Full Circle Fund has accumulated a vast repository of institutional knowledge on effective cross-sector partnerships and the best practices that enable them to be successful. When asked how to ensure that skill-based volunteer engagements are effective, Amy Lesnick recommended the following:

1. Instill in your volunteer corp a culture that embraces and respects diverse perspectives and can leverage the skills, resources, and experiences of both nonprofit and private sector team members
2. Clearly define the project’s scope, measurements of success, expectations, and milestones
3. Ensure that the project is core to the nonprofit’s strategic objectives and that everyone is committed to invest the time and resources to ensure success.

The panelists also shared best practices for engaging both volunteers and the nonprofits that need them in skills-based projects. Gweneth Borden from IBM shared that it sometimes takes time to open up the nonprofits to embrace those who want to help. There was a shared sentiment that nonprofits do not always have the capacity to host volunteers or the knowledge of how to utilize their skills. In response to the question from a nonprofit practitioner of how her organization can learn to engage corporate philanthropists, Joel offered the website doitprobono.org and their developing best practices resources for nonprofits.

Posted in Corporate Philanthropy Summit & Awards, Taproot Foundation, Deloitte, San Francisco Business Times, Amy Lesnick, event

San Francisco is full of new ideas and amazing people to lead them. So we wondered what would happen when you combine the networks of a leading social enterprise investment firm and a nonprofit at the forefront of engaged philanthropy for a happy hour. What we got a room teeming with cross sector talent and the prospect of many great collaborations to come.

Good Capital, Social Capital Markets 2008, and Full Circle Fund’s first, of what are sure to be many, co-hosted happy hours at the Good Capital offices was a big success. Over 100 leaders in the private and non-profit sectors were there to re-connect with old friends and meet new colleagues. As the drinks flowed, the conversations ranged from new innovative investments, the upcoming Social Capital Markets Conference in October, and current and developing projects at both Good Capital and Full Circle Fund.

Both organizations were thrilled with the turnout and are excited about future events.

Posted in happy hour, Social Capital Markets, Good Capital

Dear Full Circle Fund community,

After nearly four fantastic years at Full Circle Fund, I have decided to take the next year to go on an around-the-world travel and art adventure with my husband Todd. Today is my last day at Full Circle Fund.

As the longest serving staffer at Full Circle Fund I enjoy a unique perspective on our dramatic growth and stunning potential. Full Circle Fund is at the best place we’ve ever been - so far. We’re involved in truly meaningful, innovative work in the community. Most importantly of all, we’re making a difference. I’m so proud of the organization, board, staff, members, grantees, investors, sponsors, partners - and you!

If you’d like be an arm chair traveler on my global adventures, please follow along with me and Todd via our website Ephemerratic (www.ephemerratic.com). There, you can sign up for an RSS feed or email alert, or just check in occasionally.

Keep inspired and keep inspiring each other. You inspire me.

Thanks,
Lauren Girardin
Director, Marketing and Outreach

Posted in Lauren Girardin, special announcement