Frequently Asked Questions

Topics

Partners

Grantees & Impact Investees

General Info

Partners

We’re thrilled you’re interested! First, let us know that you’re interested in becoming an SV2 Partner by filling out this brief form. We’ll reach out to help you plug in, and invite you to attend an upcoming SV2 event and meet with a Partner or staff member to learn more. If you decide you’d like to join our community, you’ll fill out this application and make a tax-deductible donation. The SV2 staff will respond to your application shortly.

SV2’s Partners are a warm, welcoming, and diverse community of givers and changemakers. Our Partnership includes both new and seasoned philanthropists, busy professionals and civic leaders, individuals and families.

No. Once you are an SV2 Partner, you can attend SV2 events on a complimentary basis. However, we ask that you RSVP for headcount and planning purposes. Occasionally, SV2 collaborates with other organizations on co-sponsored events where there may be a special discounted fee to cover costs.

We have an exciting and unique challenge match from our founder to bring forth a new generation of visionary leaders within SV2 committed to SV2’s mission, organizational capacity, sustainable impact and best future. We invite you to be a founding member of SV2’s Visionary Leadership Circle by contributing $20,000+ per year. Click here to learn more about SV2’s new Visionary Leadership Circle .

The cost of SV2’s considerable social impact in the community, on Partners and Grantees is $10,000 per household. In light of this, $10,000 per year is the recommended contribution. Yet we strive to make joining SV2 as a Partner as accessible as possible to a range of Partners. In that spirit, we offer multiple contribution levels, including a “Contributing Partner” level at $6,000 (the minimum contribution) and a “Next Gen” level of $4,000 for Partners under 35, if you are unable to contribute at the $10,000 or above levels. If you work for an employer that can match your donation, you could donate half of your contribution and ask your employer to match the other half.

Yes, all contributions to SV2 are fully tax-deductible.

Definitely not! There is no requirement or even an expectation of participation – SV2 is a no-guilt and no-obligation zone. Roughly one third of our Partners are “Investor Partners,” meaning they support SV2’s impact financially with no participation in SV2 programming. Your involvement in the SV2 community can ebb, flow and evolve to fit your life and schedule.

Grantees & Impact Investees

SV2 Grantees must have a presence in the Bay Area, and must be in our funding areas – currently Education, International Development, Environment, At-Risk Youth, and Economic Opportunity/Employment. Generally, SV2 Grantees have a budget between $250K – $2M.

SV2 Impact Investees can be based anywhere, though are typically domiciled in the U.S. Investees must have social impact baked into their model. We typically invest in early-stage companies.

If you are interested in submitting your organization for consideration, please fill out this form, and we will include your organization in our database. If a potentially synergistic opportunity arises, we will contact you.

Grantees: All SV2 funding decisions are made by current SV2 Partners in collaborative grant/investment rounds. Once you are invited to submit a letter of interest, an SV2 Partner will reach out to notify you about the status of your application. If you continue to the application stage, you will be asked to submit a brief application and supplemental materials. As the field of applicants is narrowed, you may be invited to speak to our Partners and/or have a site visit. For more information, visit this page.

Investees: Once you submit an interest form, SV2 Partners will reach out if there is a potentially synergistic opportunity. You may be invited to submit additional materials and speak to a group of SV2 Partners.

In Classic Grant Rounds, SV2 makes three-year grants of up to $150,000/year. In our new Lightning Grant Rounds, which are shorter and require limited time of applicants, SV2 makes one-time grants of between $20,000 – $50,000/year.

Impact Investments in early stage, impact focused companies are typically between $25,000 – $100,000.

General Info