"I truly enjoy all the learning aspects of SV2."
Jon Goulden • Meet Our Partners
How does it work?
In a Classic Grant Round, participating Partners learn about one issue area — for example, Education, the Environment, International Development, or Economic Opportunity & Employment — and get to know several Bay Area nonprofits working in that sector. After five to six months of learning, diligence and evaluation, we choose one to receive a three-year general operating support grant.
In this collaborative, experiential grantmaking process, Partners learn about the sector and how to conduct diligence on nonprofit organizations, which helps them build skills as strategic philanthropists and community leaders. They also connect with others who share their interest in a particular issue area.
Classic Grant Rounds are typically led by two Partner Leaders who work with a member of SV2 staff to plan the content of each meeting, invite expert speakers to share their knowledge and perspectives with Grant Round participants, teach participants how to perform nonprofit due diligence, and organize site visits to finalist organizations.
Classic Grant Rounds…
- Are collaborative and experiential
- Allow for a deeper dive into an issue area over five-six months
- Help Partners learn about a given sector/interest area and the organizations working in it
- Build Partners’ skills as philanthropists as they conduct diligence on applicants
- Award a three-year general operating support grant of up to $150,000, along with Beyond-the-Dollars support — all intended to help the Grantee build organizational capacity