Philanthropy Front and Center-San Francisco

Looking for Corporate Funding?

You may first want to learn more about corporate funding for nonprofits and we have several opportunities available. Our seminar “Securing Corporate Partnerships” is for grantseekers who want to explore various corporate/nonprofit partnership models and provides our most in-depth learning experience. 

If you want an overview, attend our “Introduction to Corporate Giving”  class which provides a free 90-minute introduction to the world of corporate support for nonprofits and to the effective utilization of the Foundation Center's print and electronic resources on corporate giving.

Or take the same class as a free webinar or as a free interactive online guided course that reinforces lessons with interactivity, assignments, and self-tests.

If you’re looking for answers, check our Frequently Asked Questions section on funding resources for corporations.

When you’re ready to search for potential corporate funding partners, you may use the Foundation Directory Online database at no charge here at our library or at any of the Cooperating Collections.

You may first want to learn more about corporate funding for nonprofits and we have several opportunities available. Our seminar “Securing Corporate Partnerships” is for grantseekers who want to explore various corporate/nonprofit partnership models and provides our most in-depth learning experience. 

If you want an overview, attend our “Introduction to Corporate Giving”  class which provides a free 90-minute introduction to the world of corporate support for nonprofits and to the effective utilization of the Foundation Center's print and electronic resources on corporate giving.

Or take the same class as a free webinar or as a free interactive online guided course that reinforces lessons with interactivity, assignments, and self-tests.

If you’re looking for answers, check our Frequently Asked Questions section on funding resources for corporations.

When you’re ready to search for potential corporate funding partners, you may use the Foundation Directory Online database at no charge here at our library or at any of the Cooperating Collections.

Submit Questions: The State of Corporate Giving in the Bay Area

Tomorrow's program featuring the top five corporate philanthropists in the Bay Area is going to focus specifically on how the current state of the economy is impacting corporate philanthropy and what lies ahead for 2010. This philanthropy forum, co-sponsored with the San Francisco Business Times and the Development Executives Roundtable, featuring regional corporate philanthropy trends has become something of an annual tradition. Since we last held this forum a year ago we have continued to see corporations shrink, merge or disappear from the landscape altogether, and of course nonprofits are facing similar challenges.  This timely session will explore the questions that are on many of our minds about the state of the economy and the fallout for philanthropy.

The program, The State of Corporate Giving in the Bay Area, will happen tomorrow from 12-2pm.  The session will feature representatives from the top five ranked corporate philanthropists in the Bay Area taken from the San Francisco Business Times' annual list.  Panelists will discuss current philanthropic strategies, giving forecasts for 2010 and beyond, and how corporate philanthropy responds during tough economic times.  Panelists include representatives from AT&T, Wells Fargo, Chevron, Bank of America, and Safeway.

I invite you to submit suggestions for questions that you would like asked of our panel of corporate philanthropy colleagues.  I know we have inquiring minds out there--please submit your questions now for consideration now by posting to our blog.

Tomorrow's program featuring the top five corporate philanthropists in the Bay Area is going to focus specifically on how the current state of the economy is impacting corporate philanthropy and what lies ahead for 2010. This philanthropy forum, co-sponsored with the San Francisco Business Times and the Development Executives Roundtable, featuring regional corporate philanthropy trends has become something of an annual tradition. Since we last held this forum a year ago we have continued to see corporations shrink, merge or disappear from the landscape altogether, and of course nonprofits are facing similar challenges.  This timely session will explore the questions that are on many of our minds about the state of the economy and the fallout for philanthropy.

The program, The State of Corporate Giving in the Bay Area, will happen tomorrow from 12-2pm.  The session will feature representatives from the top five ranked corporate philanthropists in the Bay Area taken from the San Francisco Business Times' annual list.  Panelists will discuss current philanthropic strategies, giving forecasts for 2010 and beyond, and how corporate philanthropy responds during tough economic times.  Panelists include representatives from AT&T, Wells Fargo, Chevron, Bank of America, and Safeway.

I invite you to submit suggestions for questions that you would like asked of our panel of corporate philanthropy colleagues.  I know we have inquiring minds out there--please submit your questions now for consideration now by posting to our blog.

Local Habitat for Humanity Gets Help from Three Banks to Buy Foreclosed Homes

For a couple of months I've been reading how some Habit for Humanity chapters are buying and renovating dilapidated, foreclosed houses; making a departure from their standard approach of constructing new low-income housing. I read in the San Francisco Business Times that the Greater San Francisco chapter of Habitat for Humanity is doing just that on the Peninsula.  Today's SF Chronicle relates how Habitat's Peninsula project received grants from three banks. Bank of America contributed $150,000; Federal Home Loan Bank San Francisco contributed $60,000; and Wells Fargo gave $62,500 to further this work.  Not only does this project proved much needed low-income housing it has the added effect of adding signs of hope to foreclosure-ridden neighborhoods.

Free Shipping in September on National Directory of Corporate Giving

This month, the Foundation Center is offering free shipping on the newly-released 15^th edition of our National Directory of Corporate Giving when you order online.
The updated 15^th edition includes comprehensive profiles of more than 2,800 company-sponsored foundations and over 1,200 corporate giving programs. Each profile contains vital information on giving priorities and funding guidelines, including:

• Program descriptions
• Fields of interest
• Annual giving amounts
• Average size of grants awarded
• Giving limitations
• Key contacts - including officers, donors, and trustees
• Application procedures

The National Directory is also fully indexed by company name, subject, and geographic focus for quick access to funder profiles.

Visit the Marketplace section of our web site for more information on this publication or to view a sample company entry. The National Directory of Corporate Giving is available for just $195 with free shipping online. Order your copy today! >>

Top Corporate Philanthropists in the Bay Area

This morning I attended the annual San Francisco Business Times' Corporate Philanthropy Summit.  Unveiling this year's top 60 Bay Area corporate givers highlighted the event. I have included an abridged list of the Top 15 companies, ranked by local cash contributions, below.  The complete list is provided in the San Francisco Business Times current edition and is available for reference use in our library now.   

1.  AT&T
2.  Wells Fargo & Co.
3.  Chevron Corp.
4.  Bank of America Corp.
5.  Safeway Inc.
6.  Levi Strauss & Co.
7.  PG&E Corp.
8.  Intel Corp.
9.  Genentech Inc.
10. Cisco Systems
11. Applied Materials Inc.
12. Wachovia
13. Oracle Corp.
14. Gap, Inc.
15. Microsoft Corp.

It was heartening to hear that despite the tough economy the 60 companies on the list increased their giving over last year from $154.9 million in 2007 to $166.9 million in 2008.  Several other companies were honored with "Beyond the Check" awards which looks at a company's volunteerism, special programs, leadership, and innovation.  These included Health Partner of the Year--Nest Collective and Revolution Foods for encouraging kids to eat well; Community Change and Impact in Philanthropy--Cisco Systems whose technology helps nonprofits; and Education Partner of the Year--Bayer Healthcare for making hands-on science a priority.

The Answer Desk Is Open. Ask Us!

Do you have questions about fundraising, nonprofit management, and related topics? We have answers and provide them fast. Our Ask Us service is available 24/7.

You can connect with a Foundation Center librarian and ask your question live, in real-time, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9:30am to 8:00pm Eastern Time and Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30am to 4:30pm Eastern Time. Other times, you can ask by e-mail.

We've answered more than 90,000 questions since our start in 1998 and our fans regularly tell us what they think. So, if you have a question, join the growing number of satisfied customers who regularly Ask Us!

(This post is from Katie Artzner, the Foundation Center's online librarian.)

April Is Funding for Health and Human Services Month

This month we're offering an array of programs designed to strengthen organizations working to make our communities healthier.

If you're grappling with budget challenges created by the current economic climate, plan to take advantage of these opportunities to hear directly from foundation and corporate grantmakers. Other special programs focus on successful fundraising strategies, partnerships and collaborations, and evaluation specifically for health and human services agencies. Go to our calendar where you can see all that's offered and register.

Full-Day Fundraising Seminars

Are you looking for additional revenue? Or more likely another source for lost revenue? Have you exhausted all of our free training opportunities? In the next six weeks we offering several in-depth programs for grantseekers who want to diversify their funding streams and explore various corporate/nonprofit partnership models:

• Developing a Fundraising Plan, February 20
• Securing Corporate Partnerships, March 24

If your organization can't afford the fee, check to see if you're eligible for a scholarship. A complete list of winter/spring seminars offered throughout the country is available in the Marketplace area of our web site. 

Watch This! Meet the Grantmakers: Corporate Philanthropy in Turbulent Times

View the recording of our Meet the Grantmaker program, Corporate Philanthropy in Turbulent Economic Times, presented November 14, 2008. This program features Randy Chun, vice president, Wells Fargo; Lauren Golden, market development manager, San Francisco, Bank of America; Rita Holiday, community relations and grants program manager, Intel; and Michael Yutrzenka, executive director, Cisco Foundation.  These panelists discuss the effect of the economic crisis and industry trends on their companies' charitable activities.

From the Answer Desk: Finding Sponsorships

Q: What is "sponsorship" and how can my organization get started with this type of support?

A: Sponsorship is a funding arrangement where one party (usually a corporation or business) pays, in part or entirely, for the project or event of another party (in this case, a nonprofit organization) and receives wide acknowledgment and visibility in return.

One way to begin finding grantmakers interested in sponsorships is by using the Foundation Directory Online. A quick search in the Professional version for "sponsorships" in Types of Support yields nearly 700 results. Foundation Directory Online Professional is available for free use at the Foundation Center-San Francisco and all California Cooperating Collections.

Learn more about getting started with sponsorships by reading an excerpt [PDF] from the book Made Possible By (available in our lending library). Written by Patricia Martin, this step-by-step guide shows you how to identify potential partners and negotiate terms. To learn more, register for "Introduction to Corporate Giving" a free training discussing the world of corporate support for nonprofit organziations offered at the Foundation Center-San Francisco library and learning center or as a webinar.

The Foundation Center's FAQ "How Can I Find Corporate Sponsorship?" provides additional, helpful links for investigating sponsorship and how to secure them.

Do you have a question? Ask Us!