What We Do

Most of our community impact happens within the collaborative environment of our Circles, programs which bring together Full Circle Fund members with a common interest in one of our issue areas:

• Education
• Affordable Housing
• Technology
• Environment

Circles identify key issues, research innovative solutions, communicate closely with nonprofit and public sector leaders and then choose nonprofit partners to support, both financially and with consulting.

Each Circle performs four primary functions:

Member Education

Bi-monthly All-Member Meetings featuring speakers who are experts in a social change field, and regular working meetings of each individual Circle give members a chance to hear from compelling speakers, develop leadership and teamwork skills, share best practices, report on grant project milestones and celebrate team successes.

Strategic Planning for Social Change

Each Circle develops a Theory of Change, a specific, strategic approach for how the Circle plans to engage their issue. To construct this Theory, the Circle thoroughly analyzes their issue and chooses the most effective approach that draws upon members’ skills and interests. This Theory then guides the Circle’s grantmaking decisions.

Grantmaking

During each annual grant cycle, each of Full Circle Fund's four Circles selects nonprofit innovators and social entrepreneurs to support. The grant process is informative and thought-provoking and results in teams that are ready to engage fully with our nonprofit partners.

Nonprofit Capacity Building

Our grants comprise both financial contributions and our members’ hands-on project work. In addition to financial contributions, grantees also receive strategic support from a team of Full Circle Fund members including accounting, marketing, fundraising, strategic planning, design of operational infrastructure, and technological assistance.

"Leading the Affordable Housing Impact Circle has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It's wonderful to see the results our team has had with both our advocacy and direct service grants. Personally, I've been able to get a real understanding of the housing crisis in the Bay Area and have gotten involved on issues affecting local policy."

Ben Spero

Principal, Spectrum Equity Investors
and Chair, Affordable Housing Circle