What We Do

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

• Education
• Global Economic Opportunity
• 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 and hands-on work.

Each Circle performs four primary functions:

Member Education

Quarterly Inspiring Leaders Series Events feature speakers who are experts in a social change field. Regular working meetings of each 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, drawing upon members' skills and interests. This Theory then guides the Circle's grantmaking decisions.

Grantmaking

During each grant cycle, each of Full Circle Fund's Circles researches key sub-issues within their focus area and through this 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 include both financial contributions and our members' hands-on project work. In addition to financial support, grantees also receive strategic support from a team of Full Circle Fund members with diverse expertise including accounting, marketing, fundraising, strategic planning, design of operational infrastructure, and technological assistance.

Read about our impact.

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

Ben Spero

Principal, Spectrum Equity Investors
and Chair, Affordable Housing Circle