Funding Amount

Not stated

Deadline

Deadline not published

Grant Type

Foundation

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Eligible organizations

  • Please note that Crankstart grants to charities and other nonprofit organizations, not to individuals

Other requirements

  • _You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's [website](https://crankstart.org/contact)._

Overview

_NOTE:_

  • _Letter of Inquiry - Crankstart is committed to building relationships with intention and focus. Although we are not accepting unsolicited inquiries, we invite those interested in partnering to review our programs and grants to gain a sense of our philanthropic inclinations. Additional Inquires may be submitted._
  • _Full Proposal - Invite Only_

Crankstart Foundation Grant

Crankstart is a San Francisco-based family foundation devoted to bolstering the foundations of a just society - wider access to better education, jobs with prospects for advancement, housing security, social welfare and the protection of civil rights. Crankstart also supports the arts, basic science and efforts to mitigate climate change. About 60% of grants go to groups in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The bulk of our grants fall between $100k - $1m.

Crankstart envisions a vibrant, thriving Bay Area, where our region’s prosperity is strengthened and shared more equitably by all who live here.

Programs

  • Economic Mobility - Everyone should have choices and opportunities that lead to economic stability and security. Crankstart focuses on root causes of economic disenfranchisement, particularly in low-income communities hurt by generational poverty.
    • Provides the tools and training needed for careers and economic security.
    • Strengthens safety net programs that provide food and health services.
    • Increases access to public benefits programs serving low-income people.
    • Mitigates the insidious effects of fines and fees that erode wealth.
    • Expands post-secondary access to academic and vocational studies, to help students develop the tools and resilience needed to pursue upward mobility.
    • Develops more opportunities for early childhood education and out-of-school learning, particularly in historically marginalized communities.
    • Strengthens the teacher pipeline, to recruit and retain excellent educators in public schools.
    • Protects voting rights through mobilization and engagement.
    • Supports immigrants, ensuring they have the opportunities they need to thrive.
    • Works to change harmful and unfair criminal justice policies.
    • Develops robust interventions to mitigate recidivism and provide economic opportunity.
  • Housing Security: Housing security means all people have a place to call home. They have choices that promote economic well-being, health and safety.
    • Crankstart supports work in San Francisco and Oakland that:
    • Reduces homelessness through preventive measures and targeted services.
    • Provides affordable housing choices that allow people to live near work and become involved in their communities.
    • Uses policy, law, public resources and good governance to promote economically integrated communities.
  • Environment: Communities disproportionately affected by climate change should be partners and the primary beneficiaries of mitigation efforts.
    • Accelerates the transition to clean energy.
    • Restores and protects ecosystems in ways that benefit local communities.
  • Medical Science & Innovation: Basic science is a foundation for knowledge and discovery based on facts, hypotheses and replicable results.
    • Gives researchers funding and time to test novel hypotheses.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

  • Please note that Crankstart grants to charities and other nonprofit organizations, not to individuals.

What Crankstart Foundation actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2024

Grants in 2024
435
Total given
$201.28M
Median grant
$250K
Range
$550–$10.5M
  • By dollars: California 66%, District of Columbia 13%, New York 11%. Top recipient cities: San Francisco, CA; Oakland, CA; Washington, DC.
  • 4% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
  • 30% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.

Example grants

  • Merit America · Washington, DC

    To support workforce opportunities in the bay area for workers who will benefit from…

    $10.5M

  • Arc Research Institute · Palo Alto, CA

    To advance research to understand complex human diseases

    $10M

  • UCSF Foundation · San Francisco, CA

    To support the ucsf health workforce initiative

    $9.1M

  • Pro Publica Inc · New York, NY

    For the capital campaign

    $5M

  • San Francisco Foundation · San Francisco, CA

    For the india basin waterfront park project fund

    $5M

IRS Form 990-PF, 2024. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

Focus Areas & Funding Uses

Fields of Work

  • Education
  • Housing
  • Community development

Categories

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