The Springboard Fund

OVERVIEW

The Durfee Foundation believes that good ideas filter up, and that change depends on making room for newcomers – those who bring fresh ideas and new approaches to problem-solving. The Foundation’s Springboard Fund supports dynamic leaders of new social-benefit ventures in Los Angeles who apply innovative strategies to complex community challenges. The best candidates for the Fund will be those who build communities in unexpected ways, by bringing together groups from different sectors with overlapping interests.

The Fund offers two-year grants of up to $50,000, typically $25,000 each year. Springboard Fund grants are unrestricted, and can be used for general operating support, salaries, technical assistance, equipment purchase or whatever else the organization deems necessary for its development.

The Foundation also believes that the development of good ideas is cyclical, and that those who have built robust institutions from concept to program have much to share with those whose organizations are at an early stage. For this reason, the Springboard Fund will pair each grant recipient with a seasoned nonprofit professional who will provide advice and assistance throughout the two-year grant period.

Organizations eligible to apply to the Fund must:

-be located in and serve Los Angeles County
-have a social benefit mission
-have dynamic and effective grassroots leadership that engages multiple stakeholders
-have a program that is already underway, but that has been in operation for five years or less
-focus on applying an innovative model to a complex challenge
-have a feasible action plan to animate a big idea through identifiable, concrete steps
-be at a critical developmental stage so that Springboard funding can be a “tipping point” for success
-demonstrate potential for sustainability in the future
-have an annual budget of $100,000 or less

It is expected that Springboard Fund review process will be very competitive. Especially at this challenging economic moment, we recognize that few new organizations will be able to find financial support beyond the Durfee grant. For this reason, the review process will be highly selective, and by necessity will favor those projects that show promise of long-term viability. Please consider the grant criteria above carefully to ascertain whether your idea and organization are a good fit. Feel free to call the Durfee office to discuss a prospective application before applying.

There are no deadlines for Springboard Fund grants. Applications are accepted year-round.