The Durfee Foundation believes that many of society’s best ideas come from the leaders of communities most affected by tough challenges.
The Foundation’s Springboard Fund supports Los Angeles community leaders launching efforts that enhance their communities. The best candidates for the fund are members of the community they serve, and who bring together groups with overlapping interests.
The Fund offers two-year grants of up to $70,000, typically $35,000 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.
Each Springboard Fund grant recipient is paired with a mentor, a Durfee Fellow with deep and relevant expertise who will provide advice and assistance throughout the two-year grant period. The Durfee Foundation’s network is full of experienced leaders who have built robust institutions and have much to share with early-stage organizations. Most grant recipients tell us that this aspect of the Fund is even more valuable than the financial support.
