Funding Priorities
The foundation is interested in proposals from organizations that integrate its two focus areas, such as:
Programs that assist mentally ill youth or young adults to attend or complete college.
Programs that encourage low-income, first generation, and other underserved students to pursue an education in the fields of mental health or social work.
We place a high priority on funding college access and success programs that prepare low-income and other disadvantaged students to qualify for college and graduate with a degree. Programs include:
- After-school and academically focused summer college access programs that help students improve competencies in secondary school subjects and better qualify them for college admissions. These programs include: tutoring, mentoring, computer literacy, supplemental math and science, and arts and music.
- Institutional college scholarship and financial aid programs, and student support programs for promising low-income and disadvantaged students.
We place a high priority on programs that help people with mental illness live in non-institutional environments and lead productive lives. Programs include:
- Support to community-based programs that empower people with mental illness to live independently and lead productive lives.
- Support to programs that improve delivery of mental health services for young people turning 18 and who are transitioning from residential therapeutic care to independent living.
We place a high priority on funding college access and success programs that prepare low-income and other disadvantaged students to qualify for college and graduate with a degree. Programs include:
- After-school and academically focused summer college access programs that help students improve competencies in secondary school subjects and better qualify them for college admissions. These programs include: tutoring, mentoring, computer literacy, supplemental math and science, and arts and music.
- Institutional college scholarship and financial aid programs, and student support programs for promising low-income and disadvantaged students.
We place a high priority on programs that help people with mental illness live in non-institutional environments and lead productive lives. Programs include:
- Support to community-based programs that empower people with mental illness to live independently and lead productive lives.
- Support to programs that improve delivery of mental health services for young people turning 18 and who are transitioning from residential therapeutic care to independent living.
VENTURE PHILANTHROPY AWARD
The VP Award supports new or early-stage organizations that are developing innovative programs or services to empower low-income, under-represented students to successfully earn a college degree and enter the workforce. The VP Award application process is by invitation only after an initial review of eligibility. This is a three-year $150,000 grant, payable in $50,000 annual installments. The next VP Award application window will be in 2026.
ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES
The following qualifications must be met for VP Award eligibility:
Applicants must address one or more of the following disciplines: college access, college completion, career development, or mental health and wellness.
Applicants must be in the early stages of funding and development (i.e., three years or newer) as a new organization, or be a new program/chapter that is part of an established organization.
Applicants must possess a revenue model that demonstrates scalability for achieving long-term sustainability and be a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity domiciled in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Vetting Process
Transparency and accountability are paramount for a successful funding relationship between the Margoes Foundation and the VP Award recipient. As a result, the VP Award application process requires some upfront time investment to facilitate the vetting process.
Throughout the vetting process, prior to or after application submission, applicants will be requested to meet with members of the Margoes Foundation VP Committee to address a range of questions/topics or to refine parts of the application. Areas of interest can include the organization’s social impact, program differentiation, management and staffing experience/turnover, program scalability/risks, and the scalability of the revenue model. Failure to comply with any requests to address these types of questions/topics or others can result in an applicant’s application or eligibility being disqualified.
Learn more
For more information about the Margoes Foundation VP Award and to determine whether your organization is a qualified candidate or to refer a candidate, please contact:
Karen Lengler
Associate Director
karen.lengler@thirdplateau.com
(415) 837-5408
Past Recipients
The Margoes Foundation is accepting applications for its Venture Philanthropy (VP) Award, a three-year, $150,000 grant, payable in $50,000 annual installments. The VP Award application process for the 2024-2026 cycle is open now through September 22, 2023.
The multi-year scope of the VP Award aims to ease funding challenges of upstart organizations, so more energy can be focused on achieving a program’s social impact goals.
Applicants must be new or early-stage social impact organizations developing innovative programs or services to empower low-income, under-represented students for advancement in society.
ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES
The following qualifications must be met for VP Award eligibility:
Applicants must address one or more of the following disciplines: college access, college completion, career development, or mental health and wellness.
Applicants must be in the early stages of funding and development (i.e., three years or newer) as a new organization, or be a new program/chapter that is part of an established organization.
Applicants must possess a revenue model that demonstrates scalability for achieving long-term sustainability and be a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity domiciled in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Vetting Process
Transparency and accountability are paramount for a successful funding relationship between the Margoes Foundation and the VP Award recipient. As a result, the VP Award application process requires some upfront time investment to facilitate the vetting process.
Throughout the vetting process, prior to or after application submission, applicants will be requested to meet with members of the Margoes Foundation VP Committee to address a range of questions/topics or to refine parts of the application. Areas of interest can include the organization’s social impact, program differentiation, management and staffing experience/turnover, program scalability/risks, and the scalability of the revenue model. Failure to comply with any requests to address these types of questions/topics or others can result in an applicant’s application or eligibility being disqualified.
Learn more
For more information about the Margoes Foundation VP Award and to determine whether your organization is a qualified candidate or to refer a candidate, please contact:
Karen Lengler
Associate Director
karen.lengler@thirdplateau.com
(415) 837-5408
Past Recipients
Grantmaking Guidelines
- Grants are not made to individuals, annual appeals, sectarian religious purposes, to cover deficits, or for conferences and events.
- Funding for endowments, capital campaigns, arts institutions, and other grants are made at the discretion of the board; proposals are not accepted for these purposes.
- Although the Foundation appreciates the time and effort that each organization spends in applying, not all requests can be funded, and all decisions are made at the discretion of the board.
- The Foundation may request to make a site visit to a program.
- Grants are awarded for a one-year period and may be extended based on grantee performance and program effectiveness.
- Only one grant will be made to the same organization in a 12-month period.
- Grants are awarded to organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area.