In moments of unexpected crises or sudden opportunities, community organizations need to respond swiftly and effectively. The San Francisco Foundation’s Rapid Response Fund (RRF) offers crucial, time-sensitive funding to nonprofits and community leaders addressing urgent challenges related to racial and economic inequities. By focusing on empowering marginalized communities in the Bay Area, this fund provides organizations with the resources they need to create immediate, lasting impact.
What Is the Rapid Response Fund?
The Rapid Response Fund (RRF) is a special grant initiative established by the San Francisco Foundation (SFF) to support organizations responding to unanticipated events or crises that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. With grants ranging from $3,000 to $20,000, the RRF is designed to help organizations implement strategic projects that can have an immediate positive impact, particularly in response to catalyzing events.
The fund prioritizes those projects that bring a specific focus to forwarding racial and economic equity, placing a high value on movement building and community empowerment through direct action that meets specific needs of communities of color and economically disadvantaged groups in the Bay Area.
Key Objectives of the Rapid Response Fund
- Timely and Urgent Action: It is meant for those organizations responding to urgent external challenges or unexpected events that affect marginalized communities.
- Immediate Community Impact: RRF-funded projects must be strategically planned, with clear goals, and on a short timeline to demonstrate immediate community impact.
- Racial and Economic Equity Focus: Projects should address either racial and/or economic inequity, offering targeted solutions to unique challenges these marginalized groups face.
- Movement and Power Building: RRF supports projects that help amplify the voices and power of communities of color, immigrants, refugees, low-income residents, and other vulnerable groups.
- Representative Leadership: This fund prioritizes projects that are led by individuals and communities most impacted by the racial and economic inequities being addressed such that the leadership reflects lived experiences of the populations served.
Eligibility Criteria for the Rapid Response Fund
For that reason, the San Francisco Foundation has set certain eligibility criteria so that the Rapid Response Fund may go toward organizations and projects with the most immediate need. These include:
- Geography: Projects must serve residents in one or more of the following Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, or San Mateo.
- Tax-Exempt Status: The organization is required to be recognized as tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Service. Alternatively, the applicant shall have fiscal sponsorship from another nonprofit organization. Applications from 501(c)(4) organizations will be accepted with additional lobbying documentation required. The foundation does not grant funds to individuals.
- Emphasize Urgent Needs: Projects have to show urgency and pressing needs, answering immediate events or challenges not foreseen that require immediate action.
- Racial and Economic Equity: The proposed effort should clearly target the need to address racial and/or economic inequalities through its approach and identify how the effort serves marginalized communities.
- Movement Building: Particular attention is paid to projects that would build voice and power within communities of color or other traditionally disenfranchised communities.
- Representative Leadership: Projects need to be driven by the constituencies most harmed by the very same racial and economic disparities being addressed in the project. In other words, this means communities of color, immigrants, refugees, low-income residents, LGBTQ+ individuals, formerly incarcerated people, and more.
Funding Priorities and Restrictions
Along with basic eligibility, the Rapid Response Fund prioritizes applicants and projects that meet the following organizational type and funding priorities, which most align with the fund's mission of advancing equity and driving immediate change:
Priority Is Given To:
- Small Organizations: Consideration is given to organizations with budgets under $500,000, as well as grassroots efforts, faith-based-groups, and fiscally sponsored projects.
- Collaborative Projects: Projects which can partner with local organizations and leaders in complementary work are prioritized; this ensures wider effect.
- Movement and Direct Action Support: The fund invests in work supporting actions, protests, and/or other movement-building strategies that are led by marginalized communities.
The Fund Does Not Support:
- Nonprofit general operating support
- Ongoing program support or long-term campaigns
- Capital improvements
- Budget shortfalls or fundraising events
- Internal organizational emergencies (such as loss of an executive director or office vandalism)
Grant Size, Duration, and Application Process
The Rapid Response Fund grants-$3,000 to $20,000-provides one-time funding for discrete projects that can be accomplished within six months from grant receipt. This ensures that projects can quickly take shape and have an immediate impact on the communities they serve.
Grant Application Process
The application process for the Rapid Response Fund is remarkable compared to the urgency of the projects it addresses. Here's how to apply:
- Submit an Inquiry: Interested organizations must apply by submitting an inquiry through the Rapid Response Fund Inquiry Form, which gives general information on the proposed project and its relevance to the goals of the Fund.
- Overview by SFF Staff: The question will be overviewed by the staff of the San Francisco Foundation and an assessment made regarding whether the project meets the priorities of the fund. Those projects consistent with these priorities will then be invited to submit a full application.
- Complete a Full Application: The full application will ask for the following information:
- Project name and timeline, including start and end dates
- Total budget, including the amount requested from the foundation
- The specific needs the project will address and how they were identified
- How the project will improve the organization’s ability to respond to the crisis
- A clear plan of action with deliverables and milestones
- A detailed project budget, including any other funding sources
Applications go through the foundation's Board of Directors for review, and grants approved are processed within 30 days of receipt.
How Fluxx Streamlines Grant Management for SFF
The San Francisco Foundation deploys Fluxx for its grant management platform in order to ensure the timely and efficient realization of the Rapid Response Fund. Organizations have been enabled to do the following through Fluxx:
- Simplified Application Submission: Fluxx provides organizations with the ability to submit inquiries and full applications through one location, which is easy to use and intuitive.
- Real-Time Communication: Applicants can communicate directly in Fluxx to verify that any questions or need for clarification is taken care of immediately with SFF staff.
- Tracking and Reporting: On granting, Fluxx allows an organization to track the progress of its project and send the reports, with total transparency and accountability throughout the grant period.
By using Fluxx, the San Francisco Foundation ensures that the Rapid Response Fund operates seamlessly enough to let organizations focus on delivery in the community.
Empowering Communities Through Urgent Action
The San Francisco Foundation Rapid Response Fund provides critical capacity for organizations to respond to sudden crises and pressures-most especially those that marginalized communities confront continuously in the Bay Area. With timely, flexible funding, the RRF allows organizations to make an impact now, build up community power, and ultimately out-perpetuate systemic inequities.
If your organization is ready to take urgent action in response to a catalyzing event, learn more about how to apply for the Rapid Response Fund by visiting the San Francisco Foundation website.
