​Supporting Collaborative Change: Our LAUNCH Grants and GROWTH Grants

Informed by research and current collaborative grantee partners' experiences, we know that successful collaborations that achieve broad impact proceed through phases, including planning and coordination, pilot testing, building momentum, initial scaling, and institutionalization, as seen below in the "Five Phases of Collaboration"​
  • ​LAUNCH Grants will support early-stage collaborations to launch new strategies by pilot testing a promising solution or set of solutions. Collaborations that are a good fit for our LAUNCH Grant are those currently in Phase II of the five phases of collaboration.
  • GROWTH Grants will invest in proven collaborations to build momentum and support to begin to scale solutions and influence systems change. Collaborations that are a good fit for our GROWTH Grant are those currently in Phases III and IV of the five phases of collaboration.

LAUNCH Grants

GROWTH Grants
​Overview
​The Hellman Collaborative Change Initiative LAUNCH Grants are intended to support early-stage collaborations in Alameda County and/or San Francisco County to:
  • Pilot new solutions that have the potential to be scaled for broad impact  
  • Build stakeholder support from diverse sectors and community members with lived experience to effectively implement and learn from the tested solution(s) 
  • Build the internal strength of the collaboration to carry out their work effectively and to generate stakeholder support towards eventual goals of scale and long-term sustainability 


Size and Structure of Grants of LAUNCH Grants
Funding Amount: Collaborations invited by the Foundation to submit a full Request for Proposal (RFP) may request up to $495,000 total over a three-year grant period; the program period is January 2, 2025 - January 2, 2028

Use of Funds: LAUNCH Grants are a flexible funding source that are intended to meet the dynamic needs of collaborations. Grant funds may be used to:
  • Support core operations of the collaboration, including staffing, consultants, data collection, meeting and other backbone costs
  • Cover costs related to the proposed pilot, including staffing, program and evaluation costs
  • Support activities that build the strength of and the support for the collaboration
Overview
Hellman Collaborative Change Initiative GROWTH Grants are intended to support mid-stage collaborations in Alameda County and/or San Francisco County to:
  • Scale proven & impactful solutions and implement systems-level change that have the potential for broad city and/or county wide impact
  • Strengthen their cross-sector collaborations to enable scaled impact and long-term sustainability
  • Build engagement and support from diverse sectors needed to reach ambitious goals


Size and Structure of Grants of GROWTH Grants
Funding Amount: Collaborations invited by the Foundation to submit a full Request for Proposal (RFP) may request up to $825,000 total over a five-year grant period; the program period is January 2, 2025 - January 2, 2030. ​

Use of Funds: GROWTH Grants are a flexible funding source that are intended to meet the dynamic needs of collaboration. Grant funds may be used to:
  • Fund core operations of the collaboration, including staffing, consultants, meetings, data collection, evaluation and other backbone costs
  • Cover costs of direct services provided by the collaboration, including staffing and program costs
  • Support activities to build the strength and effectiveness of the collaboration
  • Build support for the collaboration including financial, political, and public support
Additional Capacity Building Support: Collaborations that receive a LAUNCH  or GROWTH award will also participate in capacity building activities supported by the Initiative. These activities will be based on each collaboration’s self-identified priorities and may include:
  • training or coaching (in collaborative governance, metric development, and more)
  • fundraising or communications strategy 
  • capacity assessments or development of a capacity building plan
  • access to a capacity building platform & additional resources for customized support

Eligibility Requirements

Strong applicants for both LAUNCH and GROWTH Collaborations will have the following:
  • Be an existing cross-sector collaboration and must include representatives from the community (someone with lived experience and/or benefitting from program activities), the nonprofit sector, AND the public sector (e.g., local/state government, public school districts, public hospitals, and universities). The strongest candidates for this Initiative will represent a broad diversity of organizations from many sectors including business, higher education, tech, faith-based, or others.   
  • Be member driven rather than being reliant on a single organization or leader. These collaborations should also include a designated organization that serves as a central backbone, playing a pivotal role in supporting and coordinating the collective efforts of the group. Additionally, this backbone organization will be responsible for receiving and managing the grant on behalf of the collaboration.
  • Intentionally & meaningfully center community members with lived experience who are active in the collaboration’s table, engage in decision-making, and participate within the targeted community.
  • Have a track record of working together as a cross-sector collaboration that includes creating a shared vision and strategy, testing solutions, providing direct services, and learning from experience.
  • Effectively manage core collaborative functions, such as facilitating meetings, coordinating activities or workplan, maintaining communication and monitoring progress.
    • Have or plan to utilize Hellman funding to support at least a .5FTE (20 hours/week) to staff the collaboration.
  • Be active in implementing solutions with the potential for citywide or countywide scale and/or systems change in San Francisco, a city in Alameda County, or across Alameda County.
  • Include providing direct services to the target population as a part of the strategy.
  • Strategy has the potential for sustainability over time.
  • Have committed in-kind resources and financial support for the collaboration.
  • Be willing and able to participate in a grant initiative that prioritizes accountability, transparency, capacity building, and learning.
  • Be in the Pilot Testing Phase (Phase II) for LAUNCH grants or in the Building Momentum or Initial Scale-Up phase for GROWTH grants (Phase III or IV).
 
Please Note: Based on experience, we anticipate a high volume of responses to this year's RFI, as there are so many promising collaborative efforts in the Bay Area. Please carefully review the criteria to confirm fit and eligibility before submitting your information to the Hellman Foundation.  
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