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Building self-reliance in children and youth


Annual Grant Reports
IRS Form 990-PF Returns
2012 | 2011 | 2010 [Click to download Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF format]
*for previous years, please contact the office

Grantmaking Guidelines

GGS Foundation was established in 1992 with the mission to build a better future by supporting individuals and families to become healthy, compassionate, and responsible. The foundation supports community-based, non-profit organizations building self-reliance in at-risk or disadvantaged children and youth in San Francisco and, to a lesser extent, Marin County.

The foundation’s main focus areas are:

  • Promoting literacy for children from pre-Kindergarten through third grade, including
    • access to books
    • acquisition of reading, writing, and comprehension skills
    • application of literacy skills to critical thinking and self-expression
  • Preventing substance abuse and promoting healthy living for children and youth, with emphasis on programs that enable youth to make healthy decisions and form healthy relationships
  • Building vocational and workplace skills for middle and high school aged youth.

Programs should focus on giving youth in need the skills necessary to become physically and mentally healthy, educated, and able to access resources within themselves and within their communities. The foundation prioritizes organizations that employ sound youth development practices in their work. It also has a particular interest in supporting organizations that engage with foster youth.

GGS Foundation does not make grants to individuals, endowments, events, annual appeals, videos, medical research, capital campaigns, and conferences. The foundation only supports non-sectarian programs.

Application Procedure
updated April 23, 2013

The Foundation accepts proposals two times each year (spring and fall). Please check the website often as dates may change due to unforeseen circumstances.

The Foundation will accept proposals for the April 2013 meeting from Wednesday, January 2 through 5 P.M. on Friday, January 11, 2013.

The Foundation will accept proposals for the November 2013 meeting from Monday, July 8 through 5 P.M. on Friday, July 19, 2013.

The Foundation encourages submission of proposals and attachments by email (as PDF files whenever possible). Please send your proposal to submissions@ggsfoundation.org; note that you do not need to provide paper copies. If you do not receive an email within 2 business days confirming that your proposal has been received, please contact Wendy Yu Einhorn at (415) 561-6540 x212.

The staff of the foundation will communicate any changes to the status of your request in a timely fashion. A final decision will be made no later than April 30, 2013 for the spring cycle, and no later than November 30, 2013 for the fall cycle.

To ensure that the foundation is able to support a broad spectrum of organizations, the board prefers that two full years elapse between grant awards. For example, if an organization received a grant in spring 2012, it would be eligible to apply for funding for the spring 2014 grant cycle. At the trustees’ discretion, however, organizations may be invited to apply for funding in consecutive years.

Proposals must include the following:

  • Cover letter, on organization letterhead with address and phone number, including a brief summary of the request and a list of attachments (not more than one page)
  • Proposal narrative (not to exceed 5 pages)
    • Concise description of the organization (not more than two pages)
      • Relevant history
      • Mission
      • Geography and populations served
      • Overview of programs
    • Description of the project (not more than three pages)
      • Need
      • Purpose, goals
      • Timeline
      • Project budget, including secured and projected sources of funding
    • Amount of funding requested
  • Financial statement, including actual revenue and expenses for the organization’s most recently completed fiscal year
  • Organizational budget for the present year, detailing proposed expenditures and projected sources of funding (not more than two pages)
  • Funder Worksheets for the organization as a whole and the program/project (if applicable). Please send this document as a Word document, not a PDF
  • List of the Board of Directors, with affiliations
  • Copy of the agency's IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt determination letter

The GGS Foundation is committed to minimizing its impact on the environment. Please clasp the proposal materials with a single binder clip; do not use staples. Do not send audio-visual materials, binders, folders, or pamphlets unless requested.

Contact Information
Annie Yates, Senior Program Officer
GGS Foundation
1660 Bush Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, California 94109
ayates@pfs-llc.net
(415) 561-6540 x207

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