FAITHS Program

FAITHS community partners grant program strengthens interfaith and race relations, increases civic and cultural participation, develops leaders, and provides community services to low-income residents and communities of color and programs addressing the needs of our communities, including housing and food insecurity.

FAITHS also gives priority to funding organizations that have difficulty accessing philanthropic resources, thus the focus on small to mid-size congregations and faith-based organizations, new programs, and volunteer-driven organizations that lack development expertise or staff. Larger institutions may participate in the competitive process; however, priority is given to small to mid-sized congregations and faith-based organizations.

This application is designed for small to mid-sized faith-based orgs and congregations.

The grantmaking program will support faith-based organizations and congregations to:

• Build and strengthen the capacity of organizations and leaders to engage in racial and economic equity issues through nonpartisan voter engagement, policy advocacy, and community
• Provide programs that promote economic security, educational opportunity, and community well-being.
• Provide programs and activities that address institutional and structural racism, discrimination, and implicit

Priority will be given to applicants that:

• Serve low-income communities and people of color in one or more of five Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo).
• Provide programs for underserved communities (e.g. low-income people of color, systems involved and/or formerly incarcerated residents, low-wage workers, youth, homeless individuals, seniors, and immigrants).
• Leverage additional in-kind and financial

Grant duration and range:

Applicants can apply for a grant for a one-year grant for $8,000 or a two-year grant in the range of  $8,000 – $16,000.

Funding Exclusions:

All applicants must meet the general eligibility criteria. FAITHS will not fund capital improvements, grants to individuals, or event sponsorships.

The application process opens in the Fall.

To submit an application, please log into the Grantee Portal. It will take 48 hours to set up an account in SFF grantee portal.  

• Organizational profile must be completed in order for your application to be accepted and completed.
• If approved, the grant will begin with a start date of January 3, 2023, for 12 months
• Visit the Grantee Portal to begin the online application process. For technical application issues or questions, email grantsmanagement[at]sff.org.

To learn more about the grants program, please contact programs[at]sff.org.

In partnership with OCCUR, FAITHS provides capacity building and technical assistance workshops for Bay Area faith- and community-based organizations providing community services and civic engagement programs. These sessions focus on strengthening organizational and program effectiveness. For more information, visit amodelbuiltonfaith.org or contact OCCUR at (510) 839-2440 or info@occurnow.org.

THRIVE! FAITHS Master Class Series

Over the past two years, we have learned to pivot into a new normal. In the process, we’ve become transformational leaders. You know them. You see them daily in our faith-based and nonprofit organizations. Much more than a title, transformational leadership is a calling. It is said that “transformational leaders do not care about how they were called.  They only care about what they are called to do.” Through the leans of a fixed vision, they inspire positive changes within an organization. They increase morale, lead to organizational innovation, resolve conflicts, build unity then help the team, united, to press forward.

The THRIVE! FAITHS Master Class Series II trainings draw on the knowledge of experts in their fields with decades of experience. Sessions will prepare nonprofit and faith-based transformational leaders to navigate key critical areas. They will inspire leaders to lean into the wind of turbulent times, to emerge whole, to press forward and to THRIVE! 

When available, register for upcoming THRIVE! training sessions:

• No training sessions at this time; check back again later.

See the THRIVE! Master Class Series Resources Toolkit.

Watch recordings of past THRIVE! Master Class sessions on our FAITHS YouTube Playlist.

OCCUR and FAITHS Program Virtual Workshops

These annual workshop series are designed to support faith-based and other non-profit leaders in creating communities of opportunity throughout the Bay Area. The trainings are FREE and equip participants with the skills they need to develop stable organizations, design impactful programs and build passionate teams.  Sessions are presented in workshop settings and small group intensives. Individual coaching sessions are also available.

See the 2023 calendar for upcoming workshops and to register.

Join Us for Getting Funded, Part 2: Funding Research – The Path to Finding Your Best Funding Partners, presented by Michelle Edmond, Founder and CEO of JAMKO Foundation. This training provides the essential information you’ll need to research and identify your best funders and request their support. The workshop is being held Thursday, March 23rd from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM PST via Zoom. Check out the attached flyer for more information. See you there!

FAITHS Leadership Council Meetings

FAITHS consists of a diverse representation of the Bay Area’s faith-based community leaders representing 5 counties: San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo. Our regular meetings bring leaders together for training, information and resource sharing, and community reconnection.

Community leaders who would like to join the FAITHS Leadership Council meetings can do so by clicking on the dates below to register.

Dates and registration for all meetings in 2023:

• March 2, 2023
• April 20, 2023
• June 1, 2023
• September 7, 2023
• November 2, 2023 – Final FAITHS Leadership Council Meeting of 2023

For questions, email Sayron Stokes at sstokes[at]@sff.org.

In partnership with the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, FAITHS provides trainings and policy briefings for its grantees and broader network. Through these trainings, faith- and community-based organizations learn how to successfully engage in nonpartisan voter registration, education and policy work that supports the foundation-wide focus on racial and economic equity.