SILVER2021

PHILANTHROPIC VENTURES FOUNDATION

aka PVF   |   Oakland, CA   |  www.venturesfoundation.org

Mission

PVF is a public charity based in the Bay Area that was founded in 1991 to test new approaches to creative grantmaking. We work with donors to create customized giving plans to maximize the impact of the philanthropic dollar.

Ruling year info

1991

Executive Director

Mr. James Higa

Founder

Mr. Bill Somerville

Main address

1222 Preservation Park Way

Oakland, CA 94612 USA

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EIN

94-3136771

NTEE code info

Public Foundations (T30)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Donor Advised Funds

When people want to do exciting, significant giving, they turn to PVF.

We think of our donors as investors. People who see their philanthropy as investments in positive change. There are generous people all over the planet. They get excited about programs and ideas. They fund them. Things happen. But philanthropy has become more bureaucratic, and that can slow down creativity.

At PVF, we bring entrepreneurship to the business of philanthropy. To make changes, you have to take risks. We’re far from reckless but we do try new things, and donors appreciate our outside-the-box thinking. We simplify ways to identify outstanding people and great projects. We focus on solutions, not problems.

PVF works with these donors in a variety of ways:

- making grants based on a donor’s recommendation
- strategizing on a giving plan for a donor
- negotiating a grant to a nonprofit agency
- evaluating a charitable program
- introducing donors to organizations working in their area of interest

At PVF, we recognize the potential of the philanthropic dollar and seek to maximize its impact by responding creatively to requests and community needs. When PVF staff discover outstanding people doing outstanding charitable work, we take the opportunity to develop relationships, make introductions to donors and invite donors to tackle new giving programs. Donors benefit from our philanthropic expertise, extensive knowledge of the nonprofit community and experience in turning ideas into action.

At PVF, our Donor Advised Funds are as varied as our donors. Donors’ areas of interest include education, arts and culture, the environment, health, poverty, youth, eco-travel projects and international causes.

Population(s) Served
Adults

PVF created “Immediate-Response” Grants Programs to provide critical funding quickly to those working with youth in the public sector in the Bay Area. These immediate response grants require one-page applications, and we fund them within 48 hours. We work with family foundations, community foundations, and individuals to establish these grant programs based on their funding interests. Currently, we administer immediate response grants that benefit public school teachers, social workers and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), and juvenile court judges.

Through our teacher grant programs, we provide grants between $500 and $1,000 to fund a variety of classroom needs. Our current teacher grant programs include:

- Arts Resource Grants
- After School Resource Grants
- Excursion Grants
- Mathematics Resource Grants
- Science Resource Grants
- Special Education Resource Grants
- Visiting Artist Grants

These small but critically needed grants for teachers help to address inequalities in public education and build future generations of strong leaders.

We also administer grants that benefit social workers, CASAs, and juvenile court judges. Recognizing the need for innovative partnerships to address the needs of vulnerable youth in foster care, PVF created the following immediate response programs:

- Social Worker/CASA Resource Grants
- Juvenile Judges Grants

These grants are designed to meet the critical needs of foster youth as identified by the professionals who interact with them on a regular basis.

Population(s) Served
Adults

At PVF we initiate programs and form collaboratives so that grants are made at critical intervention points. We accomplish this by working with a variety of donors to establish community initiatives. These community initiatives address needs in the community, from education to the arts.

A few of our corporate philanthropy programs include:

- Facebook Local Community Fund
- #GIRLBOSS Foundation
- #iamcreative Foundation

We also work with foundations and individual donors to create customized community initiatives, including:

- Youth Opportunity Scholarship Program
- Meng Vocational Scholarship Program
- Parent Involvement Program
- Bay Area Inspire Awards Program

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Financials

PHILANTHROPIC VENTURES FOUNDATION
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

PHILANTHROPIC VENTURES FOUNDATION

Board of directors
as of 11/22/2021
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mr. Cole Wilbur

Duncan Beardsley

Generosity in Action

Moira C. Walsh

Office of the San Francisco City Attorney

Jackie Speier

14th District of California

James R. Cody

Rosewood Family Advisors, LLP

James Higa

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation

Alicia Aguirre

Canada College

Bill Somerville

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation

Colburn S. Wilbur

David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Adrienne J. Tissier

San Mateo County Board of Supervisors

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 11/22/2021
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Asian/Asian American
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data