Congratulations!

Thank you to all who applied for our 2024 Capacity Building Mini Grants.

Congratulations to our 2024 Capacity Building grantees: All My Usos and Cambodian Community Development, Inc.! They will each receive a $20,000 grant to support things like technology upgrades, staff and leadership development, consultants for board coaching and strategic planning, and team development retreat.

Capacity Building Mini Grants

purpose in felt letters

Purpose of CBAT Mini Grants

Grants for capacity building typically support infrastructure or administrative expenses, rather than programmatic expenses. Examples include:

  • technology upgrades
  • coaching
  • accounting help
  • strategic planning
  • board coaching
  • leadership training, etc.
red checkmark in checkbox

Who is eligible?

To apply, organizations must meet ALL of the following criteria:

  • Focus on healthy eating and/or active living.
  • Based in or providing services in San Francisco.
  • Annual budget of less than $600,000.
  • Leadership (board and/or staff) represents the communities they serve.
  • Must be a 501(c)(3) or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3).
  • In compliance with California's registration and reporting requirements.

Organizations that received a Shape Up SF grant in the last 3 years are not eligible.

people with hands on hearts in meeting

Requirements

If funded, grantees are expected to: 

  1. Attend Shape Up SF Coalition quarterly meetings
  2. Participate in Shape Up SF’s learning community
  3. Participate in evaluation
diverse people sitting around a conference room in a workshop

Capacity Building Cohort

In August and September 2024, Shape Up SF hosted 3 free trainings to support small nonprofits:

Check out our CBAT Resources below to view the slides and other materials from each workshop.

2024 Mini Grants

The 2024 Mini-Grant application period has closed. Sign up for our newsletter to get updates about our grantees and when the process will reopen next year. 

If you have questions, please email David Byrd at david@capacityblueprint.com.

 

CBAT Resources

Strategic Planning Workshop

Strategic Planning Workshop

On August 28, 2024, Shape Up SF hosted a strategic planning workshop featuring 3 speakers:

David Byrd, Senior Adviser at Capacity Blueprint

Sarah Nelson, Executive Director of 18 Reasons

Melody Hernandez, Nonprofit Consultant at Root Reach Rise, Inc.

Download the slides.

Marketing 101 for Nonprofits

Marketing 101 for Nonprofits

On September 11, 2024, Shape Up SF hosted a workshop on Marketing 101 for nonprofits featuring Evante Daniels

Download the slides.

Data for Small Nonprofits

Data for Small Nonprofits

On September 25, 2024, Shape Up SF hosted a workshop on Data for Small Nonprofits with Ryan Hazelton, Executive Director of Mariposa Kids.

Download the slides and the data project planning worksheets.

Read their 2024 Learning Report and Theory of Change.

Decolonizing the Food System Webinar

Decolonizing the Food System Webinar

On May 8, 2023, Shape Up SF and the SFDPH Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Team convened a virtual conversation with this diverse panel of experts and food advocates who will share their unique perspectives and offer insights into how we may decolonize the food system.

Moderated by Shakirah Simley

Panelists: Dr. Rupa Marya, Esperanza Pallana, Anjali Prasertong

Watch the webinar or view the slidesRead the notes with resources from the webinar.

Embodied Self-Care

Embodied Self-Care

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May and June of 2023, Shape Up SF hosted a 2-part virtual series to create a culture of self-care for both personal and professional landscapes. Feelings of being overworked, stressed out, and overwhelmed have become normalized, leading to increasing numbers of people experiencing burnout and toxic stress. Over time, this can increase the risk for chronic diseases. The Embodied Self-Care series shares simple, accessible tools that can foster a self-care practice to increase opportunities to experience ease, a boosted immune system, and an overall feeling of wellness and joy.

What will you learn from this series?

  • Awareness of the mechanics behind the Mind-Body Connection
  • Holistic methods to ease anxiety & depression
  • Embodied practices to incorporate into your daily routine
  • Simple tools to support self-care practices in both your personal and professional life

Resources

The Sweet Spot: Leveraging the SF Soda Tax to Advance Health Equity

The Sweet Spot: Leveraging the SF Soda Tax to Advance Health Equity

On June 20, 2019,  Shape Up SF and Northern California Grantmakers’ Bay Area Health Funders Group co-hosted a conversation with nonprofits and funders to strategize how San Francisco can be a leader in health equity and healthy eating active living programs by further supporting agencies who will likely be applying for funding through the Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax.

While the new public funds offer new opportunities to support healthy eating/active living, private philanthropy can play an important role in ensuring that the nonprofits implementing them are set up for success. Capacity building support can help nonprofits develop new and strengthen existing high-quality programs for residents, and continue their engagement in policy and systems change work that can impact the root causes of health inequities.

The purpose of the meeting was to start a dialogue with private philanthropy about their role in supporting chronic disease prevention in innovative new ways. We wanted to hear from organizations that are on the ground, doing vital work to improve the health of some of our most vulnerable populations; and how they think funders can help build agency capacity to increase the impact and sustainability for the health of the communities you serve in San Francisco.

Meeting Materials: Program |  Notes |  Evaluation Summary

Check out these CBAT training, resources, and webinars. 

CBAT Mini-Grant Recipients

2023

2023
  1. PUSH Dance Company has presented works that illustrate the personal, untold stories of individuals from unique and overlooked communities. They applied to improve their accounting, payroll, and rental system for booking classes. The capacity building mini-grant has allowed them to increase their web-based presence for student accessibility and is creating a Salesforce database.
  2. Fa'atasi Youth Services began in 2011 to keep Polynesian culture alive through youth. They serve youth ages 5-18 to promote health through fitness and recreational opportunities. Fa'atasi applied to purchase technology, provide staff training and salary assistance. The mini-grant has allowed them to purchase 2 laptops, work with a consultant and bookkeeper, and hire an admin assistant. They have improved payroll, budgeting, data collection, and digitized registration. 
  3. Loyal Butterflies Women Wellness Empowerment Program, Inc. was founded in 2013 to empower and educate women, youth and families in health, wellness, self-care, and resilience. They applied to upgrade technology, provide staff leadership training, program management, and communications. The mini-grant has had a transformative impact, improved volunteer retention, and made a lasting impact on the lives of women in their community. 
  4. Food and Agriculture Action Coalition Toward Sovereignty (FAACTS) was formed in May 2022 when more than a dozen representatives from community organizations sprang into action to save $45 million that was being used to feed over 70,000 families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through their advocacy efforts, they have secured $75M over the last 3 years. They applied to set i[ a membership and communications management system, povide leadership training, and set up event management software. The mini-grant allowed them to organize their first ever SF Food Action Summit, purchase subscriptions to Google WOrkspace, Squarespace, and Airtable, hire backbone staff, and attend a collective impact forum training. 

2022

2022
  • IT Bookman Community Center’s mission is to implement quality, service-enriched activities and programs that address food security, aging in place, health disparities, barrier removal, physical fitness, diet, and social engagement.  They were one of 5 recipients in 2020 and received $7,091 to hire financial account consultants to assist in completing Federal and State Taxes, as well as building out a solid financial model and financial documents needed in garnering grants, loans and sponsors (both individual and corporate). IT Bookman Community Center reapplied in 2022 and received $10,000 to continue this work for financial infrastructure for organizational stability and growth.
  • Life After Next’s mission is to empower the formerly incarcerated, transitional age youth and system impacted individuals with the tools to champion their next life. Life After Next offers wrap-around Holistic Reentry Services for individuals returning home from incarceration. As a part of our programs, we will have a variety of classes/workshops focused on living a healthy lifestyle. They received a $10,000 mini-grant in 2022 to purchase technology and equipment to provide the best nutritional and culinary classes that will include easy access to virtual assistance to members when needed.
  • Northridge Co-op Homes CommUNITY Garden’s mission is to provide opportunities for our youth and young adults to work together cooperatively, in a safe setting and learn how to grow, distribute and use fresh, healthy produce from soil to table. In 10 years, they’ve grown and distributed nearly 3.5 tons of produce, mostly free of charge to their 300 residents and nearby neighbors. Northridge received a $10,000 mini-grant in 2022 to fund leadership training and strategic planning.

2020

2020
  • Girls Leading Girls is the first ever all girls organization with all women coaches. Their mission is to train girls to be leaders through soccer. Girls Leading Girls was one of 5 recipients in 2020 and received $7,091 to increase training for staff, coaches and board members.
  • WISE Health was founded in 2015 to work with organizations to design, implement, and evaluate solutions to major public health issues. Their mission is to spark innovative solutions and strategies to engage healthy communities and they were one of 5 recipients in 2020 and received $7,091 to reduce the cost of off-site printing and sustain the production they purchased a printer, ink, and other marketing items.
  • KEEN SF‘s mission is to empower youth with disabilities and impact volunteer coaches through participation in free, non-competitive, one-on-one programs of physical activity and fun, supporting the overall health and well-being of all participants. KEEN SF was one of 5 recipients in 2020 and received $7,091 to develop and enhance KEEN Connections (and train volunteer mentors) to ensure support for families and special needs kids during Covid-19.
  • Friends of Alemany Farm was one of 5 recipients in 2020 and received $7,091 to hire a consultant to support the organization throughout the process of updating its mission, vision and governing structure.

Take a look at the CBAT Mini-Grant recipients! See what they applied for and how the grants have positively impacted their organizations.

Sugar & Decoloniality with Dr. Amber McZeal

In 2023, Shape Up SF and SFDPH Healthy Eating Active Living Team co-hosted a 4-part series to delve deeper into WHY decolonizing sugar matters and HOW we may undo the impacts of coloniality on our communities experiencing the greatest health disparities.

“Dr. McZeal” by Fox Nakai, CC BY

About

SUSF formed the Capacity Building Action Team (CBAT) in 2018.

CBAT’s Mission:

To advance health equity through mutual learning and capacity building that leads to systemic changes for healthy eating/active living-focused nonprofits and funders. 

CBAT Strategies:

  • offering mini-grants
  • offering free training and learning opportunities
  • organizing convenings with healthy eating/active living-focused nonprofits and funders for sustainable growth and impact
  • networking and resource sharing

Learn more.