Grant Process
Graybird gives grants in the form of marketing services to nonprofits focused on Community, Education and the Fine Arts in Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.A typical application advances through the following steps:

Nonprofit organization emails letter of interest to Graybird Foundation.

If request meets criteria, Graybird extends invitation to complete grant application.

Client and Graybird meet to discuss background for marketing initiative.

Graybird proposes and scopes specific marketing project to be completed by the Graybird team and the client.
Graybird Foundation projects typically last from 3 to 12 months. During that time, we supervise all components of the marketing project, liaise with the expanded team of partners and vendors, mentor in-house client marketing staff throughout the engagement, and finally transition the project so the client staff may carry it forward.
General Requirements for Client Applicants:
- Must be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
- Must be an organization dedicated to serving the San Francisco Bay Area
- Organization’s operations must fall under one of these three categories:

Community
Organizations with the goal of enhancing communities by helping stabilize the lives of underserved families, individuals and veterans

Education
Organizations with the goal of strengthening education for grades K-12

Fine Arts
Organizations with the goal of promoting cultural arts, especially with a mission to educate and give back to SF Bay Area communities
In addition to the general requirements, Graybird Foundation will only award grants to organizations that demonstrate strong leadership, an ability to make a clear impact on the SF Bay Area community, sound finances, and a preparedness to actively participate in a year-long Graybird marketing project.
We cannot fund:
- Expenses incurred prior to the grant agreement starting date
- Individuals (unless included in a scholarship program)
- Medical, academic or scientific research
- Capital improvements, construction, renovation, structural maintenance of facilities
- Administrative personnel (including clerical staff, producers, management, grant writers)
- Religious activities
- Programs that do not support the goals or mission of Graybird Foundation
If your organization meets our requirements and would benefit from a Graybird Foundation grant, please submit a letter of inquiry to [email protected].