San Francisco Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative

Acquisition Grants

Program Guidelines

Application Period Closed

Table of Contents

About the Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative

Racial Equity Statement

Key Dates

Eligibility Requirements 

Priority Criteria

Review Process

Application Information     ||     (Checklist of Required Information)

Pre-Closing Requirements

Annual Requirements

Grant Fund Policies

Apply Now!

Frequently Asked Questions

Community Vision announces the availability of capital grants to help nonprofits finance commercial real estate acquisition projects that create newly nonprofit-owned spaces. Acquisition Grants can fund up to 25% of the property’s purchase price ($1 million maximum)^[1]. In the current funding round, up to $2 million will be available for distribution.

Applications must be received by 12 pm PST on Friday, January 28, 2022 to be considered for an award. The online application system will shut down at 12 pm PST on Friday, January 28, 2022. Hard copy, postal mail, emailed, and faxed applications will not be accepted. In fairness to others, we cannot accept late or incomplete applications. An application may be deemed incomplete and ineligible if the individual does not provide the complete set of information in the appropriate format by the deadline. Applicants must select the “submit” button to finalize their application and will receive an automatic email confirmation once it has been submitted.

Community Vision encourages applicants to submit their applications before the deadline

(12 pm PST on Friday, January 28, 2022) so that any technical problems that arise can be resolved before the deadline. No deadline extensions will be granted. There is a Checklist of Required Information available to assist in preparing applications in advance.

All applicants are required to complete a consultation call prior to submitting the application. The consultation calls are available between Wednesday, January 5, 2022 – Friday, January  21, 2022. Consultation calls must be scheduled by Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Site control is not required to schedule a consultation call. It is the responsibility of the applicant to schedule the consultation call by the January 19th deadline. Requests made after January 19th may not be accommodated. Register for a consultation call here. If no time slots are available, email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

About the San Francisco Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative

The San Francisco Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative (NSI) is a multi-agency partnership funded through the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), and administered in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, San Francisco Arts Commission, Community Vision and other key partners.

The NSI complements San Francisco’s funding of nonprofit services and resources for low-income residents and aims to maintain and expand these vital services by deploying financial assistance, professional services, assessment tools and other resources to address key challenges facing the sector, including the high costs of real estate.

Since the first grants were awarded in May 2017, organizations supporting youth, seniors, immigrants, domestic violence survivors, artists and people with disabilities have received funding for lease stabilization, space acquisition and strategic restructuring. In total, Community Vision has awarded $15.4 million in NSI: Acquisition and Lease Stabilization grants to support the acquisition of 178,047 square feet of new, permanent nonprofit-owned space, and to support over 273,272 square feet of high-quality leased facilities.

Racial Equity Statement

Community Vision is dedicated to anti-racist practices and to building an anti-racist organization. We recognize that a history of discriminatory financial practices and intentional disinvestment have contributed to a lack of economic progress in low-income communities and communities of color. We provide capital and technical assistance for low-income communities and communities of color to ensure fairness in opportunities, resources, and rights for everyone.

The Office of Economic and Workforce Development is committed to advancing racial and economic justice by instituting programs and services that focus on equity-driven growth to make San Francisco a better place to live, work, and do business. This requires proactively implementing strategies that reverse the impacts of racially discriminatory policies that have led to generations of disinvestment and economic inequities that have significantly disrupted the economic growth and prosperity of communities of color. We recognize that these funds are only a small part of the solution and we are committed to aligning our work beyond this investment.

Key Dates

• Application period opens: Wednesday, December 1, 2021
• Application information webinars:

• Wednesday, December 15, 2021: 11 am PST. Register here
• Wednesday, January 19, 2022: 6 pm PST. Register here 

• Consultation calls: Wednesday, January 5, 2022 – Friday, January  21, 2022
• Last day to schedule consultation calls: Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Click here to schedule a consultation call.
• Questions:  Questions submitted after Wednesday, January 19, 2022 may not be answered due to capacity. All answers to questions submitted by Wednesday, January 19, 2022 will be posted online within four (4) business days; answers to questions submitted after January 19, 2022 may not be posted online. You can submit a question by emailing grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.
• Application due date: 12 pm PST on Friday, January 28, 2022
• Target date for award notification: Week of March 21, 2022
• Close-of-escrow (grant disbursement deadline): Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Eligibility Requirements

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible for an Acquisition Grant, the applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

• The organization and project must be located in San Francisco County^[2].
• The organization must be incorporated, or have a fiscal sponsor that is incorporated, and be in good standing as a tax-exempt public benefit corporation under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3).
• The organization must have an established  track record of at least two years providing direct or indirect^[3] services to members of low-income communities^[4].
• Not be in default on any grants or loans from: (1) Community Vision Capital and Consulting; (2) Any City departments (including but not limited to the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, Grants for the Arts or the San Francisco Arts Commission); (3) Northern California Grantmakers Arts Loan Fund; (4) the Center for Cultural Innovation and/or (5) any other City contractor/re-grantor.

PROJECT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

In order to be eligible for an Acquisition Grant, in addition to the above applicant eligibility requirement, projects must meet all of the following criteria:

• The organization must have site control of the property intended for acquisition, as demonstrated by a fully-executed Letter of Intent (LOI) to purchase or lease for 55 years or longer, a fully-executed Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA), a fully-executed lease for 55 years or longer, or a recorded Grant Deed. This program does not allow organizations to switch sites after the application has been submitted. If your organization determines the intended site is no longer viable after the application deadline has passed, we will withdraw your organization’s application from the pool and invite a new application in a future round.
• If the organization is applying with a Grant Deed, the property must have been acquired on or after May 1, 2021
• The proposed project must be the acquisition of newly nonprofit-owned space -- organizations purchasing properties that are currently owned and/or controlled by nonprofits will not be eligible^[5].
• The proposed project must not result in a decline in employees or program activity within San Francisco.
• The proposed project must not result in the eviction of any commercial tenant, or loss of housing. Projects with no displacement may be prioritized^[6].
• The requested funds are not supporting startup activities for a new organization.

Visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more details on how eligibility is defined.  If you still don’t find the answer to your question, email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

Priority Criteria

Priority will be given to nonprofit organizations that:

• Are deeply rooted in low-income communities, communities of color, and historically underserved communities in San Francisco
• Are facing significant financial constraints within the nonprofit sector
• Can demonstrate support for their efforts from multiple sectors
• Clearly identifies how new beneficiaries will be acquired and existing beneficiaries served effectively by the proposed space
• Can demonstrate evidence of planning to identify and mitigate financial risk 

Visit the FAQs for more details on how these criteria are defined.  If you still don’t find the answer to your question, email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

Review Process

After the application period closes, Community Vision will screen applicants to ensure the satisfaction of all basic eligibility requirements. All eligible applicants will be presented to a racially and ethnically diverse panel selected for their knowledge of nonprofit finance and governance as well as their experience working with community-focused nonprofits and on capital projects. The review panel is made up of representatives from the city agency partners, as well as nonprofit leaders and community members with related expertise. Community Vision in partnership with OEWD selects the panelists. If you have a panelist recommendation, please email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

In addition to the priority criteria, the review panel considers:

• The degree of project readiness and technical capacity to plan, develop, and operate the proposed project^[7].
• The extent to which the investment will address an urgent need and provide catalytic funding^[8].
• Whether the applicant will offer co-location opportunities. If co-location is a component of the project, provide letters of intent for 60% of the leasable square footage.

Visit the FAQs for more details on how these criteria are defined.  If you still don’t find the answer to your question, email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

Application Information

In the online application form, applicants will be asked to certify that a 30-minute consultation call was completed. Consultation calls will take place Wednesday, January 5, 2022 – Friday, January  21, 2022 and must be scheduled by Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Click here to schedule a consultation call. If no time slots are available, email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

Please visit the Checklist of Required Information for a detailed list of all narrative questions and file uploads that will be required in the online application.

For more questions about the application or the application process, visit the FAQs.  If you still don’t find the answer to your question, email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

Pre-Closing Requirements

Grant funds will be disbursed on or after the close of escrow, no later than February 28, 2023. If an organization is purchasing a parcel in a larger development and another entity is managing the build-out, the grant will be disbursed at or after the start of the construction of the applicant’s space. Before wiring grant funds to escrow, grantees will need to:

• Provide an updated balanced Sources and Uses budget showing continued project viability
• Provide an updated multi-year organizational budget showing continued viability
• Provide evidence of the successful completion of relevant due diligence (appraisal, environmental reports, physical needs assessment, etc.)
• Demonstrate 100% Board giving. A template is available here.
• Meet any other requirements as stated in the award letter

Visit the FAQs for more details on how the closing and disbursement process works.  If you still don’t find the answer to your question, email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

Annual Requirements

• The Grantee must guarantee compliance with a nonprofit use restriction for a 30-year compliance period. A deed of trust and use restriction will be recorded as a lien on the property.
• All properties funded by Acquisition Grants are deed-restricted for nonprofit use. If the Grantee plans to lease space within the commercial square footage funded by this program, the tenant must be a tax-exempt, nonprofit public benefit corporation. As the grant administrator Community Vision has approval rights, which will not be unreasonably withheld, for any lease executed during the 30-year compliance period.
• Grantees are required to submit annual information to Community Vision throughout the 30-year compliance period, including evidence of insurance, a Certificate of No Adverse Change, and basic information about the impact of the funds for the first five years.
• Grantees will be expected to comply with the grant terms throughout the 30 year compliance period. Compliance will be determined by Community Vision and the City and County of San Francisco, at its discretion. Remedies for non-compliance will be determined by Community Vision and the City and County of San Francisco with the understanding that recovery of the grant is a potential remedy.

Grant Fund Policies

• Grant funds can only be used toward property acquisition. There are no other eligible uses of these funds.
•  Organizations that acquired their property after May 1, 2021 are eligible to apply.
• The maximum grant award is the lesser of $1 million or 25% of the acquisition cost.
• If the Acquisition Grant is supplementing other City funding, the award may not cause the total City funding to exceed 90% of the costs of the Project up to $2 million and 50% of the portion of the Project that is in excess of $2 million.
• If an organization is not awarded funding they are eligible to reapply in one subsequent round for the same site.
• If an organization is selling a property in San Francisco and using the proceeds to purchase a new property in San Francisco, the grant will be prorated based on the increased square footage. If the acquisition results in a reduction in square footage, the organization is ineligible to apply for funding.
• Organizations may apply for one project per round. Organizations previously awarded an Acquisition Grant must fully spend down their grant funds prior to applying for a new grant for another site. Each project will need to provide newly nonprofit-owned commercial space to nonprofit organizations.
• If an organization is awarded acquisition funding and leases space in the property, tenant(s) is/are ineligible to apply for a Lease Stabilization grant. 
• Lease Stabilization grantees can apply for an Acquisition Grant for the acquisition of the same space they received lease stabilization funding for if the Lease Stabilization Grant is fully disbursed. The Acquisition Grant may be reduced by the amount of the Lease Stabilization Grant.
• Organizations that require membership in a certain religion or advance a particular religious faith are ineligible to apply. Faith-based organizations may be eligible if they welcome and serve all members of the community regardless of religious belief.
• Independent schools are ineligible to apply.

Visit the FAQs for more details on grant fund policies.  If you still don’t find the answer to your question, email grantmaking@communityvisionca.org.

Apply Now!

Applications are available at communityvisionca.org/sfsustainability

Applications must be received by 12 pm PST on Friday, January 28, 2022 to be considered. The online application system will shut down at 12 pm PST on Friday, January 28, 2022. Applications received after 12 pm PST on Friday, January 28, 2022 or deemed to be incomplete will not be accepted.

For more information, please contact:

Community Vision’s grantmaking team

Email: grantmaking@communityvisionca.org

Phone: 415.392.8215 x390