5 survey respondents
Location: Po Box 45174, San Francisco, 94145 CA
EIN: 54-2178792
50%
50%
8 hours
Median
50%
50%
50%
50%
2017 Deadlines:
Types of Grants Awarded:
Geographic Focus:
For Fiscal Year
Total Assets:
Total Grants:
Change in Assets FY :
Amount of Grants to Minnesota Nonprofits:
Largest Grant:
Smallest Grant:
Average Grant:
Reviewer 110 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2017
Their on-line application is very straight forward. I like that they give you a word count rather than a character count. And, they give you enough words to really tell your story.
California
Current or former grantee
Funded for lesser amount
2017
Average
Average
5
Grant Applicant - applied in 2016
While the application is relatively straightforward, though time-consuming, the foundation wants you to have a connection with a Union Bank employee. Our connection was a director, senior level VP and described the process, wherein the foundation asked about a relationship with our organization as "extremely invasive," that made our connection feel quite shaky about their employment with the bank. Though we applied several times, and the foundation staff seemed encouraging, ultimately we were brushed off in the most unprofessional way possible. This is definitely NOT a funder for people doing deep social justice work with communities of color. If you are a mainstream white savior organization trying to help the "less fortunate" through the bank's focus on banking and development, you'll probably be successful.
Doesn't "get" nonprofits and issues, Difficult to work with, Culturally incompetent, Bureaucratic, Risk averse
California
Applied and not funded
2016
Bad
Incredibly inaccessible and hard to reach. They only became more available after being "invasive" with our connection at the bank, but even then, we found the foundation unprofessional and a bit clueless.
Bad
They want to do work around job creation/training, economic development, etc. but they do NOT want the work to be led by the communities disproportionately impacted by economic inquality, and they do NOT want a social justice lens. They are a bank, and though they are one of the only banks that did not profit of off communities of color and subprime mortgages, they are quite conservative.
Be professional, responsive, transparent, and learn about the work that the bank wants to fund. And stop invading your employee's privacy when they recommend an organization.
Mainstream, conservative groups will probably have more luck.
We don't see their impact on the issues that they say that they want to impact.
50
Reviewer 889 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2017
The staff at their local branches are very friendly and open to building partnerships, but don't seem to be connected to the grantmaking process. Read their guidelines closely, because they have a lot of details on their web site, and each program area has very different requirements.
Likes site visits
California
Current or former grantee
Funded for lesser amount
2017
Average
They are occasionally present at "Meet the Funders" events. If you can get in contact with the right person, they are very responsive. However, they have a large service area so you need to be patient and recognize that their time is limited.
Average
The web site is difficult to navigate, and doesn't seem to be updated often (i.e. the most recently posted CSR report is from 2014). That part isn't critical, but it creates questions as to whether the other information is up to date.
5 to 10 hours
Reviewer 297 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2016
Try to talk with the person who runs their SF giving. She's great. Very straightforward, very open.
California
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2016
Good
Always there to answer questions. Clear process.
Good
I think they try to be creative about accomplishing the bank's mandated goals. They also try to go above and beyond giving, finding other ways to make a connection with grantees.
Keep up the great work!
Consistency and clarity.
Less than 5
Grant Applicant - applied in 2015
Asked for a report over a year after the program year ended, gave a month deadline with no prior notification.
Applied for funding
8
2015
Not so much
