Project Redwood Funds Projects That Focus on Tangible Impacts
Today, more than a billion and a half people live in poverty worldwide, including 38 million in the U.S. alone. Since 2007, Project Redwood (PRW) has funded seeds of solutions across the globe working with social entrepreneurs whose ideas, energy, and know-how get at the problem from the bottom up.
Project Redwood makes grants to mission-aligned organizations to fund projects with measurable impact achieved through education, job creation, job training or entrepreneurship. In 2024, five US organizations received $50,000, and 17 international organizations received up to $40,000.
Project Redwood also conducted a pilot program in 2024 to award unrestricted Impact Building Grants. Recipients decide how to best use these funds to grow and strengthen their organizations and increase their impact. We selected the 2024 applicants for these grants from past grantees with a history of successful projects and a strong relationship with Project Redwood. After due-diligence by Project Redwood and a structured self-appraisal by the applicants, we awarded Impact Building grants of $50,000 to two US organizations and Impact Building grants of $40,000 to three international organizations.
In the coming months, we will examine the success of this method of granting, and decide the extent to which the method will be used going forward.
The Application Prerequisites, Evaluation Criteria, and Post Funding Relationship sections below applied to Project Redwood’s 2024 project grantmaking and remain here for reference. This information may change prior to 2025 grantmaking.
Application Prerequisites
Sponsorship: Project Redwood considers project applications sponsored by alumni of the Stanford Graduate School of Business who are members of Project Redwood. CLICK HERE to learn about becoming a member of Project Redwood. Sponsors help potential grantees complete the application and act as the principal contact between the applicant and our Grant Review Committee during the evaluation process. If a project is funded, the sponsor relationship continues through project completion and often beyond. Please CLICK HERE for more information about sponsoring a Grant Application.
501(c)(3) Status: Applicants must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States of America, or have applied for such status.
Financial: Project Redwood generally awards grants to organizations with less than $4 million in annual revenue and our grants represent a meaningful portion of the project budget. An exception may be made if a larger organization proposes a new initiative for which our grant would be essential and would fund a substantial portion of the project budget.
A copy of the most recent audited financial statement or Internal Revenue Service Form 990 must be supplied with each application.
Grant Limits: Project Redwood limits each organization to one grant per year and a maximum of four years of funding.
Evaluation Criteria
Project Redwood selects projects from the applications sponsored by our members based on the following criteria:
A.
B. Achievability: Can the project be accomplished as scheduled with the applicant’s resources and skills, identified funding, and currently committed community and strategic partnerships, including Project Redwood non-financial support? Does the project approach identify and mitigate risks?
C. Enduring Effect: How does the project plan for and incorporate the means for sustained success beyond the grant year? Are strategies and potential to scale, replicate or spread benefits to additional communities or organizations identified? Does the project consider environmental impact?
Application Review Process
The process begins in January 2025, and grants will be announced in June 2025.
Our process includes the following components:
Preview Survey: A call for applications, along with instructions and a Preview Form, is sent to all Project Redwood members in early January 2025. Members will also receive an invitation to a virtual presentation on the 2025 grant-making process for all interested applicants and sponsors.
The Preview Form is due later in January 2025. If the Preview Form is found to meet all the prerequisites, the sponsor and applicant will be invited to submit a full Grant Application.
Application: The Grant Application asks each invited organization, with sponsor assistance, to describe how their project will have an impact on poverty and meet each of Project Redwood’s criteria. The Grant Review Committee may request additional information as they assess and summarize each project during March and April of 2025.
Member Vote: The Project Redwood Grant Review committee presents a slate of projects, annotated with its assessments, to Project Redwood’s membership and asks them to vote their preferences during early May 2025.
Board Decision: The Project Redwood Board of Directors makes final decisions in June 2025 regarding grant awards based on Grant Review Committee recommendations, member vote, portfolio considerations, and available funds.
Grant Agreement: Approved grantees sign agreements and receive their funds in late June or early July.
Key Dates
January: Announcement of the start of 2025 grant making
January: Virtual session on Grant Making and Sponsorship for all applicants and sponsors
January: Preview Survey due
Early March: Applications due
March-April: GRC evaluations
May: Partner vote; GRC recommendation to Board; Board decision
June – July: Grant agreements issued and grants distributed
Post Funding Relationship
Project Redwood and our member sponsors maintain relationships with grantees providing value-added non-financial assistance to the project and organization for the duration of approved projects, and often beyond. Grantees and sponsors participate in Project Redwood’s Community of Grantees and Sponsors, a network of social entrepreneurs sharing information, experience, and expertise. Grantees submit an interim progress report during the grant year and a final progress report at the end of the grant year and may be asked to provide additional information on project impact one to two years later.