Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity based in the Bay Area, was founded in 1991 to test new approaches to creative grantmaking and to maximize the impact of the philanthropic dollar. 

At PVF, we like to test new ideas for grantmaking. Are application processes too cumbersome? Are creative donors open to new ways to invest in the causes they care about? We try out theories, keep those that work, discard those that don’t, and share those experiences from our living lab at conferences and with foundations around the country.

We are actively creating the future of philanthropy by taking risks and trying out new grantmaking approaches. Pushing philanthropy in new, more creative, more effective, less bureaucratic directions is our mission.

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation

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