Champions Of Love Foundation Inc - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $22,265,090 (2023)
• Number of Grants: 193 grants (2023)
• Average Grant Size: ~$115,000
• Grant Range: $750,000 - $2,700,000 (major grants in 2023)
• Geographic Focus: National (U.S.-based organisations)
• Application Process: No public application process - invitation only/preselected organisations

Contact Details

Address: 21 Chestnut St, Boston, MA 02108-3601
Website: https://www.championsoflove.org
Parent Organisation: Bancel Philanthropies (https://bancelphilanthropies.org)
President: Brenda Bancel

Overview

Champions Of Love Foundation Inc was established in 2021 as a sister initiative of Bancel Philanthropies. Founded by Brenda and Stéphane Bancel (CEO of Moderna), the foundation operates with approximately $78 million in assets and distributed over $22 million in grants in 2023. The foundation's mission centres on supporting "extraordinary leaders who work to ease the suffering of people in their communities," with a focus on organisations serving the homeless, incarcerated, poor, and abused. Champions Of Love employs a trust-based philanthropy model, providing unrestricted, multi-year support to transformative leaders strengthening local communities. The foundation's tagline reflects their core philosophy: "We view love as our most untapped resource."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Champions Of Love does not operate traditional grant programmes with open applications. Instead, they identify and select "Champions" - charitable organisations led by individuals demonstrating:

• Commitment to the communities they serve
• Demonstrated ability to effect change
• Courageous leadership

Funding Structure:

• Minimum three years of unrestricted financial support
• Funding increases as partnerships develop over time
• Additional discretionary allocation: Champions receive separate annual funding to donate to other nonprofits as they deem appropriate, based on their expertise and lived experiences
• Grants are distributed in the Champion's name

Recent Major Grant Recipients (2023):

• Love Does Parade (San Diego, CA): $2,700,000
• Epiphany School Inc (Dorchester, MA): $2,100,000
• Equal Justice Initiative (Montgomery, AL): $2,000,000
• Homeboy Industries (Los Angeles, CA): $2,000,000
• Thistle Farms Inc (Denver, CO): $2,000,000
• Boston Health Care for the Homeless Programme Inc (Boston, MA): $1,100,000
• The Roxbury Presbyterian Church Social Impact Centre (Dorchester, MA): $1,100,000
• God's Pantry: $750,000

Priority Areas

Based on actual grant recipients, Champions Of Love prioritises:

• Homelessness services: Organisations providing medical care, housing, and support services
• Criminal justice reform: Legal representation, re-entry programmes, gang rehabilitation
• Community health: Safety-net hospitals, community health centres, mental health crisis support
• Education: Tuition-free schools for economically disadvantaged families
• Survivors support: Programmes for trafficking and addiction survivors
• Immigrant and refugee services: Integration and support programmes
• Faith-based community work: Churches and organisations with strong social justice missions
• Youth development: Leadership programmes and mentorship for underserved youth

The foundation supports organisations working with vulnerable populations and emphasises frontline leaders with deep community connections and lived experience.

What They Don't Fund

Given their invitation-only model focused on preselected organisations:

• Unsolicited applications from any organisation
• Organisations without demonstrated track record of community impact
• Projects without strong, proven leadership

Governance and Leadership

President: Brenda Bancel - Interested in the intersection of creativity and compassion, with a background in photography. Brenda leads the strategic direction of Champions Of Love alongside broader Bancel Philanthropies initiatives.

CEO (Bancel Philanthropies): Stéphane Bancel - CEO of Moderna, co-leads philanthropic efforts with Brenda.

Key Leadership Philosophy: Brenda Bancel has stated: "Any programme is more effective when it operates from a basis of love." This philosophy underlies their approach to trust-based philanthropy and long-term partnership with grantees.

In describing their work with Harvard Street Neighbourhood Health Centre, Brenda shared: "I was very moved by the dedication of the Harvard Street staff, how deeply they care about their patients and the people in their community. They're working hard every day to uplift those who are struggling and offer healthcare with love and compassion."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Champions Of Love Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

The foundation proactively identifies organisations led by individuals who have shown:

• Commitment to the communities they serve
• Demonstrated ability to effect change
• Courageous leadership

Organisations are selected by the foundation's leadership based on their own research, networks, and direct observation of community impact.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with trustees/leadership identifying potential Champions through their networks and research.

Success Rates

Not applicable for external applicants. The foundation awarded 193 grants in 2023, up from 153 in 2022, indicating growth in their portfolio of Champions.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no application process for external organisations.

Application Success Factors

Since Champions Of Love operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional "application success factors" do not apply. However, examining their grantee portfolio reveals what attracts the foundation's attention:

Organisations That Become Champions Share These Characteristics:

1. Frontline Leadership: Leaders with direct, hands-on engagement in their communities (not solely executive-level management). The foundation values leaders who work alongside the populations they serve.

2. Serving Vulnerable Populations: Clear focus on those experiencing homelessness, incarceration, poverty, abuse, addiction, or other forms of suffering and marginalisation.

3. Demonstrated Impact: Established track record of effecting real change in communities - not start-ups or concept-stage organisations.

4. Love and Compassion as Core Values: Organisations that operate from a foundation of love, compassion, and dignity for those they serve align with the foundation's core philosophy.

5. Trust-Based Readiness: Organisations capable of stewarding unrestricted funding and making wise decisions about resource allocation within their communities.

6. Leadership with Lived Experience: Champions who bring "accumulated knowledge, deep work, and lived experiences" to their philanthropic decision-making are particularly valued.

7. Long-term Community Commitment: Organisations demonstrating sustained presence and commitment to their communities over time.

Recent Funding Examples Illustrate These Priorities:

• Equal Justice Initiative: Criminal justice reform led by Bryan Stevenson with decades of direct legal representation
• Homeboy Industries: Gang rehabilitation led by formerly incarcerated individuals
• Thistle Farms: Survivor-led organisation supporting women escaping trafficking and addiction
• Boston Health Care for the Homeless: Frontline medical care for unhoused populations

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. No Direct Application Possible: Champions Of Love does not accept unsolicited applications. Organisations cannot apply directly for funding from this foundation.

2. Focus on Demonstrated Impact: The foundation seeks established organisations with proven track records - focus your development efforts on documenting impact rigorously.

3. Emphasise Leadership: If you hope to be noticed by this funder, ensure your leadership's community commitment, lived experience, and demonstrated change-making are highly visible in your public presence.

4. Build Your Public Profile: Since the foundation identifies Champions through their own research, maintain strong online presence, media coverage, and sector visibility.

5. Network Within the Portfolio: Many of their Champions are nationally recognised organisations. Building relationships within sectors like criminal justice reform, homelessness services, and community health may increase visibility.

6. Align with Their Philosophy: If your organisation's work genuinely operates "from a basis of love" and centres compassion for vulnerable populations, ensure this is clearly communicated in all public-facing materials.

7. Three-Year Funding Model: Understanding they provide minimum three-year commitments with unrestricted funding and increasing support over time can inform your broader fundraising strategy when seeking similar trust-based funders.

References

1. Instrumentl - Champions Of Love Foundation Inc 990 Report. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/champions-of-love-foundation-inc (Accessed December 2024)

2. Charity Navigator - Champions of Love Foundation Inc. Profile. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/861229287 (Accessed December 2024)

3. Cause IQ - Champions of Love Foundation organisational profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/champions-of-love-foundation,861229287/ (Accessed December 2024)

4. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Champions Of Love Foundation Inc. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/861229287 (Accessed December 2024)

5. Champions of Love Foundation - How It Works. https://www.championsoflove.org/how-it-works (Accessed December 2024)

6. Bancel Philanthropies - Champions of Love Initiative. https://bancelphilanthropies.org/champions (Accessed December 2024)

7. Bancel Philanthropies - Grant Recipients. https://bancelphilanthropies.org/grantrecipients (Accessed December 2024)

8. Posse Foundation (X/Twitter) - Quote from Brenda Bancel: "Any programme is more effective when it operates from a basis of love." https://x.com/possefoundation/status/1793445195041693739 (Accessed December 2024)

9. Harvard Street Neighbourhood Health Centre - Brenda & Stéphane Bancel Donate $1.5M. https://harvardstreet.org/brenda-stephane-bancel-donate-1-5m-to-harvard-street-for-new-facility-to-meet-soaring-needs/ (Accessed December 2024)

10. Moderna - Stock Option Exercise and Charitable Giving Update. https://www.modernatx.com/en-US/media-center/all-media/blogs/update-on-stock-option-exercise-and-charitable-giving (Accessed December 2024)