Selection

With the help of a Selection Advisory Council, the GreenLight Fund identifies urgent needs in Boston and vets potential organizations against these needs and the landscape of organizations already working in the city. The Selection Advisory Council includes representatives from philanthropic and nonprofit organizations, as well as local social entrepreneurs and philanthropists.

GreenLight’s due diligence on potential organizations includes research on publicly available information; interviews with organizations’ management teams, board members, and clients; site visits; and interviews with experts in the field. The GreenLight Fund considers organizations based on a set of selection criteria that gauges community need, program innovation and results, and operational excellence.

Launch

Once an organization is “greenlighted” for Boston, the GreenLight Fund develops a Launch Team of local champions. Launch Team members bring a variety of skills to the planning and community-building work that prepares a new program for a successful Boston launch: legal, financial, public relations and marketing, community knowledge, funding relationships, and business planning.

Support

The GreenLight Fund provides critical support during the first three years of a program’s life in Boston. In addition, GreenLight is an on-the-ground partner invested in the early and long-term success of the organization. Beyond launch support, GreenLight provides:

• Early-stage funding from the GreenLight Seed Fund and from angel donors. Total contributions are typically in the $300,000-$600,000 range over three years.
• Recruitment of exceptional staff talent to lead the organization.
• Recruitment of the Board of Directors.
• Start-up planning to ensure that the program is adapted to meet Boston’s unique circumstances.
• Community outreach to key political, funding, corporate, and nonprofit organizations in the city.
• Early-stage operational and management support.