We invest in strategies and interventions that have a high return on investment as measured by our North Star. More about our definition of return on investment can be found here.
We assess grants using an impact modeling approach, seeking to support opportunities with a high potential to increase lifetime earnings for low income individuals. In our first two years of operating we have made more than 100 grants to achieve these outcomes, but also to test and refine the strategies listed below.
GitLab Foundation operates on an invite-only basis, and does not accept unsolicited proposals except through a small number of topical open RFPs announced each year.
Taking a Thesis-Driven Approach: To maximize cycles of learning that improve our strategy and outcomes, we have developed an initial investment “thesis” structure. We believe that by concentrating our grantmaking around certain areas of inquiry, or theses, we will learn more and become more effective over time.
Our initial theses include a targeted geographic focus on three countries (i.e., locations where, due to economic, social, and political factors, we feel we have the potential to deliver outsized North Star outcomes) and thematic areas within those geographies. We plan to add population-specific strategies in each market in 2025.
The GitLab Foundation supports evidence-building activities in two ways, which we will begin piloting in late FY24:
Learn more about our approach to evidence building here.
We will conduct research and seek out grantees across these strategic areas; in some cases, we may issue requests for proposals (RFPs) in these areas of interest.
GTLF team members should click here to view the internal process for grantmaking using Giving Data as a tool. Partners and grantees can learn more about the steps of our grantmaking process below:
Internal Grants Management Operations
Issuing requests for proposals (RFPs) can be a highly efficient way for us to gain exposure to numerous organizations and ideas around a specific grantmaking thesis, outcome area, or learning question.
Periodically, GitLab Foundation will announce an open solicitation for grant proposals related to a specific thesis or problem statement. Other than specific requests for proposals, the GitLab Foundation will not accept unsolicited proposals.
Learn more about this opportunity (only available to current grantees)
As part of our Emerging Talent Demand portfolio, the GitLab Foundation is launching a $3M nationwide Green Jobs for Economic Opportunity Fund to support organizations and multisectoral partnerships in exploring or developing early-stage initiatives to improve economic mobility. Learn more about this opportunity on our website!
Green Jobs for Economic Opportunity
In July of 2023, we issued a new RFP focused on supporting Artificial Intelligence (AI) that positively impacted economic opportunity.
The GitLab Foundation believes that an important role of philanthropy is to make bets on transformative, catalytic and sometimes high-risk opportunities for outsized impact, particularly where other stakeholders (e.g., governments, private sector investors) are disincentivized to invest.
To advance this, we have adopted a risk-tolerant approach, believing that the long-term upsides of risk will be additive across a portfolio of investments. Even while we seek outsized returns, we are developing processes to assess, model, mitigate, and carefully manage risk across our portfolio.
Our Philosophy on Risk: Accept Risk, Seek Outsized Returns
Risk Assessment and Management
The Nonprofit Sector and Risk Considerations
Organizational Capacity & Program Assessment
Learn more about our investments and grantees on our website!