A defined group of people, who socialize regularly, participate in shared activities and build relationships along the way.

These come together for many reasons - creativity, curiosity, play, growth, fandom, service, support or making a difference.

A midnight running club

A philosophy circle

An adventure seekers club

A Sci-Fi nerd club

A culture collective of underground art fans

A cozy neighborhood hangout

A parent-and-child nature exploration club

A close-knit mom support group

A hub for DIY makers and creators

…the possibilities are infinite.

But the key is: they prioritize building relationships among members.

What they're not: one-off experiences or just doing activities without forming any real connections.

We’re open to clubs of all shapes and sizes, bringing people together for all kinds of activities or interests.

Our core requirements:

• You have or want to build a group that fosters bonds among its members.

• You’re excited show up and work on the Program’s milestones (see more “What will we do together” below)

• You want to build a sustainable funding model that includes contributions from members (e.g. dues), among other ways

• Based in the San Francisco Bay Area

Some more elements you may aspire to have:

• Consistent, recurring in-person gatherings

• A list of active members and process on how to become one

We’re open to all stages of communities. You may have an existing group or be launching a new one.

We’re open to all types of builders. This can be your side hustle or a full time gig. You can be an individual, a for-profit or non-profit organization or a group of passionate souls.

The plan is simple: You’ll experiment, learn, and build with a rad group of other IRL builders.

More specifically, over the 6-8 sessions you’ll:

• CONNECT - Learn from peers and industry experts

• EXPERIMENT - Try new tactics to unlock funding and contributions (e.g., member dues)

• BUILD - Hit key milestones — most notably: get your first “Yes’s” from those pledge to contribute.

By the end, you’ll have:

• A compelling pitch that makes people want to join and contribute to your club.

• Your first contributors or due-paying members!

• A public showcase!

• An inspiring peer group cheering you on

That’s not all, enjoy these benefits:

• Photographer or videographer to help with your pitch

• Priority access to local venues

• Event coordination or expert services

• A chance to apply for Build IRL microgrants (more on this later)

We’ll help you craft your story, make the asks, and design for belonging.

And yes, we love fun — so you’re in for a great time!

We get it—you may not building your community full-time (but if you are, that's awesome too!).

Here’s what we ask:

• Connect with and support fellow builders.

• Show up and actively participate in the 6-8 weekend sessions.

• Work to hit key milestones.

The magic happens when we gather regularly and build together. We’ll give preference to those ready to commit to showing up and contributing!

It’s simple.

• Complete the application - should take 10 mins

• Join us for an interview (by invitation)

• Receive an invitation to participate

• Complete a participant’s commitment form to reserve your spot

That’s it!

The short answer is - Yes!

This is for you if any of these resonate -

• You struggle to find resources and financial support to make your club sustainable

• You want to connect with other local community builders in SF who will understand and support you

• You are burning out from the workload of running a club (e.g., logistics, finding space, vendors etc.)

• You are looking to reinvent or evolve your existing in-person community but don’t know exactly how.

• You’ve got a new club idea you’re excited about, but need help gaining momentum

• You want to formalize or grow your informal group

If you are still in doubt, we encourage you to apply — the application is short. Our team is also happy to field any questions. We want to help IRL builders in SF through this accelerator or outside of it.

Where: San Francisco (across various locations)

When: 6-8 sessions (on Saturdays) in March and April 2025.

There will be additional opportunities to connect and get support beyond this period

No charge to you. And yes, we do!

Participation in the accelerator will be free of charge. That is - if we think you are a good fit - your experience is on us. We only ask for your time and effort.

We will also provide microgrants to promising clubs that show commitment to resilience (separate application). These will be made available in 2025 —stay tuned.