Atkinson Foundation
The Atkinson Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California, that supports nonprofit organizations serving San Mateo County residents. Its stated mission is to help individuals in the county reach their potential in educational, social, and economic life, become independent and self-sufficient, and improve their quality of life.
Atkinson Foundation at a glance
In short: Atkinson Foundation gave $1.9M across 142 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in California. 19% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,869,500
- +2.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 142
- +3.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $13,165
- -0.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $29,323,025
- +7.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (26 of 134, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Atkinson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation directs applicants to review its guidelines and apply through its online grants portal, using the application outline to prepare narrative responses and attachments. The foundation’s 2024 filing says application forms and materials are available through its website. It does not fund grants to individuals, doctoral study or research, efforts to influence legislation, national or statewide programs, fundraising or annual campaigns, or films, videos, publications, or conferences.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists application deadlines of February 1 for mental and physical health services; May 1 for in-school programs, immigrant and refugee programs, women’s services, people with disabilities, and out-of-school programs; and August 1 for basic needs, early childhood care and education, and vocational education. It lists grant payments at the end of March, June, and September, respectively. These are recurring dates listed on the website; no year is specified.
- Deadline
- The website lists application deadlines of February 1 for mental and physical health services; May 1 for in-school…
- Contact
Application contact: Avani Patel
Mailing address: 1660 Bush Street Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: (415) 561-6540
Email: apatel@pfs-llc.net
Website: https://www.atkinsonfdn.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Atkinson Foundation
Who Atkinson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Coastside Hope ($115K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $661K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($7,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
602 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 583 grants of 602 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it funds programs serving San Mateo County residents and prioritizes organizations headquartered in the Bay Area that provide most of their services to county residents. It also prioritizes BIPOC and historically marginalized communities in North County and on the Coastside. In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to California recipients, 1% to Massachusetts recipients, and less than 1% to New York recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 142 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Atkinson Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 26 of 134 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 67% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 58% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 157% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2021) to $1.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 142 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Coastside Hope Half Moon Bay, CA | Main Street Facility | $100,000 |
| El Concilio of San Mateo County Redwood City, CA | Promotores Program in SSF | $75,000 |
| Multicultural Institute Berkeley, CA | Programming in San Mateo County | $75,000 |
| Homework Central San Mateo, CA | General Support | $60,000 |
| Big Wave Group El Granada, CA | Capital campaign for affordable housing and community for adults with special needs | $50,000 |
| Peninsula Family Connections Palo Alto, CA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Rosalie Rendu Inc East Palo Alto, CA | For Expanded Classes and for Staff Retention | $50,000 |
| Climate Resilient Communities Palo Alto, CA | Establishing climate change community teams (CCCT) in south san francisco and san bruno | $40,000 |
| Faith in Action Bay Area Redwood City, CA | Launch in Daly City | $40,000 |
| Peninsula Family Service San Mateo, CA | Midway Early Learning Center | $33,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Atkinson Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $29,323,025 | $2,921,497 | $2,662,052 | $1,869,500 | 142 | $2,170,908 | $2,760,270 | $1,384,253 |
| 2023 | $27,170,571 | $1,870,504 | $2,511,948 | $1,817,500 | 137 | $2,130,635 | $1,714,747 | $1,241,569 |
| 2022 | $24,612,677 | $2,600,107 | $1,976,720 | $1,356,000 | 118 | $1,669,100 | $2,456,757 | $1,268,637 |
| 2021 | $29,860,023 | $2,519,681 | $1,750,588 | $1,179,500 | 96 | $1,414,421 | $2,360,506 | $1,377,596 |
| 2020 | $25,791,088 | $1,454,366 | $1,520,501 | $1,231,500 | 109 | — | $1,327,514 | $1,104,208 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Atkinson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to provide opportunities for individuals in San Mateo County to attain their highest potential in educational, social, and economic life; assist their efforts to become independent and self-sufficient; and generally improve their quality of life.
The foundation says it supports nonprofit organizations that provide most of their services to San Mateo County residents and have budgets under $10 million. Its Education and Youth Development areas include in-school and out-of-school programs, early childhood care and education, and vocational education. Community Support includes basic needs, mental and physical health services, immigrant and refugee programs, and women’s services. The Lois Atkinson Fund supports people with disabilities. The foundation says it does not fund schools, colleges, or universities directly, or college scholarships.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of work among grantees. Coastside Hope describes its work as providing emergency food, clothing, rental assistance and shelter, and other safety-net services to low-income Coastside residents. Homework Central says it provides free tutoring and family support to low-income and disadvantaged elementary school children. Big Wave Group describes its mission as creating an inclusive community supporting independent lives for people with developmental disabilities. These are the grantees’ own descriptions of their work.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 142 grants totaling $1,869,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000. The foundation’s website says grants generally range from $10,000 to $20,000 and that it distributes approximately $1 million annually.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $100,000 to Coastside Hope for a Main Street facility; $75,000 each to El Concilio of San Mateo County for its Promotores program in South San Francisco and to the Multicultural Institute for programming in San Mateo County; and $60,000 to Homework Central for general support. Other notable awards included $50,000 to Big Wave Group for an affordable-housing and community capital campaign, $50,000 to Peninsula Family Connections for general support, and $40,000 to Climate Resilient Communities to establish community climate teams in South San Francisco and San Bruno.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Andrea Higuera Ballard as president, Nancy Spencer as vice president, Leslie Hatamiya as secretary, and Tina P Crisci as treasurer. Directors listed are Jill Jacobson, David Richanbach, John Volk, Elizabeth Woodward, Nkia Richardson, and Kristin Sun.
The foundation’s website identifies Evan Jones as Senior Philanthropic Advisor.
Atkinson Foundation is led by Andrea Higuera Ballard, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 11 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Andrea Higuera Ballard
President
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Richanbach
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Woodward
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Volk
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Valladares
Director
New on the 2024 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jill Jacobson
Director
New on the 2024 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristin Sun
Director
New on the 2024 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nkia Richardson
Director
New on the 2024 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Spencer
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tina P. Crisci
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Hatamiya
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Jean Atkinson (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Linda Lanier (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Margaret Taylor (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: James Moore (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Robert Griffin (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Stephen Way (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: William Crandall Jr. (2020–2021) — Assistant Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Atkinson Foundation
How much does Atkinson Foundation give each year?
Atkinson Foundation gave $1.9M across 142 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 137 grants.
What is Atkinson Foundation's typical grant size?
Atkinson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $13,165, across 142 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Atkinson Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Atkinson Foundation give grants?
Atkinson Foundation gives mostly in California: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Redwood City, CA (23 grants), San Mateo, CA (16 grants), Palo Alto, CA (16 grants) and San Francisco, CA (15 grants).
Does Atkinson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 56% of Atkinson Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (79 of 142) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Atkinson Foundation's largest grantees?
Atkinson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Coastside Hope ($115,000 across 2 grants), El Concilio of San Mateo County ($90,000 across 2 grants) and Homework Central ($75,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($7,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Atkinson Foundation?
Atkinson Foundation reported $29.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Atkinson Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to provide opportunities for individuals in San Mateo County to attain their highest potential in educational, social, and economic life; assist their efforts to become independent and self-sufficient; and generally improve their quality of life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Atkinson Foundation?
The foundation directs applicants to review its guidelines and apply through its online grants portal, using the application outline to prepare narrative responses and attachments. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Atkinson Foundation's EIN?
Atkinson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-6075613. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Atkinson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/atkinson-foundation-morg_bf1e8f56f14a43efa724fb7439517e07
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_946075613_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Atkinson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/atkinson-foundation-morg_bf1e8f56f14a43efa724fb7439517e07},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Atkinson Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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