Berkshire Foundation
Berkshire Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Carmel, California. The organization operates as a philanthropic entity managed by a volunteer board of directors.
Key facts about Berkshire Foundation
- EIN
- 77-0438710
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,375,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- Average grant
- $62,500
- Median grant
- $50,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (6 of 22, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (65% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation is open to new applicants, with approximately 12% of new applicants receiving funding.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Berkshire Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Berkshire Foundation's 22 itemized 2025 grants were California (65%), New York (16%) and Hawaii (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Monterey, CA (3 grants), Carmel, CA (3 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and San Francisco, CA (3 grants). None of its 22 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Fund Community Services" (20 grants).
Is Berkshire Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 22 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $38K; repeat grants $72K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $63K repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2018–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Berkshire Foundation
- How to evaluate Berkshire Foundation as a funder
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$1.4M
+1.9% YoY
Grant Count
22
-12.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$63K
+15.7% YoY
Ready to take the next step with Berkshire Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports a variety of cities and regions across the United States, including:
California: Austin, Berkeley, Carmel, Highland Park, Los Angeles, Menlo Park, Monterey, Moss Landing, Oakland, Pacific Palisades, Ross, Salinas, San Rafael, Santa Monica, and Seaside
Other States: Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Texas
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 22 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $6.0–$6.5 million
Annual Giving: Approximately $1.2–$1.35 million
Recent Fiscal Period:
- Expenses: $1,212,682
- Revenue: $981,176
Grant Activity: The foundation awarded approximately 4,608 grants in the previous year, with an average grant size of $219.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2018–2025
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
102 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Center for Reproductive Rights ($150,000), Interim Inc ($150,000), Carmel Bach Festival ($100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS New York, NY | TO FUND COMMUNITY SERVICES | $150,000 |
| INTERIM INC Monterey, CA | TO FUND COMMUNITY SERVICES | $150,000 |
| CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL Carmel, CA | TO FUND COMMUNITY SERVICES | $100,000 |
| HUALALAI FOUNDATION Kailuakona, HI | TO FUND COMMUNITY SERVICES | $100,000 |
| MEARTH Carmel, CA | TO FUND COMMUNITY SERVICES | $100,000 |
| MONTEREY SYMPHONY Monterey, CA | TO FUND COMMUNITY SERVICES | $100,000 |
| ONE ACRE FUND Highland Park, IL | TO FUND COMMUNITY SERVICES | $100,000 |
| THE FOOD BANK Salinas, CA | TO FUND COMMUNITY SERVICES | $75,000 |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF MONTEREY COUNTY Seaside, CA | TO FUND COMMUNITY SERVICES | $50,000 |
| FOUNDATION FOR CSUMB Seaside, CA | TO FURTHER EXEMPT PURPOSE | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is managed by a volunteer board of directors with no compensation:
- Susan Snorf Lansbury – President and Treasurer
- Cynthia Snorf Livermore – Secretary
- Roberta Buffett Bialek – Treasurer
- Carolyn Snorf Akcan – Director
- James Cadillac Zak – Director
- Charles Edgar Lansbury – Director
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Snorf Lansbury | President | 0.25 | — |
| Cynthia Snorf Livermore | Treasurer | 0.25 | — |
| James Cadillac Zak | Secretary | 0.25 | — |
| Roberta Buffett Bialek | Director & President Emerita | 0.25 | — |
| Carolyn Snorf Akcan | Director | 0.25 | — |
| V Cascade Zak Dewitt | Director | 0.25 | — |
| Charles Edgar Lansbury | Director | 0.25 | — |
| Galen Lansbury | Director | 0.25 | — |
| Robert Lansbury | Director | 0.25 | — |
| William Lansbury | Director | 0.25 | — |
| L Berkshire Zak | Director | 0.25 | — |
| W Everest Zak | Director | 0.25 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Berkshire Foundation make grants?
The foundation supports a variety of cities and regions across the United States, including: **California:** Austin, Berkeley, Carmel, Highland Park, Los Angeles, Menlo Park, Monterey, Moss Landing, Oakland, Pacific Palisades, Ross, Salinas, San Rafael, Santa Monica, and Seaside **Other States:** Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Texas
What size grants does Berkshire Foundation award?
In 2025, Berkshire Foundation awarded 22 grants totaling $1.4M — an average of about $63K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Berkshire Foundation's EIN?
Berkshire Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0438710. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.