California Institute for Biodiversity
The California Institute for Biodiversity (CIB) is a public charity based in Berkeley, California. It supports biodiversity conservation by connecting scientists, conservationists, funders, educators, communities, landowners, and policymakers, and by funding field, museum, and lab work and efforts to rescue natural history collections.
California Institute for Biodiversity at a glance
In short: California Institute for Biodiversity gave $3.1M across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $110K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,093,675
- -53.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- -9.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $110,488
- -48.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $64,741
- Total assets
- $18,869,642
- -21.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (74% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to California Institute for Biodiversity
- How to Apply
-
CIB says funding requests can be made via a Common Grant application or Experiment.com.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1400 Shattuck Ave Ste 12 Pmb 101, Berkeley, CA 94709
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who California Institute for Biodiversity funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Regents of University Cal Santa Cr ($551K). Together the top 10 received $2.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 30 grants of 74 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CIB’s stated work includes California biodiversity and habitat conservation. In 2025, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in California; other listed recipient states were Kansas (11%), Arizona (5%), Michigan (4%), and Virginia (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
How California Institute for Biodiversity gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). 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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $993K (2022) to $6.7M (2024). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $3.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Regents of University Cal Santa Cr Santa Cruz, CA | Grants & Funding | $551,331 |
| Society Preservation of Natural His Topeka, KS | Grants & Funding | $354,480 |
| Natural History Museum of Los Angel Los Angeles, CA | Grants & Funding | $306,469 |
| Regents of University Cal Riverside Riverside, CA | Grants & Funding | $273,600 |
| Regents of University Cal Davis Davis, CA | Grants & Funding | $177,956 |
| CDFA Plant Pest Diagnostics Center Sacramento, CA | Grants & Funding | $159,193 |
| Mongabay Menlo Park, CA | Grants & Funding | $150,000 |
| University of Arizona Tucson, AZ | Grants & Funding | $147,931 |
| Mycota Lab Brighton, MI | Grants & Funding | $123,531 |
| VT Research Contracting Services Alexandria, VA | Grants & Funding | $105,765 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $18,869,642 | $846,316 | $6,411,652 | $3,093,675 | 28 | $485,561 |
| 2024 | $24,026,377 | $712,553 | $8,257,737 | $6,672,998 | 31 | $422,080 |
| 2023 | $30,376,578 | $23,355,824 | $2,932,891 | $1,777,758 | 10 | $636,098 |
| 2022 | $9,876,514 | $11,168,911 | $1,330,809 | $993,247 | 5 | $4,515 |
| 2020 | $1,589 | — | $1,056 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | $2,645 | $1,327 | $16,065 | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
CIB’s stated mission is to create and publish educational materials, conduct professional development, promote awareness, and sponsor research on California’s biological diversity.
Its work includes the California All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, a DNA-barcode reference library, insect, fungal, and soil biodiversity, and intertidal biodiversity. CIB also works with partners on habitat conservation, including advancing California’s 30x30 goal and its Land Conservation Accelerator Project. Its funding page describes support for rescuing natural history collections and for field, museum, and lab work on insect, fungi, and soil biodiversity.
CIB’s grants include support to universities, museums, research and conservation organizations, and community-science efforts. For example, Fungal Diversity Survey describes its own mission as equipping community scientists to document, sequence, and voucher fungi across North America. The California Academy of Sciences describes its mission as regenerating the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration; Pollinator Partnership describes its work as promoting pollinator health through conservation, education, and research.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, CIB made 28 grants totaling $3,093,675. Awards ranged from $5,420 to $551,331, with a median grant of $64,741.
The largest reported grants included $551,331 to the Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz; $354,480 to the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections in Topeka, Kansas; $306,469 to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County; $273,600 to the Regents of the University of California, Riverside; and $177,956 to the Regents of the University of California, Davis. Other listed awards included $150,000 to Mongabay and $147,931 to the University of Arizona. The filing lists each of these grants’ purpose as “Grants & Funding.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Daniel Gluesenkamp as President and Executive Director, Eric Berlow as Treasurer, and John Geraci as Secretary.
California Institute for Biodiversity is led by Daniel Gluesenkamp, President Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2022); 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel Gluesenkamp
President Executive Director
Chairman & Executive Director → President Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
50 hrs/week
$226K (2022) → $410K (2025)
Eric Berlow
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Geraci
Secretary
Director → Board Member, 2024
Board Member → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Natalie Musick (2022–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Alan Harper (2019–2020) — President
- Former: Bernice O'Brien (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Jesse Stonewood (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Lloyd Goldwasser (2019–2020) — Executive Director
- Former: Samantha Johnson (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Jim Clark (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $410K, to Daniel Gluesenkamp (President Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about California Institute for Biodiversity
How much does California Institute for Biodiversity give each year?
California Institute for Biodiversity gave $3.1M across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $6.7M across 31 grants.
What is California Institute for Biodiversity's typical grant size?
California Institute for Biodiversity's median grant in 2025 was $64,741, and its average grant was $110,488, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does California Institute for Biodiversity give grants?
California Institute for Biodiversity gives mostly in California: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Kansas (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (3 grants), Los Angeles, CA (2 grants), Sacramento, CA (2 grants) and San Diego, CA (2 grants).
Does California Institute for Biodiversity give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on California Institute for Biodiversity's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grants & Funding" (28 grants).
Who are California Institute for Biodiversity's largest grantees?
California Institute for Biodiversity's largest 2025 grantees include Regents of University Cal Santa Cr ($551,331), Society Preservation of Natural His ($354,480) and Natural History Museum of Los Angel ($306,469), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is California Institute for Biodiversity?
California Institute for Biodiversity reported $18.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $846K.
What does California Institute for Biodiversity fund?
CIB’s stated mission is to create and publish educational materials, conduct professional development, promote awareness, and sponsor research on California’s biological diversity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from California Institute for Biodiversity?
CIB says funding requests can be made via a Common Grant application or Experiment.com. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is California Institute for Biodiversity's EIN?
California Institute for Biodiversity's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3227003. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-EZ for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 23, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-EZ for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 22, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in California Institute for Biodiversity's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). California Institute for Biodiversity funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/california-institute-for-biodiversity-morg_86431e78de204c59a90e0a4099656db1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943227003_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{California Institute for Biodiversity funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/california-institute-for-biodiversity-morg_86431e78de204c59a90e0a4099656db1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 California Institute for Biodiversity'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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