Cambiar Education
Cambiar Education is a public charity based in San Diego, California, formed in 2016. It describes itself as a nonprofit K–12 venture studio that supports education innovation by helping ventures develop and scale solutions intended to improve student success and wellbeing.
Cambiar Education at a glance
In short: Cambiar Education gave $4.1M across 52 grants in 2024 (avg $79K), top state California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,092,592
- -39.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 52
- +23.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $78,704
- -51.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $62,500
- Total assets
- $61,120,247
- +93.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (28% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Cambiar Education
- Contact
Mailing address: 4653 Carmel Mount Rd Suite 308-97, San Diego, CA 92130-6650
Phone: (213) 220-8782
Website: https://cambiareducation.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 Cambiar Education
Who Cambiar Education funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was ContigoED ($389K). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 40 grants of 97 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Cambiar’s 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares were in California (28%), New York (19%), Texas (10%), Massachusetts (7%), and Rhode Island (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 52 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Cambiar Education gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2021) to $6.8M (2023). In 2024 it made 52 grants totaling $4.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ContigoED Houston, TX | Innovation grant | $388,923 |
| Learner-Centered Collaborative Vista, CA | Future of Learning grant | $297,650 |
| The Big Picture Company dba Big Picture Learning Providence, RI | Future of Learning grant | $250,000 |
| EL Education New York, NY | HQIM Accelerator Grant | $181,334 |
| City Year Boston, MA | Future of Learning grant | $180,000 |
| High Resolves America Los Angeles, CA | Future of Learning grant | $142,600 |
| Schoolhack Solutions (dba LiFTLearning) Bristol, VT | Future of Learning grant | $130,000 |
| Teach for America New York, NY | Future of Learning grant | $125,000 |
| Global Impact Washington DC, WA | Thrive grant recipient | $125,000 |
| TalkingPoints San Francisco, CA | Thrive grant recipient | $125,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $61,120,247 | $69,537,421 | $42,701,629 | $4,092,592 | 52 | $1,162,549 |
| 2023 | $31,598,762 | $31,679,941 | $27,096,364 | $6,793,283 | 42 | $928,873 |
| 2022 | $26,281,467 | $34,440,647 | $19,230,618 | $3,815,596 | 2 | $23,452 |
| 2021 | $11,761,927 | $15,993,046 | $10,584,727 | $25,000 | 1 | $769 |
| 2020 | $5,357,575 | $7,070,506 | $4,881,843 | — | — | $1,251 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Cambiar’s stated vision is to spark creative change by scaling bold ideas that demonstrate that every student can succeed and thrive. Its program areas include support for incubated ventures; the Thrive Fund, focused on student and caregiver access to meaningful data; the HQIM 2030 Fund, which supports learning systems intended to improve outcomes at scale; and the AI Innovation Fund, which funds the use, application, and development of AI in education and adjacent spaces.
Its 2024 grants include support for organizations working on different aspects of education. Learner-Centered Collaborative says it partners with educators on whole-learner outcomes and learner-centered education. EL Education describes its work as building schools in diverse communities and supporting student achievement through school partnerships and educational resources. High Resolves America focuses on developing middle- and high-school students as citizens and community leaders. TalkingPoints says it builds technology to strengthen connections between schools, teachers, and families, especially in under-resourced communities. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Cambiar reported 52 grants totaling $4,092,592. Grant amounts ranged from $6,800 to $388,923, with a median of $62,500. The largest awards included $388,923 to ContigoED for an Innovation grant; $297,650 to Learner-Centered Collaborative for a Future of Learning grant; $250,000 to Big Picture Learning for a Future of Learning grant; $181,334 to EL Education for an HQIM Accelerator Grant; and $180,000 to City Year for a Future of Learning grant. Other listed awards included $142,600 to High Resolves America, $130,000 to LiFTLearning, and $125,000 each to Teach for America, Global Impact, TalkingPoints, and America Succeeds.
Cambiar’s Thrive Grant program funds solutions that provide students and caregivers with accessible, meaningful, actionable information about K–12 learning and development. The organization says Thrive grantees also receive support such as coaching, design, peer learning, research, and access to experts. Its 2024 filing states that grants under $250,000 are reviewed and approved by the President for alignment with the organization’s mission and objectives; grants over $250,000 are approved by the Board.
Cambiar’s Catalyst Fellowship is a year-long learning and professional development program for current and aspiring education systems leaders. It has a multi-stage selection process, and individuals seeking admission begin by submitting an online application.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Christina Heitz is listed as Founder, CEO, and President. The 2024 filing also lists Kimberly Smith, Christopher Maher, Melinda Sjoblom, Ian Natzmer, Babak Mostaghimi, Beth Sutkus Thompson, Andy Stern, and Ajay Varia as officers or directors.
Cambiar Education is led by Christina Heitz, Founder, CEO & President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 6 of 9 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christina Heitz
Founder, CEO & President
President & CEO → Founder, CEO & President, 2022
On filings since 2020
60 hrs/week
$327K (2020) → $451K (2024)
Ajay Varia
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Maher
Superintendent in Residence
On filings since 2020
60 hrs/week
$195K (2020) → $250K (2024)
Kimberly Smith
Entrepreneur
On filings since 2023
60 hrs/week
$366K (2023) → $396K (2024)
Babak Mostaghimi
Learnerstudio Partner
New on the 2024 filing
50 hrs/week
$243K (2024)
Ian Natzmer
Magpie Vice President & Engineering
New on the 2024 filing
45 hrs/week
$266K (2024)
Melinda Sjoblom
Entrepreneur
New on the 2024 filing
50 hrs/week
$221K (2024)
Andy Stern
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth Sutkus Thompson
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Lindsay Kruse (2020–2023) — Entrepreneur
- Former: David Ahmadi (2023) — Data & Tech Lead
- Former: Mindy Sjoblom (2023) — Entrepreneur
- Former: Donald Kamentz (2020–2022) — Entrepreneur
- Former: Talia Kolasinski (2020–2022) — Chief of Staff
- Former: Derwin Sisnett (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Amit Sevak to (2022) — Secretary
- Former: John Deasy Direct to (2022) — Partner-Employee
- Former: Kim Smith (2022) — Entrepreneur
- Former: Amit Sevak (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Thaly Germain (2020–2021) — Entrepreneur
- Former: Rebecca Kockler (2021) — Entrepreneur
- Former: Sanyjay Shah (2020) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $451K, to Christina Heitz (Founder, CEO, President). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Cambiar Education
How much does Cambiar Education give each year?
Cambiar Education gave $4.1M across 52 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $6.8M across 42 grants.
What is Cambiar Education's typical grant size?
Cambiar Education's median grant in 2024 was $62,500, and its average grant was $78,704, across 52 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Cambiar Education give grants?
Cambiar Education's top state is California, with 28% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (19%) and Texas (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Oakland, CA (4 grants), San Francisco, CA (3 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (3 grants).
Does Cambiar Education give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 52 grants with a stated purpose on Cambiar Education's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Thrive grant recipient" (29 grants), "Future of Learning grant" (15 grants) and "Innovation grant" (5 grants).
Who are Cambiar Education's largest grantees?
Cambiar Education's largest 2024 grantees include ContigoED ($388,923), Learner-Centered Collaborative ($297,650) and The Big Picture Company dba Big Picture Learning ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cambiar Education?
Cambiar Education reported $61.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $69.5M.
What does Cambiar Education fund?
Cambiar’s stated vision is to spark creative change by scaling bold ideas that demonstrate that every student can succeed and thrive. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cambiar Education?
Cambiar Education has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cambiareducation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Cambiar Education's EIN?
Cambiar Education's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3508420. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cambiar Education's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cambiar Education funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cambiar-education-morg_eda8668698e7461daccfaeb068bff5ff
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_813508420_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cambiar Education funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cambiar-education-morg_eda8668698e7461daccfaeb068bff5ff},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Cambiar Education'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.
Cambiar Education down — hundreds of funders to go?