Compton Foundation Inc
Compton Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California that operated as a philanthropic organization for 79 years. The foundation was tax-exempt since September 1991 (EIN: 94-3142932). In 2025, the Compton Foundation distributed its entire endowment and officially closed the organization.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.6M
-48.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.5M
+63.7% YoY
Grant Count
13
+30.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$118K
+25.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Compton Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $217K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation aimed to ignite change by supporting transformative leadership and courageous storytelling, inspiring action toward a peaceful, just, sustainable future.
In its final era, the foundation worked to build political and cultural power across movements for:
- Peace
- Climate solutions
- Reproductive justice
- A healthy democracy
- Relationship-based repair
The foundation held gender and racial justice at the heart of each funding area. In its closing years, the foundation engaged in reparations work, recognizing that real societal change requires transformation at personal and interpersonal levels, not only institutional shifts.
Grantmaking
The foundation made contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and did not accept unsolicited grant applications.
Grant Range
s & Activity:**
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funded organizations in:
- California
- District of Columbia
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Vermont
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $8.85 million
- Total Expenses: $3.8 million
- Revenue: $292,000
- Total Liabilities: $1.09 million
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $4.6 million
- Annual Income: $241,000
- Total Giving: $1.53 million
Historical Context: Total assets decreased significantly from $57.4 million in 2011 to $4.6 million in 2024, reflecting the foundation's intentional decision to spend down its endowment before closure.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,565,007 | $8,846,618 | $15,929,078 |
| Revenue | $241,288 | $291,542 | $2,000,639 |
| Expenses | $3,477,356 | $3,798,908 | $4,578,358 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,987,984 | $6,577,191 | $5,471,125 |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | $1,407,740 |
| Distributable Amount | $217,183 | $478,504 | $947,817 |
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
54 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include see attached Reproductive Justice ($292,440), see attached Environment ($280,726), see attached Reparative Action ($237,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| see attached Arts Berkeley, CA | Arts | $30,000 |
| Talent Skate Park Burlington, VT | Children & Youth | $10,000 |
| see attached Cross-Movement Berkeley, CA | Cross-movement | $104,960 |
| see attached Democracy Berkeley, CA | Democracy | $107,640 |
| see attached Environment Berkeley, CA | Environment | $280,726 |
| see attached Integrative Berkeley, CA | Integrative | $140,324 |
| see attached Peace Berkeley, CA | Peace | $196,392 |
| see attached Reparative Action Berkeley, CA | Action | $237,000 |
| see attached Reproductive Justice Berkeley, CA | Reproductive Justice | $292,440 |
| see attached Spiritual Awareness Berkeley, CA | Spritual Awareness | $21,800 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Jakada Imani – President and Co-chair
- Vanessa Compton – Vice President and Co-chair
- Emilie Cortes – Treasurer
- Alexandra Toma – Secretary
- June Wilson – Executive Director
- Jennifer Turnage – Director of Finance
- Johanna Hanson – Senior Program Officer
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanessa Compton | Vice President and Co-chair | 2 | $10,000 |
| Emilie Cortes | Treasurer | 2 | $10,000 |
| Alexandra Toma | Secretary | 2 | $10,000 |
| Jakada Imani | President and Co-chair | 2 | $10,000 |
| June Wilson | Executive Director | 40 | $264,900 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation hosted a large closing event in New Orleans in 2025, inviting grantee partners, collaborators, former staff, and board members to mark the end of its operations. As the foundation transitioned from active grantmaking to a historical archive, it documented its work and impact as both a record and inspiration for future philanthropic efforts.
3 Funders Agree: We Need Change, Not Endowments - Compton FoundationFrequently Asked Questions
What does Compton Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation aimed to ignite change by supporting transformative leadership and courageous storytelling, inspiring action toward a peaceful, just, sustainable future. In its final era, the foundation worked to build political and cultural power across movements for: • Peace • Climate solutions • Reproductive justice • A healthy democracy • Relationship-based repair The foundation held gender and racial justice at the heart of each funding area. In its closing years, the foundation engaged in …
How do I apply for a grant from Compton Foundation Inc?
**Grant Sizes & Activity:** • Median grant: $100,000 • Grant range: $5,000 to $3.1 million • Average award: $311,000 • Total grants made: 62 grants totaling $19.3 million across 45 unique organizations **Recent Grantmaking:** • 2024: 13 grants with a median of $105,000 • 2023: $939,000 in annual giving • 2021: Highest grantmaking year with $5.8 million distributed across 10 grants • 2019: $3.2 million in annual giving **Application Process:** The foundation made contributions only to preselecte…
Where does Compton Foundation Inc make grants?
The foundation primarily funded organizations in: • California • District of Columbia • Massachusetts • New York • Vermont
What size grants does Compton Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, Compton Foundation Inc awarded 13 grants totaling $1.5M — an average of about $118K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Compton Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Compton Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $217K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Compton Foundation Inc's EIN?
Compton Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3142932. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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