Erol Foundation US
Erol Foundation US is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. It supports organizations and leaders working toward a more sustainable, just, and prosperous future, with website-described funding themes focused on climate action and nature-based economies.
Erol Foundation US at a glance
In short: Erol Foundation US gave $789K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $36K), mostly in California. 77% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $788,992
- +8.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +144.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $35,863
- -55.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $351,896
- +9.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 77% first-time grantees (17 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (56% 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 Erol Foundation US
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 836 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: (650) 804-7100
Website: https://www.erolfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Erol Foundation US funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Liberty Hill Foundation ($220K). Together the top 10 received $618K.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 32 grants of 47 (68%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (56%) and North Carolina (18%), followed by Virginia (6%), Connecticut (6%), and Louisiana (4%). These figures describe the locations of grant recipients, not necessarily the full geographic scope of the foundation’s work.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Erol Foundation US open to new grantees?
77%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 17 of 22 grantees (77%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $95K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 14% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $726K (2023) to $789K (2024). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $789K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty Hill Foundation Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $220,000 |
| Eastern Woodland Lacrosse Mebane, NC | General Support | $140,000 |
| Virginia Organizing Inc Charlottesville, VA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | General Support - Yale School of Environment | $50,000 |
| Communities for a Better Environment Huntington Park, CA | General Support | $40,327 |
| Western Regional Advocacy Project San Francisco, CA | General Support | $28,000 |
| Community Foundation for the Alleghenies Johnstown, PA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Redford Center Inc San Francisco, CA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Action for the Climate Emergency Inc Charlestown, MA | General Support | $20,000 |
| California Environmental Justice Alliance Oakland, CA | General Support | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Erol Foundation US?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $351,896 | $1,921,597 | $1,900,972 | $788,992 | 22 | $1,862,007 | $9,162 |
| 2023 | $320,315 | $1,810,174 | $1,822,500 | $726,237 | 9 | $1,826,269 | $7,962 |
| 2022 | $294,061 | $1,623,025 | $1,340,441 | $782,560 | 16 | $1,340,441 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to invest in effective organizations and courageous leaders with the potential to move the world toward a more sustainable, just, and prosperous future. Its website identifies two funding themes:
- Climate Program: Building public support for equitable climate action and helping the U.S. climate movement advance policy and corporate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Nature-based Economies: Supporting communities developing diverse, climate-smart food systems, protecting ecosystems, and transitioning to regenerative food production.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of organizations receiving support. Liberty Hill Foundation describes its work as advancing social justice through grants, leadership training, and campaigns. Communities for a Better Environment says it builds people’s power in California communities of color and low-income communities to achieve environmental health and justice. The Redford Center describes its mission as advancing environmental solutions through storytelling.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $788,992. Grant amounts ranged from $1,665 to $220,000, with a median grant of $20,000. The largest listed grants included:
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it supported program strategy development for Fed by Blue, served as impact producer for the *Hope in the Water* docu-series and supported national screenings, helped launch a blue food philanthropic funder coalition, hosted a blue-carbon film screening, and hosted a funder tour of a refinery site in Richmond.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists:
- Julie Halley — President/Director
- Sebastien Lepinard — Treasurer/Director
- Jill Kauffman Johnson — Secretary/Managing Director/Director
Erol Foundation US is led by Julie Halley, President & Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Julie Halley
President & Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jill Kauffman Johnson
Secretary, Managing Director & Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$192K (2022) → $303K (2024)
Sebastien Lepinard
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "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 $303K, to Jill Kauffman Johnson (Secretary/Managing Director/Director).
Frequently asked questions about Erol Foundation US
How much does Erol Foundation US give each year?
Erol Foundation US gave $789K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $726K across 9 grants.
What is Erol Foundation US's typical grant size?
Erol Foundation US's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $35,863, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Erol Foundation US that year got $19K on average.
Where does Erol Foundation US give grants?
Erol Foundation US gives mostly in California: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Carolina (18%) and Virginia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (5 grants), Berkeley, CA (2 grants) and Oakland, CA (2 grants).
Does Erol Foundation US give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Erol Foundation US's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Erol Foundation US's largest grantees?
Erol Foundation US's largest 2024 grantees include Liberty Hill Foundation ($220,000), Eastern Woodland Lacrosse ($140,000) and Virginia Organizing Inc ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Erol Foundation US?
Erol Foundation US reported $352K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $1.9M.
What does Erol Foundation US fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to invest in effective organizations and courageous leaders with the potential to move the world toward a more sustainable, just, and prosperous future. Its website identifies two funding themes: See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Erol Foundation US?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Erol Foundation US's EIN?
Erol Foundation US's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-1713077. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Does Erol Foundation US accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Erol Foundation US funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/erol-foundation-us-morg_588a431f03084220a7e4c96357c2e5ef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_871713077_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Erol Foundation US funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/erol-foundation-us-morg_588a431f03084220a7e4c96357c2e5ef},
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 Erol Foundation US'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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