Foundations & Grantmakers in California
17,760 grantmakers in California reported grants on their latest 990s. The 6,804 that made at least 5 grants gave $24.6B. The largest by giving are Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Sergey Brin Family Foundation and The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse California grants
Foundation giving in California at a glance
Active grantmakers
17,760
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$24.6B
from the 6,804 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$20K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$80K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in California by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Mountain View | $3.2B | 3,576 |
| 2 | Sergey Brin Family Foundation | San Francisco | $698.9M | 170 |
| 3 | The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation | Menlo Park | $625.0M | 2,001 |
| 4 | UCLA Foundation | Los Angeles | $536.7M | 82 |
| 5 | Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation | Palo Alto | $403.0M | 920 |
| 6 | Sandler Foundation | San Francisco | $353.6M | 41 |
| 7 | The David and Lucile Packard Foundation | Los Altos | $350.0M | 1,029 |
| 8 | Direct Relief | Santa Barbara | $337.4M | 1,367 |
| 9 | California Community Foundation | Los Angeles | $326.6M | 2,174 |
| 10 | Good Ventures Foundation | Palo Alto | $306.7M | 565 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 3 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 862 · 22%
- Human Services 518 · 13%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 358 · 9%
- Health 287 · 7%
- Environment & Animals 265 · 7%
- Religion Related 247 · 6%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (47% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in California
- Silicon Valley Community Foundation $3.2B · 3,576 grants
- California Community Foundation $326.6M · 2,174 grants
- Marin Community Foundation $186.1M · 1,573 grants
- Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles $142.2M · 1,063 grants
- Orange County Community Foundation $120.4M · 975 grants
- Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation $77.5M · 103 grants
- East Bay Community Foundation $62.8M · 842 grants
- Inland Empire Community Foundation $28.2M · 266 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 50 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Most open to new grantees in California
Foundations based in California whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giving University | 96% (22) | 23 in 2025 | $18K |
| 2 | The Battery Foundation | 95% (19) | 20 in 2024 | $108K |
| 3 | Sustainable Arts Foundation | 94% (32) | 34 in 2024 | $12K |
| 4 | The Mr Holland's Opus Foundation | 90% (56) | 62 in 2025 | $18K |
| 5 | The Wilhelm Family Foundation Co Cascade Wilhelm | 87% (20) | 23 in 2024 | $10K |
| 6 | United Animal Nations DBA Redrover | 85% (22) | 26 in 2024 | $42K |
| 7 | Low Income Investment Fund | 83% (44) | 53 in 2025 | $153K |
| 8 | The Latham Foundation | 83% (24) | 29 in 2025 | $9K |
| 9 | California Association of Realtors | 81% (52) | 64 in 2024 | $62K |
| 10 | Outride fka The Specialized Foundation | 81% (83) | 103 in 2024 | $13K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 6,804 grantmakers in California with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
Sergey Brin Family Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$4.3B
Grants
170
Total Given
$698.9M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
UCLA Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Assets
$6.3B
Grants
82
Total Given
$536.7M
Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$11.5B
Grants
920
Total Given
$403.0M
Sandler Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$251.7M
Grants
41
Total Given
$353.6M
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Los Altos, CA
Assets
$8.5B
Grants
1,029
Total Given
$350.0M
Direct Relief
Santa Barbara, CA
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,367
Total Given
$337.4M
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
2,174
Total Given
$326.6M
Good Ventures Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$10.1B
Grants
565
Total Given
$306.7M
Sequoia Climate Foundation
Irvine, CA
Assets
$113.7M
Grants
187
Total Given
$305.4M
Conrad N Hilton Foundation
Westlake Village, CA
Assets
$7.4B
Grants
1,339
Total Given
$287.7M
The Carl Victor Page Memorial Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$4.5B
Grants
17
Total Given
$285.3M
Waverley Street Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$2.7B
Grants
144
Total Given
$282.1M
The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$1.6B
Grants
379
Total Given
$244.1M
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$7.5B
Grants
53
Total Given
$235.4M
The California Endowment
Los Angeles, CA
Assets
$4.5B
Grants
1,125
Total Given
$215.9M
Crankstart Foundation
San Jose, CA
Assets
$4.4B
Grants
435
Total Given
$201.3M
Marin Community Foundation
Novato, CA
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,573
Total Given
$186.1M
The Benificus Foundation
San Carlos, CA
Assets
$8.3M
Grants
56
Total Given
$186.0M
The Schmidt Family Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
695
Total Given
$185.4M
H&H Evergreen Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
Assets
$3.7B
Grants
5
Total Given
$178.1M
Gerson Bakar Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$2.5B
Grants
33
Total Given
$169.4M
United States Energy Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$215.7M
Grants
597
Total Given
$166.3M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in California
What are the largest foundations in California?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Silicon Valley Community Foundation ($3.2B across 3,576 grants), Sergey Brin Family Foundation ($698.9M) and The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation ($625.0M). Together the top 10 account for 29% of the $24.6B given by the 6,804 grantmakers in California that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in California?
The typical grant is about $20K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $80K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in California?
Yes. We found 50 community foundations in California with grant activity. The largest by giving are Silicon Valley Community Foundation, California Community Foundation and Marin Community Foundation. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find California foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in California from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.