Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation
The Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation is a private foundation based in Laguna Beach, California. Its 2025 grants included support for agriculture and farming, conservation, environmental education, and publishing.
Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation at a glance
In short: Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation gave $341K across 64 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), top state California. 62% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $341,100
- +1.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 64
- +4.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,330
- -3.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,119,937
- -71.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (39 of 63, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (36% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 149, Laguna Beach, CA 92652
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation
Who Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Latin American Perspectives ($17K). Together the top 10 received $89K.
Grant Size Distribution
220 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 218 grants of 220 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California received 36% of grant dollars, followed by Massachusetts and Washington at 6% each, and Colorado and Maryland at 5% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 64 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 39 of 63 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 32% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 164% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 184% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $129K (2022) to $437K (2020). In 2025 it made 64 grants totaling $341K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Latin American Perspectives Laguna Beach, CA | Publishing | $17,000 |
| Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agricultu Berkeley, CA | Farming Education | $10,000 |
| Washington Catholic Schools Washington, IN | agriculture education | $8,000 |
| Into Your Hands Inc Mountain View, CA | agriculture | $8,000 |
| Growing Gardens of Boulder County Boulder, CO | Farming | $7,500 |
| Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization Inc Mahwah, NJ | agriculture conservation | $7,500 |
| Mill City Grows Lowell, MA | Farming | $7,000 |
| Earthroots Field School Trabuco Canyon, CA | agriculture education | $7,000 |
| Petaluma Museum Association Petaluma, CA | conservation | $7,000 |
| Center for Rural Affairs Lyons, NE | Agriculture | $7,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,119,937 | $559,079 | $396,235 | $341,100 | 64 | $396,235 | $500,295 | $214,964 |
| 2024 | $3,934,438 | $252,781 | $363,020 | $336,516 | 61 | $357,855 | $238,276 | $184,997 |
| 2023 | $3,712,668 | $420,970 | $414,216 | $376,755 | 32 | $399,798 | $405,418 | $160,911 |
| 2022 | $3,025,171 | $93,846 | $154,405 | $129,125 | 23 | $152,282 | $87,019 | $164,797 |
| 2021 | $4,092,449 | $92,637 | $258,038 | $234,500 | 40 | $251,459 | $102,962 | $176,520 |
| 2020 | $3,348,899 | $219,962 | $450,679 | $436,875 | 43 | — | $215,149 | $141,258 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation reported a distributable amount of $215K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s earlier profile describes sustainability in terms of economic viability, environmental sensitivity, and social responsiveness, and innovation as creativity and new ideas. Its 2025 grants show support for work including farming, agriculture education, conservation, and research.
Grantee missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Growing Gardens of Boulder County says its mission is to enrich community life through sustainable urban agriculture and connection with plants, land, and one another. Mill City Grows says it fosters food justice in Lowell through access to land, locally grown food, and education. Western Watersheds Project says it works to protect and restore western watersheds and wildlife through education, public policy initiatives, and legal advocacy. Latin American Perspectives says it publishes a diversity of political viewpoints and encourages class analysis of sociocultural realities and political strategies.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 64 grants totaling $341,100. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $17,000, with a median of $5,000. In 2024, it reported 61 grants totaling $336,516; in 2023, it reported 32 grants totaling $376,755.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $17,000 to Latin American Perspectives for publishing; $10,000 to Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture for farming education; and $8,000 each to Washington Catholic Schools for agriculture education and Into Your Hands Inc for agriculture. Other 2025 recipients included Growing Gardens of Boulder County, which received $7,500 for farming; Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization, $7,500 for agriculture conservation; Mill City Grows, $7,000 for farming; Earthroots Field School, $7,000 for agriculture education; and Center for Rural Affairs, $7,000 for agriculture.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ronald Chilcote, Frances Chilcote, Edward Chilcote, and Stephen Chilcote as directors.
Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Edward B. Chilcote
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frances B. Chilcote
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald H. Chilcote
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen H. Chilcote
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation
How much does Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation give each year?
Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation gave $341K across 64 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $337K across 61 grants.
What is Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation's typical grant size?
Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,330, across 64 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation give grants?
Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation's top state is California, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (6%) and Washington (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington DC, DC (3 grants), Los Angeles, CA (3 grants) and Worcester, MA (2 grants).
Does Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 64 grants with a stated purpose on Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Conservation" (14 grants), "Education" (12 grants) and "Agriculture" (12 grants).
Who are Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation's largest grantees?
Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation's largest 2025 grantees include Latin American Perspectives ($17,000), Regional Environmental Council ($10,000 across 2 grants) and Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agricultu ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 11% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation?
Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $396K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $215K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation fund?
The foundation’s earlier profile describes sustainability in terms of economic viability, environmental sensitivity, and social responsiveness, and innovation as creativity and new ideas. Its 2025 grants show support for work including farming, agriculture education, conservation, and research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation?
The foundation states that it 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 Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation's EIN?
Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0785572. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 19, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/foundation-for-sustainability-and-innovation-morg_4c2b4dc914b44e56917628a00c0bc5bd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330785572_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/foundation-for-sustainability-and-innovation-morg_4c2b4dc914b44e56917628a00c0bc5bd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation'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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