Gaia Fund is a private foundation based in the San Francisco Bay Area (with offices in San Francisco and Berkeley, California). Established in 1994, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and functions as a grantmaking foundation supporting environmental and Jewish community initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$42.8M
+3.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.6M
-24.1% YoY
Grant Count
84
+1.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
-25.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gaia Fund reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Gaia Fund supports primarily organizations involved with environmental programs that promote sustainable practices relative to food production, distribution, and consumption. The foundation also makes grants to programs serving the Jewish community of San Francisco, California.
Grantmaking
The foundation provides general support grants to eligible organizations.
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, South Carolina, and New York, with particular emphasis on the San Francisco area for Jewish community programs.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024)
- Total assets: $42,772,953
- Total revenues: $1,437,370
- Total expenses: $1,959,922
Assets & Revenue (2023)
- Total assets: $41,300,000
- Total revenues: $1,450,000
- Total expenses: $1,710,000
Staffing The foundation operates with no employees on staff as of 2024.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $42,772,953 | $41,296,106 | $39,879,573 |
| Revenue | $1,437,370 | $1,452,423 | $278,580 |
| Expenses | $1,959,922 | $1,706,177 | $2,163,230 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,950,215 | $2,470,369 | $2,328,180 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,365,481 | $1,312,592 | $795,815 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,048,259 | $2,012,115 | $2,082,453 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Gaia Fund
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include New Venture Fund ($90,000), Community Alliance With Family Farm ($50,000), Cornucopia Institute ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ag Land-Based Training Assn Salinas, CA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Wild Farm Alliance Watsonville, CA | General Support | $2,500 |
| Jewish Community Center of SF San Francisco, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Ecological Farming Association Soquel, CA | Scholarships | $2,500 |
| Marin Agricultural Land Trust Point Reyes Station, CA | General Support | $2,500 |
| Friends Fdn of SF Public Library San Francisco, CA | General Support | $2,500 |
| Sonoma Ecology Center Eldridge, CA | Sonoma Garden Park | $2,500 |
| Community Alliance With Family Farm Davis, CA | Ecological Farming: Growing Pathways to Organic | $50,000 |
| Cornucopia Institute Cornucopia, WI | To support expansion efforts in California | $50,000 |
| Reboot Longmeadow, MA | General Support | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Mark L Schlesinger serves as Director, Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary (as of November 2024).
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christine H Russell | Dir/Pres | 2 | — |
| Mark L Schlesinger | Dir/CFO/Sec | 20 | — |
Contact Information
- Website: www.gaiasf.org
- Phone: 510-841-4193
- Addresses:
- 127 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710-1616
- 1660 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94109-5308
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Gaia Fund fund?
Gaia Fund supports primarily organizations involved with environmental programs that promote sustainable practices relative to food production, distribution, and consumption. The foundation also makes grants to programs serving the Jewish community of San Francisco, California.
How do I apply for a grant from Gaia Fund?
**Grant Activity & Scale** • Made 72 grants in 2024 • Total giving in 2024: $1,597,500 • Typical award range: $500–$500,000 • Recent notable grants include $100,000 awards to Accelerate Change, Working America Education Fund, and Workmoney Foundation (all in December 2024) • One documented grant to the Contemporary Jewish Museum **Grant Types** The foundation provides general support grants to eligible organizations.
Where does Gaia Fund make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, South Carolina, and New York, with particular emphasis on the San Francisco area for Jewish community programs.
What size grants does Gaia Fund award?
In 2024, Gaia Fund awarded 84 grants totaling $1.6M — an average of about $19K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Gaia Fund required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Gaia Fund reported a distributable amount of $2.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Gaia Fund's EIN?
Gaia Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3215541. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Gaia Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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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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