Gerbode Foundation
The Gerbode Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in California in 1953 and established in 1961 by Martha Gerbode, an environmentalist, philanthropist, and volunteer in the San Francisco Bay Area and Hawaii. Based in Berkeley, California, the foundation makes grants with a strong commitment to equality and justice, cultivating a culture of risk-taking and innovation. The foundation underwent major restructuring in 2016.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$37.4M
+9.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.4M
+22.0% YoY
Grant Count
43
+26.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$32K
-3.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports programs and projects offering potential for significant impact in the following areas:
- Arts and culture
- Environment
- Population and reproductive rights
- Citizen participation, building communities, and inclusiveness
- Strength of the philanthropic process and nonprofit sector
- Foundation-initiated special projects
The foundation also supports California artists through its Special Awards in the Arts program, which funds fresh, dynamic new work in dance, theater, and music.
Grantmaking
The foundation operates a competitive grants program for Bay Area nonprofit arts presenting organizations. Recent initiatives include:
Average Grant
amount varies by program
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation principally makes grants in the San Francisco Bay Area and Hawaii.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $37,432,172
- Total Revenues: $3,915,119
- Total Expenses: $2,328,232
Previous Year (2023):
- Total Assets: $34,211,484
- Total Revenues: $1,154,077
- Total Expenses: $1,774,153
Tax Status:
- 501(c)(3) private foundation
- Tax-exempt since November 1955
- EIN: 94-6065226
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $37,432,172 | $34,211,484 | $31,208,026 |
| Revenue | $3,915,119 | $1,154,077 | $2,731,616 |
| Expenses | $2,328,232 | $1,774,153 | $2,237,157 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,909,147 | $1,677,102 | $2,025,744 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,055,558 | $976,209 | $2,338,155 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,776,026 | $1,597,787 | $1,625,070 |
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
222 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Gerbode Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Martha Gerbode - Founder (1961); environmentalist, philanthropist, and volunteer
Tom Layton - Executive Director (1975-2014); former business executive and VP/National Director of the Coro Foundation. During his 38-year tenure, he shaped the foundation's reputation as "open, accessible and opportunistic" and helped build nonprofit sector capacity in the Bay Area.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharon Gerbode | Chair | 5 | — |
| Frank A Gerbode | V. Chair/Tres | 5 | — |
| Colin Gerbode | V.Chair/Sec | 5 | — |
| Ian Gerbode | Director | 5 | — |
| Aimee Sueko Eng | Exec Director | 40 | $200,000 |
Contact Information
Address: 1791 Solano Avenue, #F15 Berkeley, CA 94707
Phone: (510) 407-0293
Email: info@gerbode.org
Website: gerbode.org
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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