Give Forward Foundation
Give Forward Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. It supports meaningful, sustainable improvements in Bay Area K–12 district schools, with a stated commitment to improving public education for students in under-resourced communities across the San Francisco Bay Area.
Give Forward Foundation at a glance
In short: Give Forward Foundation gave $11.5M across 75 grants in 2024 (avg $154K), mostly in California. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $11,546,696
- +28.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 75
- +8.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $153,956
- +18.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $113,310,996
- +369.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (18 of 68, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (72% 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 Give Forward Foundation
- 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: 1660 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: (415) 561-6540
Website: https://giveforwardfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Give Forward Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Bay Education Fund ($2.6M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $5.9M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($250,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
304 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 111 grants of 304 (37%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that its work supports public education in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2024, 72% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, followed by Massachusetts (8%), New York (6%), Washington, D.C. (3%), and Tennessee (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 75 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Give Forward Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 68 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $84K; repeat grants $201K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 125% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 259% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $4.2M (2020) to $11.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 75 grants totaling $11.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bay Education Fund San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $1,500,000 |
| Bay Education Fund San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $1,108,696 |
| Ravenswood Education Foundation Menlo Park, CA | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Tipping Point Community San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $346,750 |
| Alder Graduate School of Education Redwood City, CA | General Operating Support | $250,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $250,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula Menlo Park, CA | General Operating Support | $250,000 |
| Educators for Excellence New York, NY | General Operating Support | $250,000 |
| Instruction Partners Nashville, TN | General Operating Support | $250,000 |
| Leading Educators Inc Dallas, TX | General Operating Support | $250,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $113,310,996 | $122,811,160 | $12,234,149 | $11,546,696 | 75 | $12,153,235 | $29,464,801 | $4,690,605 |
| 2023 | $24,137,914 | $3,260,092 | $10,920,146 | $8,967,370 | 69 | $9,056,742 | $1,466,897 | $1,324,755 |
| 2022 | $29,689,052 | $-4,468,249 | $13,133,097 | $7,309,333 | 63 | $7,701,172 | $232,687 | $1,697,198 |
| 2021 | $43,652,595 | $25,394,056 | $7,865,799 | $5,134,360 | 52 | $5,886,680 | $17,525,361 | $1,967,187 |
| 2020 | $25,956,082 | $4,414,535 | $5,615,332 | $4,234,429 | 45 | — | $11,904,147 | $1,021,881 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Give Forward Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to improve public education for students in under-resourced communities across the San Francisco Bay Area. Its guiding principles emphasize educational equity, community voice, support for school leaders and educators, lasting systems-level change, and learning from diverse perspectives.
Its 2024 grants include support for education organizations and other nonprofits. For example, Bay Education Fund describes its mission as bringing families, communities, teachers, district leaders, and philanthropy together to co-design a vision for students and implement school improvements. Ravenswood Education Foundation says it works to ensure equitable, high-quality educational opportunities for Ravenswood students by building on local strengths and engaging the community. Alder Graduate School of Education says it recruits and educates teachers and leaders who reflect school communities. Lifemoves describes its work as providing interim housing and supportive services to help people experiencing homelessness return to stable housing.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 75 grants totaling $11,546,696. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $1,500,000, with a median grant of $100,000. Its largest reported grants included $1,500,000 and $1,108,696 to Bay Education Fund, and $1,000,000 to Ravenswood Education Foundation. Other examples include $346,750 to Tipping Point Community and $250,000 each to Alder Graduate School of Education, Lifemoves, and New Leaders.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michelle Boyers as CEO; Barbara Sullivan as Treasurer/Secretary; Julie Mikuta as a board member and audit chair; and Cristine DeBerry and Aida Bekele as board members.
Give Forward Foundation is led by Michelle Boyers, CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michelle Boyers
CEO
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$75K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Barbara Sullivan
Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cristine Deberry
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Mikuta
Board Member & Audit Cha
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aida Bekele
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2021 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2021 filing was $75K, to Michelle Boyers (CEO).
Frequently asked questions about Give Forward Foundation
How much does Give Forward Foundation give each year?
Give Forward Foundation gave $11.5M across 75 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $9.0M across 69 grants.
What is Give Forward Foundation's typical grant size?
Give Forward Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $153,956, across 75 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Give Forward Foundation that year got $84K on average.
Where does Give Forward Foundation give grants?
Give Forward Foundation gives mostly in California: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (8%) and New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (10 grants), Oakland, CA (7 grants), Menlo Park, CA (6 grants) and New York, NY (5 grants).
Does Give Forward Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 73% of Give Forward Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (55 of 75) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Give Forward Foundation's largest grantees?
Give Forward Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Bay Education Fund ($2,608,696 across 2 grants), Ravenswood Education Foundation ($1,025,000 across 2 grants) and Instruction Partners ($350,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($250,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Give Forward Foundation?
Give Forward Foundation reported $113.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $12.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Give Forward Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to improve public education for students in under-resourced communities across the San Francisco Bay Area. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Give Forward Foundation?
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 Give Forward Foundation's EIN?
Give Forward Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3785197. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Give Forward Foundation 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 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Give Forward Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Give Forward Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/give-forward-foundation-morg_22de00f23118401dabbb91f7afd2f1fc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823785197_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Give Forward Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/give-forward-foundation-morg_22de00f23118401dabbb91f7afd2f1fc},
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 Give Forward Foundation'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.
Give Forward Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?