Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation
Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation is a private family foundation based in San Francisco, California. Established in 2008, the organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity and functions as a private grantmaking foundation. The foundation was created with a focus on supporting education and teachers across California and beyond.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.3M
-32.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$533K
+10.6% YoY
Grant Count
47
-2.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$11K
+13.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $160K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's grantmaking vision is to support a thriving, effective, equitable and respected education system in California and beyond, where all students have the opportunity to learn and succeed.
The foundation emphasizes the critical role of teachers in American education, believing that teachers are the most valued members of the American workforce. The organization recognizes significant leverage in investing in education by supporting and encouraging teachers, noting that throughout their careers, one great teacher will impact hundreds of students.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education support and reform
- Teacher development and support
- STEM education
- Community health and school health initiatives
- Science education
Grantmaking
In 2023, the foundation made 82 grants totaling approximately $533,000 to $684,000 in total giving. Recent grants include:
Ready to take the next step with Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's geographic focus is mainly but not exclusively California, with grantmaking extending beyond the state as well.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $1,967,480
- Total Revenue: $909,569
- Total Expenses: $683,878
- Total Liabilities: $274,000
- Number of Employees: 0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,328,608 | $1,967,480 | $1,882,007 |
| Revenue | $261,707 | $909,569 | $416,843 |
| Expenses | $784,234 | $683,878 | $1,007,308 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $899,090 | $894,754 | $821,915 |
| Net Investment Income | $237,242 | $166,702 | $40,376 |
| Distributable Amount | $160,104 | $221,963 | $197,510 |
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
245 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Philanthropic Ventures Foundation ($100,000), Breakthrough Silicon Valley ($25,000), Los Amigos De Manzanita Seed ($20,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| PARENTS AND TEACHERS OF BUENA VISTA HORACE MANN SAN FRANCISCO, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT ENGAGING DIVERSE YOUTH THROUGH STRONG DUAL IMMERSION | $10,000 |
| PHILANTHROPIC VENTURES FOUNDATION OAKLAND, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT OUR CHANGING PLANET - COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE | $10,000 |
| SEQUOIA UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT REDWOOD CITY, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT PBL FOR NEWCOMERS: LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, ENGAGEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT | $10,000 |
| WEST CONTRA COSTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT RICHMOND, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT PROJECT BASED GEOMETRY AND THE TRADES | $10,000 |
| DAVIS JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT DAVIS, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT RAISING A COMMUNITY OF WRITERS | $10,000 |
| ALAMEDA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ALAMEDA, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT THE POWER OF PLAY | $10,000 |
| LOS AMIGOS DE MANZANITA SEED OAKLAND, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT RETURNING TO OUR ROOTS: CRAFTING EMPOWERING LEARNING | $20,000 |
| SPARK SF PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAN FRANCISCO, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT UNLOCKING THE SCIENCE OF BILITERACY | $20,000 |
| SHORELINE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TOMALES, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT INQUIRY TO EMPOWER COLLECTIVE EFFICACY | $20,000 |
| SAN MATEO UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT SAN MATEO, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT EQUITY FOR SMHS SCIENCE STUDENTS | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Karen Leshner, Founder & President
Karen founded Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation in 2008 and has been involved in philanthropy since 1997 through a predecessor organization. Her philanthropic passion centers on answering the question: "What can we do to make sure that great people go into the career of teaching and stay in the career?"
Prior to launching Intrepid, Karen was the founder and portfolio manager of an investment business based in Palo Alto, California. She spent the first several years of her career as an engineer and also worked for eight years as a volunteer music teacher at her local elementary school. Karen holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia, a Master's Degree in Business from Vanderbilt University, and was a Fellow in the Stanford Distinguished Career Institute program. She serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Contemplative Sciences Center at the University of Virginia.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAREN LESHNER | FOUNDER & PRESIDENT | 8 | — |
| DAVID WAGONFELD | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| JOANNE SCHNEIDER | SECRETARY | 1.25 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has been actively involved with the LIGHT Awards program, which engages diverse youth through strong dual immersion education. The foundation congratulated eleven new LIGHT Awards educators and welcomed its eleventh cohort of LIGHT Awards educators, indicating ongoing commitment to recognizing and supporting exceptional educators.
Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation Congratulates Eleven New LIGHT ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation fund?
The foundation's grantmaking vision is to support a thriving, effective, equitable and respected education system in California and beyond, where all students have the opportunity to learn and succeed. The foundation emphasizes the critical role of teachers in American education, believing that teachers are the most valued members of the American workforce. The organization recognizes significant leverage in investing in education by supporting and encouraging teachers, noting that throughout t…
How do I apply for a grant from Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation?
In 2023, the foundation made 82 grants totaling approximately $533,000 to $684,000 in total giving. Recent grants include: • Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF) for Agency By Design-Oakland: $100,000 (2023) • Breakthrough Silicon Valley for General Operating Support: $25,000 (2023) • California State PTA - Parents & Teachers of B V - H M PTA for the Light Awards Project Engaging Diverse Youth Through Strong Dual Immersion: $20,000 (2023) The foundation provides various types of grants inclu…
Where does Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation make grants?
The foundation's geographic focus is mainly but not exclusively California, with grantmaking extending beyond the state as well.
What size grants does Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation award?
In 2024, Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation awarded 47 grants totaling $533K — an average of about $11K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $160K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation's EIN?
Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-0527867. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program
SOUTHEASTERN, PA
Assets
$22.2B
Grants
24,269
Total Given
$3.0B
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
National Philanthropic Trust
JENKINTOWN, PA
Assets
$42.2B
Grants
18,583
Total Given
$5.1B
Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Assets
$9.1B
Grants
19,253
Total Given
$1.2B
The San Francisco Foundation
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
1,623
Total Given
$189.1M
Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$12.7B
Grants
7,424
Total Given
$3.0B
The Blackbaud Giving Fund
CHARLESTON SC, SC
Assets
$52.7M
Grants
1,860
Total Given
$41.4M
Impactassetsinc
BETHESDA, MD
Assets
$3.0B
Grants
2,733
Total Given
$580.1M
Jewish Community Federation of San
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
991
Total Given
$123.7M
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
LOS ALTOS, CA
Assets
$8.5B
Grants
1,029
Total Given
$350.0M
Network for Good
WASHINGTON, DC
Assets
$96.2M
Grants
4,733
Total Given
$216.2M
Tides Foundation
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Assets
$534.5M
Grants
2,110
Total Given
$382.1M
Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities