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.
Key facts about Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation
- EIN
- 30-0527867
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $533,332
- Grants made (2024)
- 47
- Average grant
- $11,347
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (14 of 41, 2024)
- Total assets
- $1,328,608
- Primary geography
- California (91% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation's 47 itemized 2024 grants were California (91%) and New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Oakland, CA (9 grants), New York, NY (6 grants), San Jose, CA (4 grants) and San Francisco, CA (4 grants). 53% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Is Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 41 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 46% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 24% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 562% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation
- How to evaluate Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation as a funder
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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:
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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
Share of all 47 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
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 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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
293 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 recipients include Philanthropic Ventures Foundation ($110,000 across 2 grants), Oakland Unified School District ($40,000 across 2 grants), Breakthrough Silicon Valley ($30,000 across 2 grants).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| PHILANTHROPIC VENTURES FOUNDATION Oakland, CA | AGENCY BY DESIGN OAKLAND | $100,000 |
| BREAKTHROUGH SILICON VALLEY San Jose, CA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| 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 |
| YU MING CHARTER SCHOOL Oakland, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT BILINGUAL DEI LEARNING THROUGH PROJECT BASED LEARNING | $20,000 |
| EVERGREEN SCHOOL DISTRICT San Jose, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT TRANSFORMING OUR KINDER-FIRST GRADE LITERACY PROGRAM | $20,000 |
| EAST SIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT San Jose, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT ECOSYSTEMS OF ETHNIC STUDIES FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE | $20,000 |
| OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Oakland, CA | THE LIGHT AWARDS PROJECT CULTIVATING CONVERSATION: INCREASING STUDENT TALK IN THE CLASSROOM | $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
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2024 IRS 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.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.