Ishiyama Foundation
Ishiyama Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. In 2024, it gave 65 grants totaling $4,237,886 to charitable organizations, with listed purposes including education, conservation, community outreach, youth services, and health care.
Ishiyama Foundation at a glance
In short: Ishiyama Foundation gave $4.2M across 65 grants in 2024 (avg $65K), top state California. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,237,886
- -9.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 65
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $65,198
- -9.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $89,798,753
- +4.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (13 of 65, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (36% 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 Ishiyama Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes grants only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. No prescribed application form is required. Grants are made only to institutions on an unrestricted basis or to certain building fund programs; the foundation does not award grants for individual programs of study. The filing states that educational institutions have been the principal beneficiaries to date.
- Review Cycle
- The foundation has no submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- The foundation has no submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Elizabeth Raffin Ishiyama Foundatio
Mailing address: 465 California St 800, San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 392-0800
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ishiyama Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was NPR ($790K). Together the top 10 received $3.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
300 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 217 grants of 300 (72%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went primarily to recipients in California (36%) and Washington, DC (29%), followed by Virginia (13%), Colorado (6%), and Wyoming (5%). The listed grants also included recipients in Idaho.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 65 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ishiyama Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 65 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $51K; repeat grants $69K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $4.0M (2022) to $4.7M (2023). In 2024 it made 65 grants totaling $4.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NPR Washington, DC | Supports Local Non Profit Organizations | $789,926 |
| Trout Unlimited Arlington, VA | Conservation | $565,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Education | $500,000 |
| High Country News Paonia, CO | Community Outreach | $250,000 |
| National Parks Conservation Association Washington, DC | Conservation | $250,000 |
| Buffalo Bill Center for the West Cody, WY | Education | $200,000 |
| California Trout San Francisco, CA | Conservation | $160,000 |
| Henry's Fork Foundation Ashton, ID | Conservation | $151,000 |
| Fresh Lifelines for Youth Milpitas, CA | Youth Services | $150,000 |
| Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Washington, DC | Conservation | $150,000 |
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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 | $89,798,753 | $2,809,078 | $5,199,680 | $4,237,886 | 65 | $4,237,886 | $1,936,902 | $4,378,589 |
| 2023 | $86,071,134 | $231,357 | $5,197,423 | $4,699,627 | 65 | $4,699,627 | $658,607 | $4,093,107 |
| 2022 | $85,157,735 | $298,659 | $4,900,021 | $4,008,000 | 64 | $4,008,000 | $506,764 | $4,527,879 |
| 2021 | $104,782,939 | $2,975,576 | $5,573,108 | $4,458,252 | 57 | $4,458,252 | $1,777,726 | $5,152,691 |
| 2020 | $94,626,997 | $3,223,967 | $2,884,902 | $4,570,090 | 49 | — | $2,786,792 | $4,823,363 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ishiyama Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.4M 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for educational institutions, conservation organizations, local news and community outreach, youth services, and health care.
The grantees describe their work in their own terms: the National Parks Conservation Association says it works to protect America’s national parks for present and future generations; High Country News says it informs and inspires people to act on behalf of the West’s natural and human communities; and California Trout says its mission is to ensure healthy water and resilient wild fish. Fresh Lifelines for Youth describes its work as partnering with youth to unlock their potential and advance justice, while Planned Parenthood Mar Monte says it provides health care and education and works to expand rights and access.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 65 grants totaling $4,237,886. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $789,926, with a median grant of $10,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $789,926 to NPR for support of local nonprofit organizations; $565,000 to Trout Unlimited for conservation; $500,000 to Stanford University for education; and $250,000 each to High Country News for community outreach and the National Parks Conservation Association for conservation. Other grants included $200,000 to the Buffalo Bill Center for the West for education, $160,000 to California Trout for conservation, $150,000 to Fresh Lifelines for Youth for youth services, and $140,000 to Planned Parenthood Mar Monte for health care.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Patricia Ishiyama as president, Elizabeth Raffin as vice president, Nelson Ishiyama as secretary, and Julia Ishiyama as director.
Ishiyama Foundation is led by Patricia Ishiyama, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Patricia Ishiyama
President
Vice President → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julia Ishiyama Joined
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nelson Ishiyama
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Raffin
Vice President
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Margaret Raffin (2020) — President
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.
Frequently asked questions about Ishiyama Foundation
How much does Ishiyama Foundation give each year?
Ishiyama Foundation gave $4.2M across 65 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.7M across 65 grants.
What is Ishiyama Foundation's typical grant size?
Ishiyama Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $65,198, across 65 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ishiyama Foundation that year got $51K on average.
Where does Ishiyama Foundation give grants?
Ishiyama Foundation's top state is California, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (29%) and Virginia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (12 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants), Palo Alto, CA (4 grants) and Seattle, WA (4 grants).
Does Ishiyama Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 65 grants with a stated purpose on Ishiyama Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Outreach" (20 grants), "Conservation" (11 grants) and "Education" (9 grants).
Who are Ishiyama Foundation's largest grantees?
Ishiyama Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include NPR ($789,926), Trout Unlimited ($565,000) and Stanford University ($500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ishiyama Foundation?
Ishiyama Foundation reported $89.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Ishiyama Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for educational institutions, conservation organizations, local news and community outreach, youth services, and health care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ishiyama Foundation?
The foundation makes grants only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ishiyama Foundation's EIN?
Ishiyama Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-1659373. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Ishiyama 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ishiyama Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ishiyama-foundation-morg_34cd55b4d5f2441ebf79b6d16d34f4d7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_941659373_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ishiyama Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ishiyama-foundation-morg_34cd55b4d5f2441ebf79b6d16d34f4d7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Ishiyama 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.
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