Porter Sesnon Foundation
Porter Sesnon Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its 2020 IRS filing is marked as a final return, so the foundation appears to have wound down or stopped grantmaking.
Porter Sesnon Foundation at a glance
In short: Porter Sesnon Foundation gave $31K across 14 grants in 2020 (avg $2K), mostly in California. Source: 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2020)
- $30,500
- Grants made (2020)
- 14
- Average grant
- $2,179
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Primary geography
- California (97% of itemized 2020 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2020 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2020; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Porter Sesnon Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing states that it made contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 650 California Street 3Rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 981-8766
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Porter Sesnon Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2020
The largest 2020 recipient was Land Trust of SC County ($4K). Together the top 10 received $27K.
Grant Size Distribution
14 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 14 grants of 14 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2020 grants went primarily to organizations in California, which received 97% of grant dollars. Organizations in Washington, DC, received 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2020 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2020 it made 14 grants totaling $31K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Land Trust of SC County Santa Cruz, CA | Public Charity | $4,000 |
| One World Children's Fund San Francisco, CA | Public Charity | $4,000 |
| Santa Cruz Animal Shelter Foundation Santa Cruz, CA | Public Charity | $4,000 |
| Siskiyou Land Trust Mount Shasta, CA | Public Charity | $4,000 |
| Tandy Beal & Company Santa Cruz, CA | Public Charity | $4,000 |
| Anza-Borrego Foundation Borrego Springs, CA | Public Charity | $2,500 |
| Animal Legal Defense Fund Cotati, CA | Public Charity | $1,000 |
| Cape Scotts Valley, CA | Public Charity | $1,000 |
| Mountain Lion Foundation Sacramento, CA | Public Charity | $1,000 |
| Paws San Francisco, CA | Public Charity | $1,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $3 | $31,360 | $30,500 | 14 | $1,059 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Porter Sesnon Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1K for 2020 — 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 2020 grants went to charitable organizations working in areas that included land and habitat conservation, animal welfare, and support for children and grassroots organizations.
Among its grantees, One World Children’s Fund describes its work as providing fiscal sponsorship, collaborative education, and strategic grantmaking for international grassroots organizations serving children. The Anza-Borrego Foundation says it works to protect and preserve the natural landscapes, wildlife habitat, and cultural heritage of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and its surrounding region. The Mountain Lion Foundation describes its mission as helping mountain lions survive and flourish in the wild, while Sempervirens Fund says it works to ensure coast redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains thrive for future generations.
Grantmaking
In 2020, the foundation gave $30,500 through 14 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $4,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
Notable grants included $4,000 each to Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, One World Children’s Fund, Santa Cruz Animal Shelter Foundation, Siskiyou Land Trust, and Tandy Beal & Company. The foundation also gave $2,500 to Anza-Borrego Foundation and $1,000 each to Animal Legal Defense Fund, Mountain Lion Foundation, Planned Parenthood, Sempervirens Fund, and World Wildlife Fund Inc.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2020 filing lists Nell Cliff as president and director, Susan Salt as vice president and director, and Lee Cliff as secretary and treasurer.
Porter Sesnon Foundation is led by Nell Cliff, President & Director on the 2020 filing; none of the 3 officers listed in 2020 report compensation.
Officers on the 2020 filing
Nell Cliff
President & Director
New on the 2020 filing
No compensation reported
Susan Salt
Vice President & Director
New on the 2020 filing
No compensation reported
Lee Cliff
Secretary & Treasurer
New on the 2020 filing
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020. "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 Porter Sesnon Foundation
How much does Porter Sesnon Foundation give each year?
Porter Sesnon Foundation gave $31K across 14 grants in 2020, according to its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is Porter Sesnon Foundation's typical grant size?
Porter Sesnon Foundation's median grant in 2020 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,179, across 14 grants on its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Porter Sesnon Foundation give grants?
Porter Sesnon Foundation gives mostly in California: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Cruz, CA (5 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Porter Sesnon Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2020: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Porter Sesnon Foundation's 2020 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Charity" (14 grants).
Who are Porter Sesnon Foundation's largest grantees?
Porter Sesnon Foundation's largest 2020 grantees include Land Trust of SC County ($4,000), One World Children's Fund ($4,000) and Santa Cruz Animal Shelter Foundation ($4,000), according to its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2020 grant dollars.
What does Porter Sesnon Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2020 grants went to charitable organizations working in areas that included land and habitat conservation, animal welfare, and support for children and grassroots organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Porter Sesnon Foundation?
The foundation’s filing states that it made contributions 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 ↑
How much is Porter Sesnon Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2020, Porter Sesnon Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Porter Sesnon Foundation's EIN?
Porter Sesnon Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3042930. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020.
Does Porter Sesnon 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 year 2020
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