Public Advocates Inc
Public Advocates Inc. is a San Francisco-based nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization, classified as a public charity. It works to challenge the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and pursuing legal victories in education, housing, transportation equity, and climate justice.
Public Advocates Inc at a glance
In short: Public Advocates Inc gave $1.0M across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $57K), mostly in California. 44% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,033,311
- -23.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +5.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $57,406
- -27.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $59,250
- Total assets
- $20,324,568
- +19.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (8 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (61% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Public Advocates Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 131 Steuart Street 300, San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 431-7430
Website: https://publicadvocates.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Public Advocates Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Education Trust Inc ($115K). Together the top 10 received $724K.
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 87 (48%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Public Advocates’ website describes statewide advocacy in California. Its 2025 grants went to recipients in California, Washington, DC, Florida, New York, and Virginia. California accounted for 61% of grant dollars, DC for 19%, Florida for 10%, New York for 7%, and Virginia for 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Public Advocates Inc open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 18 grantees (44%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $62K; repeat grants $53K. How we count
Medians: $64K first-time, $38K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $689K (2021) to $1.3M (2024). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Education Trust Inc Washington, DC | CA Teacher Quality | $115,000 |
| Florida Rising Together Inc Miami, FL | Alliance for Housing Justice | $100,000 |
| Legal Aid of Marin San Rafael, CA | Supporting tracking, implementation, and enforcement of housing elements through the bay area | $68,000 |
| Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County San Mateo, CA | Supporting tracking, implementation, and enforcement of housing elements through the bay area | $68,000 |
| Californians for Justice San Francisco, CA | To increase awareness and use of californias new teacher assignment workforce dashboards | $64,000 |
| SVHOME San Jose, CA | Supporting tracking, implementation, and enforcement of housing elements through the bay area | $64,000 |
| East Bay Housing Organizations San Francisco, CA | Supporting tracking, implementation, and enforcement of housing elements through the bay area | $64,000 |
| Tenants Together San Francisco, CA | Alliance for Housing Justice | $62,500 |
| Acce Institute Los Angeles, CA | Alliance for Housing Justice | $62,500 |
| People Power Media San Francisco, CA | Supporting tracking, implementation, and enforcement of housing elements through the bay area | $56,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Public Advocates Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,324,568 | $9,884,918 | $7,417,229 | $1,033,311 | 18 | $565,115 |
| 2024 | $16,957,158 | $7,314,026 | $7,182,494 | $1,342,250 | 17 | $347,933 |
| 2023 | $15,259,054 | $6,987,983 | $6,665,524 | $1,310,650 | 19 | $777,617 |
| 2022 | $15,151,077 | $7,552,051 | $6,007,416 | $1,106,210 | 16 | $132,366 |
| 2021 | $14,730,594 | $6,889,108 | $4,740,819 | $688,710 | 17 | $150,210 |
| 2020 | $11,958,799 | $6,322,615 | $5,111,718 | $981,910 | 18 | $175,861 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Public Advocates’ stated mission is to challenge poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving legal victories advancing education, housing, transportation equity, and climate justice. Its website describes work on equitable education, affordable housing, public transportation for low-income communities, and socially and environmentally sustainable development.
The organization’s 2025 grants show support for work connected to teacher quality, housing justice, and implementation and enforcement of Bay Area housing elements. Among the supported organizations, The Education Trust describes its mission as dismantling racial and economic barriers in education; Legal Aid of Marin says it provides civil legal services to low-income, vulnerable, and underserved residents; and East Bay Housing Organizations describes its work as advocating, organizing, educating, and building coalitions for affordable housing. Tenants Together describes itself as a statewide renters’ rights organization, while People Power Media says it builds power for housing justice and equity in land use through popular education, policy innovation, and organizing.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Public Advocates reported 18 grants totaling $1,033,311. Grants ranged from $38,473 to $115,000, with a median of $59,250.
Among the largest grants were $115,000 to The Education Trust Inc. for “CA Teacher Quality” and $100,000 to Florida Rising Together Inc. for “Alliance for Housing Justice.” Public Advocates also awarded $68,000 each to Legal Aid of Marin and the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County for work supporting tracking, implementation, and enforcement of housing elements through the Bay Area. Californians for Justice received $64,000 to increase awareness and use of California’s teacher assignment workforce dashboards. Tenants Together and ACCE Institute each received $62,500 for the Alliance for Housing Justice.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Alina Ball as chair; Barbara J Chisholm as vice chair; Rohit Singla as treasurer; and Jasmine Singh as executive secretary. It also lists Fred Alvarez, Carolyn Clarke, Kendra Fox-Davis, Sergio Garcia, Martin Glick, and Heidi Ho as members.
Public Advocates Inc is led by Guillermo Mayer, President & CEO on every filing since 2024; 10 of 24 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Guillermo Mayer
President & CEO
On filings since 2024
37.5 hrs/week
$214K (2024) → $226K (2025)
Alina Ball
Chair
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sumeet Bal
Director of Communications
On filings since 2024
37.5 hrs/week
$144K (2024) → $154K (2025)
Elizabeth Ryan Murray
Director of Strategic Campaigns
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$151K (2025)
Michelle Pariset
Director of Legislative Affairs
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$129K (2025)
Sheila Bapat
Director of Philanthropic Engagement
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$134K (2025)
John Affeldt
Managing Attorney
On filings since 2020
37.5 hrs/week
$159K (2020) → $205K (2025)
Richard Marcantonio
Managing Attorney
On filings since 2020
37.5 hrs/week
$168K (2020) → $214K (2025)
Angelica Jongco Hutchinson
Deputy Managing Attorney
Dep. Man. Attorney → Deputy Managing Attorney, 2024
On filings since 2022
37.5 hrs/week
$120K (2022) → $137K (2025)
Sam Ingelman
Managing Attorney
On filings since 2024
37.5 hrs/week
$142K (2024) → $171K (2025)
Sumi Paik
Chief Operating Officer
Finance & Administrator Director → Chief Operating Officer, 2025
On filings since 2024
37.5 hrs/week
$197K (2024) → $197K (2025)
Barbara J. Chisholm
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Clarke
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fred Alvarez
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Heidi Ho
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jasmine Singh
Executive Secretary
Director → Executive Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kendra Fox-Davis
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martin Glick
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sergio Garcia
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Drucilla Stender Ramey
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Luis Rodriguez
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Olson
Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rohit Singla
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Sims
Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (18)
- Former: Nicole Ochi (2022–2024) — Deputy Managing Attorney
- Former: Anita Stearns Mayo (2024) — Member
- Former: Tina Greco (2024) — Director of Talent
- Former: Alina Ball Exec Secr (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Anita D Stearns MayoVice Ch (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Guillermo Mayer President (2020–2023) — CEO
- Former: Liz Ryan Murray (2020–2023) — Project Director
- Former: Robert Olson Chair (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Rohit Singla Treasurer (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Sam Tepperman-Gelfant (2020–2023) — Managing Attorney
- Former: Sumi Paik Finance Admin (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Deborah Harris (2023) — Director of Development
- Former: Isabel Alegria (2023) — Comms. Director
- Former: Debi Harris (2020–2022) — Development Director
- Former: Lee McEnany Caraher (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Steve Melikian (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Angelica Jongco (2020–2021) — Dep. Man. Attorney
- Former: Elizabeth Guillen Dir of (2020–2021) — Committee & Legi. Affairs
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $226K, to Guillermo Mayer (President & CEO). 10 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Public Advocates Inc
How much does Public Advocates Inc give each year?
Public Advocates Inc gave $1.0M across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 17 grants.
What is Public Advocates Inc's typical grant size?
Public Advocates Inc's median grant in 2025 was $59,250, and its average grant was $57,406, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Public Advocates Inc that year got $62K on average.
Where does Public Advocates Inc give grants?
Public Advocates Inc gives mostly in California: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (19%) and Florida (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (4 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), Oakland, CA (3 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does Public Advocates Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Public Advocates Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Alliance for Housing Justice" (10 grants).
Who are Public Advocates Inc's largest grantees?
Public Advocates Inc's largest 2025 grantees include The Education Trust Inc ($115,000), Florida Rising Together Inc ($100,000) and Legal Aid of Marin ($68,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Public Advocates Inc?
Public Advocates Inc reported $20.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $9.9M.
What does Public Advocates Inc fund?
Public Advocates’ stated mission is to challenge poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving legal victories advancing education, housing, transportation equity, and climate justice. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Public Advocates Inc?
Public Advocates Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check publicadvocates.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Public Advocates Inc's EIN?
Public Advocates Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7103042. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Public Advocates Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Center for Community Change
Washington, DC
Community Change funds community organizing, civic engagement, policy advocacy, leadership development, and related movement-building work, especially with low-income communities and people of color. Its 2024 grants ranged from $10,000 to $700,000, with a median of $40,000, supporting organizations across the country. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$36.2M
Grants
35
Total Given
$2.5M
Latino Community Foundation
San Francisco, CA
The Latino Community Foundation funds Latino-led nonprofits working to build civic, economic, and political power, especially in California, though it also supports work beyond the state. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5,800 to $285,000, with a median of $27,750. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$59.7M
Grants
96
Total Given
$4.5M
Working Families Organization Inc
Brooklyn, NY
Working Families Organization supports legislative advocacy, public education, creative media, and community organizing to advance the interests of working-class, middle-class, and poor Americans. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5,500 to $1.5 million, with a median of $30,000, and the largest shares went to organizations in New York, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Michigan. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$22.4M
Grants
106
Total Given
$8.1M
Policylink
Oakland, CA
PolicyLink supports organizations advancing racial and economic equity through work on thriving communities, democracy, and an equitable economy, including housing, infrastructure, jobs, and community power. Its 2024 grants ranged from $8,000 to $3.53 million, with a median of $40,000, and went to recipients across multiple U.S. states and Puerto Rico. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$115.9M
Grants
127
Total Given
$13.4M
East Bay Community Foundation
Oakland, CA
East Bay Community Foundation funds arts and culture for social justice, racial-equity capacity building, community organizing and movement building, and inclusive economic models, prioritizing communities affected by structural inequities. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, though amounts varied widely, and generally support organizations in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Most strategy-guided grants are by invitation, with applications opened periodically; donor-advised fund grants may also be made without an application.
Assets
$514.0M
Grants
842
Total Given
$62.8M
Rockefeller Family Fund Inc
New York, NY
Rockefeller Family Fund supports advocacy and strategic initiatives focused on climate and the environment, democracy, and economic justice for women. Its 2024 grants ranged from $7,000 to $9.7 million, with a median of $75,000, and went to organizations in multiple states; it does not accept unsolicited requests, though organizations may email staff a brief description of aligned work.
Assets
$216.8M
Grants
203
Total Given
$36.7M
More similar funders
More Funders in California
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Public Advocates Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/public-advocates-inc-morg_2f0ef93967c145e7b3e15d8ad3f0c59f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237103042_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Public Advocates Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/public-advocates-inc-morg_2f0ef93967c145e7b3e15d8ad3f0c59f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Public Advocates Inc'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.
Public Advocates Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?