Raintree Foundation
Raintree Foundation is a private foundation based in Goleta, California. Its 2024 filing reports 32 grants totaling $1,150,490. The foundation’s website describes an approach centered on the connections between ecology, livelihoods, and communities; its filing says it prefers proposals from an individual recipient County related to education, health care, and youth activities, while considering other proposals on merit.
Raintree Foundation at a glance
In short: Raintree Foundation gave $1.2M across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $36K), mostly in California. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,150,490
- -5.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- +60.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $35,953
- -40.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $6,083,611
- +2.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (8 of 32, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (79% 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 Raintree Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation asks applicants to contact James A. Frank, President/CFO, with a letter including the organization’s exempt status and the social value of the proposed program. It has no deadlines. It prefers proposals within an individual recipient County for programs related to education, health care, and youth activities; it considers other proposals on merit. The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: James A Frank Presidentcfo
Mailing address: 1255 Frank Ranch Road, Goleta, CA 93117
Phone: (805) 967-7964
Website: https://theraintree.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Raintree Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Regents of the University of California ($305K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
162 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 123 grants of 162 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation prefers proposals for programs within an individual recipient County, though it considers other proposals on merit. In 2024, 79% of grant dollars went to California recipients, 9% to Washington, 6% each to Wyoming and Arizona, and 1% to Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Raintree Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 32 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $46K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 40% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 275% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $1.2M (2024) to $1.9M (2021). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Regents of the University of California Santa Barbara, CA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $305,000 |
| California Polytechnic State University Foundation San Luis Obispo, CA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $300,000 |
| Washington State University Foundation Pullman, WA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $100,000 |
| Grand Teton Association Moose, WY | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $55,000 |
| Yosemite Foundation DBA Yosemite Conservancy San Francisco, CA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $55,000 |
| Los Padres Boy Scouts of America Santa Barbara, CA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $51,500 |
| Direct Relief Santa Barbara, CA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $50,000 |
| Grand Canyon Conservancy Grand Canyon, AZ | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $50,000 |
| Santa Barbara City College Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
| Ucsb Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Raintree Foundation?
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 | $6,083,611 | $1,444,724 | $1,271,270 | $1,150,490 | 32 | $1,160,077 | $1,335,631 | $421,328 |
| 2023 | $5,910,657 | $12,234 | $1,335,671 | $1,212,500 | 20 | $1,221,983 | — | $400,914 |
| 2022 | $7,234,097 | $491,153 | $1,643,019 | $1,503,500 | 33 | $1,513,832 | $379,702 | $398,403 |
| 2021 | $8,385,968 | $1,181,664 | $2,048,108 | $1,921,500 | 43 | $1,931,081 | $1,074,533 | $556,568 |
| 2020 | $9,252,525 | $885,203 | $1,889,217 | $1,747,370 | 34 | — | $770,112 | $470,979 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Raintree Foundation reported a distributable amount of $421K 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
The foundation’s website states its mission is “to build resilient and empowered communities alongside thriving ecosystems.” It describes work involving climate solutions, water and landscape restoration, clean energy, livelihoods, biodiversity, education, and community well-being.
The 2024 grantees include universities and educational organizations, conservation and public-land organizations, and health and humanitarian organizations. For example, Washington State University Foundation says its mission is to promote and steward private support for Washington State University and its regional campuses. Save the Redwoods League says it protects and restores redwood forests and connects people with them. Direct Relief describes its mission as improving the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated grantmaking priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 32 grants totaling $1,150,490. Awards ranged from $500 to $305,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed awards were $305,000 to The Regents of the University of California (an individual recipient) and $300,000 to California Polytechnic State University Foundation. Other notable grants included $100,000 to Washington State University Foundation, $55,000 each to Grand Teton Association and Yosemite Foundation DBA Yosemite Conservancy, and $50,000 each to Direct Relief and Grand Canyon Conservancy. The listed grant purposes generally state that funds are for furtherance of Section 501(c)(3) charitable purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James A. Frank as President/CFO, Jessica Frank as Vice President, and Ellicott Million as Secretary. The foundation’s website identifies Leena Dandekar as founder and chairperson and lists Abha Dandekar and Vivek Dandekar as directors.
Raintree Foundation is led by James A. Frank, President & CFO on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James A. Frank
President & CFO
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ellicott Million
Secretary
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$43K (2020) → $41K (2024)
Jessica Frank
Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $41K, to Ellicott Million (Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about Raintree Foundation
How much does Raintree Foundation give each year?
Raintree Foundation gave $1.2M across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.2M across 20 grants.
What is Raintree Foundation's typical grant size?
Raintree Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $35,953, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Raintree Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Raintree Foundation give grants?
Raintree Foundation gives mostly in California: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Washington (9%) and Wyoming (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (15 grants), Goleta, CA (3 grants), San Francisco, CA (2 grants) and Jackson, WY (2 grants).
Who are Raintree Foundation's largest grantees?
Raintree Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Regents of the University of California ($305,000), California Polytechnic State University Foundation ($300,000) and Washington State University Foundation ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Raintree Foundation?
Raintree Foundation reported $6.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $421K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Raintree Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website states its mission is “to build resilient and empowered communities alongside thriving ecosystems.” It describes work involving climate solutions, water and landscape restoration, clean energy, livelihoods, biodiversity, education, and community well-being. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Raintree Foundation?
The foundation asks applicants to contact James A. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Raintree Foundation's EIN?
Raintree Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0359291. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Raintree Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Raintree Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/raintree-foundation-morg_aec5d1a12d2c40d59d397da4059d52c7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_770359291_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Raintree Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/raintree-foundation-morg_aec5d1a12d2c40d59d397da4059d52c7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Raintree 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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