The Salesforce Foundation is a corporate foundation established in 1999 as the philanthropic arm of Salesforce. Based in San Francisco, California, the foundation funds education and workforce development programs designed to equip young people with the skills, opportunities, and support to reach their full potential. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and is classified as a corporate foundation.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$397.9M
+0.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$35.9M
-0.6% YoY
Grant Count
22
-18.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.6M
+22.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Salesforce Foundation's vision is to ensure economic opportunity for young people furthest from success. The foundation invests in education and workforce development so students have job-ready skills and can build meaningful careers.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- STEM and AI Access — Empowering students with opportunities to build STEM and AI skills and literacy
- Educator Empowerment — Attracting, retaining, and growing high-quality educators in public schools
- College and Career Readiness — Bridging education and careers through mentorship and career-aligned learning
- Education Equity — Advancing equity in education and career opportunities for underserved youth
- Climate Justice — Investing in solutions for vulnerable communities impacted by climate change
- Ecopreneurship Support — Supporting nonprofits accelerating an equitable ecopreneur revolution
Grantmaking
Proposals for strategic grants are accepted on an invitation-only basis. Due to the high volume of inquiries received, the foundation does not respond to unsolicited funding inquiries.
Grant Range
** $100,000 to $5,000,000+
Average Grant
** $1.4 million
Invitation Only
Proposals for strategic grants are accepted on an invitation-only basis. Due to the high volume of inquiries received, the foundation does not respond to unsolicited funding inquiries.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation has an international focus with particular emphasis on regions with major Salesforce hubs, including:
- San Francisco and Oakland, California
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- New York
- London
- Tokyo
- Sydney
- Germany
- Canada
Primary giving focuses on California, New York, and Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024–2025:
- Total Assets: $397,888,517
- Total Revenue: $14,134,809 (2025)
- Total Expenses: $37,898,190 (2025)
- Annual Giving: $35,938,600–$37,700,000
- Total Liabilities: $871,000 (2024)
Historical Impact:
- All-time giving in grants since founding: $871.3 million
- Grants awarded since inception in 2000: More than $73 million
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $397,888,517 | $395,528,825 | $376,436,080 |
| Revenue | $14,134,809 | $37,717,252 | $22,816,250 |
| Expenses | $37,898,190 | $37,722,798 | $37,877,953 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $36,033,692 | $36,268,711 | $36,255,325 |
| Net Investment Income | $22,851,156 | $14,539,459 | $7,673,713 |
| Distributable Amount | $19,745,247 | $18,322,941 | $18,065,651 |
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
126 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key personnel include:
- Marc Benioff — Chairman
- Ronald Conway — Director
- Laura Scher — Director
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARC BENIOFF | CHAIRMAN | 2.5 | — |
| RONALD CONWAY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LAURA SCHER | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| REBECCA FERGUSON | CEO | 5 | — |
| SAMUEL CHUNG | CFO & TREASURER THROUGH 1/2025 | 1 | — |
| JOACHIM WETTERMARK | CFO & TREASURER START 1/2025 | 1 | — |
| SARAH DODS | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL BUTLER | ASSISTANT TREASURER | 1 | — |
| LARA MOURITSEN | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| MAGGIE TAN | FINANCE DIRECTOR | 10 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In September 2024, Salesforce announced $23 million in education grants to help the AI generation unlock critical skills for workforce development in technology
Salesforce Gives $23M to Education to Help the AI Generation Unlock CriticalIn December 2022, Salesforce awarded $5 million to create more career opportunities in tech
Salesforce Awards $23 Million for Work-Force Development in Tech \u2013\Salesforce employees have contributed 10.3 million volunteer hours worldwide
Salesforce Awards $23 Million for Work-Force Development in Tech \u2013\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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