San Francisco Challenge
San Francisco Challenge is a private foundation based in Berkeley, California. It supports sailors with the potential to compete at the highest levels, including in international events such as the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, and Youth World Championships.
San Francisco Challenge at a glance
In short: San Francisco Challenge gave $210K across 39 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $210,250
- -38.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 39
- +44.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,391
- -57.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,500
- Total assets
- $618,433
- -70.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to San Francisco Challenge
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 127 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94710
Phone: (510) 841-4123
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who San Francisco Challenge funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 3 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Team Paradise Sailing Inc ($10K). Together the top 3 received $16K.
Organizations only. It also paid 36 grants to individuals ($194,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 76 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 5% to recipients in Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
Cities
How San Francisco Challenge gives
- Giving fell 56% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2022 it paid out 456% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $210K (2024) to $520K (2022). In 2024 it made 39 grants totaling $210K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 36 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $194,500 |
| Team Paradise Sailing Inc Miami, FL | Adaptive Sailing Program | $10,000 |
| LWB Sailing LLC Berkeley, CA | Olympic Trials | $5,000 |
| Nico Martin Berkeley, CA | Olympic Trials | $750 |
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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 | $618,433 | $1,302,279 | $2,493,080 | $210,250 | 39 | $2,504,256 | $246,669 | — |
| 2023 | $2,102,500 | $1,369,657 | $1,621,501 | $340,000 | 27 | $1,467,262 | $75,104 | — |
| 2022 | $2,152,325 | $185,058 | $124,580 | $520,000 | 4 | $555,069 | $135,547 | $121,740 |
| 2021 | $3,221,111 | $528,620 | $87,759 | $480,000 | 2 | $518,111 | $478,972 | $157,553 |
| 2020 | $3,500,474 | $189,766 | $144,633 | $520,000 | 4 | — | $138,839 | $163,952 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
San Francisco Challenge says it focuses on accelerating the progress of sailors with the potential to win at the highest levels. Its development program supports athletes pursuing international competition through squad training.
The 2024 grants included support for individual recipients for Olympic Trials and for Team Paradise Sailing Inc. Team Paradise describes its own mission as serving disabled and underserved communities, U.S. veterans, and others through recreational, educational, and healing sailing programs.
Grantmaking
In 2024, San Francisco Challenge made 39 grants totaling $210,250. Grant amounts ranged from $750 to $16,500, with a median of $3,500. The largest listed awards included grants to individual recipients for Olympic Trials, ranging from $7,000 to $16,500, and a $10,000 grant to Team Paradise Sailing Inc for its Adaptive Sailing Program.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. No application materials or other process details are stated.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Doug Smith as Secretary, Treasurer, and Director; William Ruh as Director; Lawrence Finch as Chair and Director; Paul Cayard as Director; and Tom Seip as Director. It also lists Jean LeMieur as CFO and Katherine Carraher as Assistant Secretary, both not directors.
San Francisco Challenge is led by Lawrence Finch, Chair & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lawrence Finch
Chair & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Cayard
Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Seip
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Doug Smith
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2023
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Ruh
Director
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jean LeMieur Not Dir
CFO
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Carraher Not Dir
Assistant Sect'y
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Dion Griffin Not Dir (2020–2022) — CFO
- Former: Douglas D Smith (2020–2022) — Secretary, Treasurer & Director
- Former: Amanda Placensia Not Dir (2022) — Assistant Sect'y
- Former: Liz Wagstaffe Not Dir (2020) — Assistant Secretary
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 San Francisco Challenge
How much does San Francisco Challenge give each year?
San Francisco Challenge gave $210K across 39 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $340K across 27 grants.
What is San Francisco Challenge's typical grant size?
San Francisco Challenge's median grant in 2024 was $3,500, and its average grant was $5,391, across 39 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does San Francisco Challenge give grants?
San Francisco Challenge gives mostly in California: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Berkeley, CA (2 grants).
Does San Francisco Challenge give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 39 grants with a stated purpose on San Francisco Challenge's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Olympic Trials" (37 grants).
Who are San Francisco Challenge's largest grantees?
San Francisco Challenge's largest 2024 grantees include Team Paradise Sailing Inc ($10,000), LWB Sailing LLC ($5,000) and Nico Martin ($750), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 36 grants to individuals ($194,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 7% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is San Francisco Challenge?
San Francisco Challenge reported $618K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $1.3M.
What does San Francisco Challenge fund?
San Francisco Challenge says it focuses on accelerating the progress of sailors with the potential to win at the highest levels. Its development program supports athletes pursuing international competition through squad training. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from San Francisco Challenge?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is San Francisco Challenge's EIN?
San Francisco Challenge's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3242538. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does San Francisco Challenge 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 October 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). San Francisco Challenge funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/san-francisco-challenge-morg_1f4de1e483564cdd84d1252439aaff70
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943242538_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{San Francisco Challenge funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/san-francisco-challenge-morg_1f4de1e483564cdd84d1252439aaff70},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 San Francisco Challenge'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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