Sand Hill Foundation
Sand Hill Foundation is a private foundation based in Menlo Park, California. Founded in 1995, it funds locally based organizations working to strengthen economic stability and wellness for families with low incomes and to advance environmental advocacy in its home community of San Mateo County.
Sand Hill Foundation at a glance
In short: Sand Hill Foundation gave $10.9M across 99 grants in 2024 (avg $110K), mostly in California. 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $10,925,000
- +104.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 99
- -2.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $110,354
- +108.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $40,000
- Total assets
- $92,857,846
- -4.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (12 of 81, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (92% 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 Sand Hill Foundation
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation’s website states that, as of May 2026, it will no longer accept unsolicited funding requests and will consider requests by invitation only, focusing on current partner organizations. Its filing states that applications should include verification of 501(c)(3) status, activities, and references; identifies public charities as the restriction on awards; and lists Susan Ford Dorsey as the application contact. The filing also says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists deadlines as revolving.
- Deadline
- The filing lists deadlines as revolving.
- Contact
Application contact: Susan Ford Dorsey
Mailing address: 3000 Sand Hill Road 1-120, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone: (650) 854-9310
Website: https://sandhillfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Sand Hill Foundation
Who Sand Hill Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health ($5.0M across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $8.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($25,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
533 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 337 grants of 533 (63%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation identifies San Mateo County as its home community and says it prioritizes community-based organizations rooted there. It names Daly City, South San Francisco, Redwood City/North Fair Oaks, and the Coastside as communities of particular interest. In 2024, 92% of reported grant dollars went to recipients in California and 8% to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 99 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sand Hill Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 81 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $24K; repeat grants $154K. How we count
Medians: $11K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 75% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 125% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 249% 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 $4.9M (2021) to $10.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 99 grants totaling $10.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health Palo Alto, CA | Endowment for Obstetrician in Chief | $5,000,000 |
| Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University Stanford, CA | Susan Ford Dorsey Family Donor Advised Fund | $1,000,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated New York, NY | General Support | $600,000 |
| Children's Health Council Inc Palo Alto, CA | 70th anniversary campaign - programmatic initiatives with a particular focus on subsidized services | $300,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated New York, NY | General Support | $250,000 |
| Children's Health Council Inc Palo Alto, CA | Ravenswood Wellness Partnership | $200,000 |
| Friends for Youth Inc Palo Alto, CA | Why (Whole Health for Youth) Initiative | $200,000 |
| Jefferson Union High School District Daly City, CA | For the charitable purpose of daly city youth health center's North county wellness partnership collaborative | $200,000 |
| Lifemoves Santa Clara, CA | Engaging homeless youth and parents in behavioral health and wellness services | $160,000 |
| Save the Bay Oakland, CA | The Campaign for Save the Bay | $125,000 |
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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 | $92,857,846 | $4,607,847 | $11,281,589 | $10,925,000 | 99 | $12,070,692 | $4,036,743 | $4,843,350 |
| 2023 | $97,220,976 | $3,189,105 | $6,169,491 | $5,337,400 | 101 | $6,675,758 | $2,789,914 | $4,595,170 |
| 2022 | $93,351,006 | $4,438,015 | $11,562,274 | $5,001,600 | 96 | $6,550,683 | $3,979,885 | $4,961,554 |
| 2021 | $115,659,705 | $7,137,757 | $5,678,608 | $4,857,300 | 106 | $5,913,418 | $6,897,510 | $5,489,990 |
| 2020 | $109,995,169 | $73,625,622 | $17,330,986 | $6,931,990 | 131 | — | $41,407,493 | $162,466 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sand Hill Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.8M 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 describes its mission as partnering with and funding locally based organizations to strengthen economic stability and wellness for families with low incomes, and to advance advocacy efforts for a more sustainable environment in San Mateo County.
Its current focus areas are building family economic stability, promoting mental health and well-being, and advocating for nature and sustainable communities. Its stated program interests include education and college access, job training and entrepreneurship, housing security, culturally responsive mental-health services, youth wellness collaborations, and access to nature.
Examples of grantees’ work include Children’s Health Council, whose stated mission is to provide culturally responsible services for learning differences and mental health; Friends for Youth, which says it empowers underserved youth through mentorship and community relationships; and LifeMoves, which says it provides interim housing and supportive services to help people experiencing homelessness return to stable housing. Environmental Defense Fund describes its mission as finding practical solutions to environmental problems and working to stabilize the climate and support people’s health.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 99 grants totaling $10,925,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $5,000,000, with a median of $40,000. Among the largest grants were $5,000,000 to Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health for an endowment for an obstetrician in chief; $1,000,000 to the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University for the Susan Ford Dorsey Family Donor Advised Fund; and two grants to Environmental Defense Fund totaling $850,000, both for general support. Other examples include $300,000 to Children’s Health Council for programmatic initiatives with a focus on subsidized services, $200,000 to Friends for Youth for its Whole Health for Youth initiative, and $160,000 to LifeMoves for behavioral-health and wellness services for homeless youth and parents.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Susan Ford Dorsey as president, Susan Lockwood as vice president, and Michael Dorsey as treasurer.
Sand Hill Foundation is led by Susan Ford Dorsey, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Susan Ford Dorsey
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$225K (2020) → $262K (2024)
Michael Dorsey
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Lockwood
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 $262K, to Susan Ford Dorsey (President).
Frequently asked questions about Sand Hill Foundation
How much does Sand Hill Foundation give each year?
Sand Hill Foundation gave $10.9M across 99 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $5.3M across 101 grants.
What is Sand Hill Foundation's typical grant size?
Sand Hill Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $40,000, and its average grant was $110,354, across 99 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sand Hill Foundation that year got $24K on average.
Where does Sand Hill Foundation give grants?
Sand Hill Foundation gives mostly in California: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Palo Alto, CA (15 grants), Redwood City, CA (15 grants), San Francisco, CA (8 grants) and San Mateo, CA (5 grants).
Does Sand Hill Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 44% of Sand Hill Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (44 of 99) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Team Wellness Grant" (3 grants).
Who are Sand Hill Foundation's largest grantees?
Sand Hill Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health ($5,041,000 across 3 grants), Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University ($1,025,000 across 2 grants) and Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated ($850,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($25,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sand Hill Foundation?
Sand Hill Foundation reported $92.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $12.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sand Hill Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its mission as partnering with and funding locally based organizations to strengthen economic stability and wellness for families with low incomes, and to advance advocacy efforts for a more sustainable environment in San Mateo County. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sand Hill Foundation?
The foundation’s website states that, as of May 2026, it will no longer accept unsolicited funding requests and will consider requests by invitation only, focusing on current partner organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sand Hill Foundation's EIN?
Sand Hill Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3219107. 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sand Hill Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sand-hill-foundation-morg_d109240600ef4eb69107da2906e97ce1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943219107_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sand Hill Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sand-hill-foundation-morg_d109240600ef4eb69107da2906e97ce1},
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 Sand Hill 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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