Sangham Foundation
Sangham Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Barbara, California. In 2024, it gave $300,000 through 54 grants to charitable organizations, including environmental groups, schools, and organizations working with young people and communities.
Sangham Foundation at a glance
In short: Sangham Foundation gave $300K across 54 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), top state Idaho. 48% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $300,000
- +48.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 54
- +54.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,556
- -4.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $6,837,976
- +5.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (26 of 54, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Idaho (34% 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 Sangham Foundation
- 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: 1114 State Street 310, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: (805) 845-0253
Website: https://www.sanghamfoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sangham Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Snake River Waterkeeper ($40K). Together the top 10 received $216K.
Grant Size Distribution
263 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 260 grants of 263 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The largest shares of 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Idaho (34%), California (20%), Virginia (14%), New York (14%), and Oregon (10%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sangham Foundation open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 26 of 54 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 39% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $203K (2023) to $470K (2020). In 2024 it made 54 grants totaling $300K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Snake River Waterkeeper Boise, ID | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $40,250 |
| Environmental Defense Fund New York City, NY | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $40,000 |
| Southern Environmental Law Center Charlottesville, VA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $40,000 |
| Pear Portland, OR | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $25,000 |
| Western Watersheds Project Hailey, ID | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $20,250 |
| The American Himalayan Foundation San Francisco, CA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $20,000 |
| Crane Country Day School Santa Barbara, CA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $10,000 |
| Dunn School Los Olivos, CA | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $10,000 |
| Amigos of Costa Rica Inc Washington, DC | Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeepercasa Sonja | $5,500 |
| Cascades Academy of Central Oregon Bend, OR | In Furtherance of Section 501(C)(3) Charitable Purpose | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sangham 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 | $6,837,976 | $459,829 | $336,027 | $300,000 | 54 | $303,582 | $427,908 | $330,796 |
| 2023 | $6,500,816 | $168,282 | $241,150 | $202,500 | 35 | $205,521 | $233,009 | $300,779 |
| 2022 | $5,781,344 | $61,379 | $413,569 | $354,000 | 60 | $366,514 | $91,230 | $312,255 |
| 2021 | $7,319,414 | $577,330 | $401,598 | $359,000 | 46 | $364,535 | $546,720 | $346,734 |
| 2020 | $6,779,446 | $589,373 | $511,949 | $470,125 | 68 | — | $430,750 | $303,182 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sangham Foundation reported a distributable amount of $331K 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including water protection, environmental conservation, youth services, education, and support for people in the Himalaya. For example, Snake River Waterkeeper says its mission is to protect and restore waters in the Snake River Basin, while the Southern Environmental Law Center describes its work as protecting clean air, clean water, and a livable climate. p:ear says it mentors Portland’s homeless youth, and Dunn School says it educates students in grades 6–12.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 54 grants totaling $300,000. Awards ranged from $500 to $40,250, with a median grant of $2,000. The largest grants included $40,250 to Snake River Waterkeeper, $40,000 each to Environmental Defense Fund and Southern Environmental Law Center, $25,000 to p:ear, and $20,250 to Western Watersheds Project. Other recipients included the American Himalayan Foundation ($20,000), Crane Country Day School ($10,000), Dunn School ($10,000), and Cascades Academy of Central Oregon ($5,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Margaret Hecht as president, Christiane Santoro as vice president, and Jenna Perez as secretary/treasurer.
Sangham Foundation is led by Margaret Hecht, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Margaret Hecht
President
Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christiane Santoro
Vice President
Treasurer → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jenna Perez
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Allyssa A. Hecht (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: James Grey Hecht (2020–2022) — President & Director
- Former: Marya Hecht (2020–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Nicoya Hecht (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Sean Hecht (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Amara Hecht (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Bill R. Holdeman (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Hecht (2020–2021) — 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 Sangham Foundation
How much does Sangham Foundation give each year?
Sangham Foundation gave $300K across 54 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $203K across 35 grants.
What is Sangham Foundation's typical grant size?
Sangham Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $5,556, across 54 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sangham Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Sangham Foundation give grants?
Sangham Foundation's top state is Idaho, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (20%) and Virginia (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (11 grants), Hailey, ID (7 grants), Sandpoint, ID (3 grants) and Washington, DC (3 grants).
Who are Sangham Foundation's largest grantees?
Sangham Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Snake River Waterkeeper ($40,250), Environmental Defense Fund ($40,000) and Southern Environmental Law Center ($40,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sangham Foundation?
Sangham Foundation reported $6.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $304K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $331K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Sangham Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including water protection, environmental conservation, youth services, education, and support for people in the Himalaya. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sangham Foundation?
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 Sangham Foundation's EIN?
Sangham Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 73-1681596. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sangham Foundation 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 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). Sangham Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sangham-foundation-morg_41e9cdd220ad47fcb11a5cee1a3160bc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_731681596_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sangham Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sangham-foundation-morg_41e9cdd220ad47fcb11a5cee1a3160bc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Sangham 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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