Saw Island Foundation Inc
Saw Island Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Woodside, California. The foundation was incorporated in 1974 in New York and received its tax-exempt status in October 1975. It operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to empowering innovative and high-impact institutions to improve existing programs and pioneer new approaches to solving problems and inefficiencies across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$34.6M
+7.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.5M
+6.7% YoY
Grant Count
20
-4.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$77K
+12.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Vision Statement: The foundation is confident that individuals working alone and within local, national and global organizations can solve immense challenges including poverty, disease, environmental threats, and political and religious conflict. The focus of Saw Island Foundation is to empower individuals and organizations through education, research, and general program support to contribute to their communities and find solutions to pressing issues.
Primary Funding Areas:
- Education (including scholarships and targeted programs within educational communities)
- Health and health care
- Social services delivery
- Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking
Grantmaking
The foundation awarded 40 grants in its most recent filing period, with 2 live grant opportunities currently available.
Grant Range
$160 to $1,647,650
Average Grant
amount varies by program
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports nonprofit organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, with additional funding interests in New York and Idaho.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $34,630,800 |
| Total Giving | $1,530,540 |
| Total Revenue | $1,815,158 |
| Total Expenses | $1,671,775 |
| Giving Rate | 4.6% |
Financial Position: The foundation ranks in the top 10% of foundations by assets and holds approximately $677 million in total assets among 46 foundations in Woodside, California.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $34,630,800 | $32,155,341 | $29,375,731 |
| Revenue | $1,815,158 | $2,573,494 | $3,277,330 |
| Expenses | $1,671,775 | $1,557,281 | $1,569,088 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,531,290 | $1,435,920 | $1,490,910 |
| Net Investment Income | $958,218 | $1,106,896 | $1,141,030 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,598,853 | $1,533,949 | $1,446,186 |
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Saw Island Foundation Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- R. Bruce Mosbacher – President (20 hours/week, unpaid)
- Nancy Ditz Mosbacher – Vice President (20 hours/week, unpaid)
- John Ryan Mosbacher – Secretary and Director (0.5 hours/week, unpaid)
- Emily Adams Mosbacher – Treasurer and Director (0.5 hours/week, unpaid)
The foundation operates with limited paid staffing, relying primarily on board members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| R BRUCE MOSBACHER | PRESIDENT | 20 | — |
| NANCY DITZ MOSBACHER | VICE PRESIDENT | 20 | — |
| JOHN RYAN MOSBACHER | SECRETARY AND DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| EMILY ADAMS MOSBACHER | TREASURER AND DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
Contact Information
- Phone: 650-851-9990
- Website: sawisland.org
- Address: 524 Moore Road A, Woodside, CA 94062-1109
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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