Saya Foundation
Saya Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. Its 2024 filing reports 27 grants totaling $787,956. The foundation’s website describes its work as centered on education in Myanmar, including teacher support, educational resources, and efforts to promote safe and inclusive learning.
Saya Foundation at a glance
In short: Saya Foundation gave $788K across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $29K), mostly in California. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $787,956
- +58.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- +42.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $29,184
- +11.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $4,676,250
- +2.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (61% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Saya Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 515 S Figueroa Street 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone: (213) 362-9300
Website: https://saya-foundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Saya Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Citizens Foundation ($192K). Together the top 10 received $417K.
Organizations only. It also paid 13 grants to individuals ($351,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 97 grants of 109 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 24% to Illinois, 6% to Michigan, 5% to the District of Columbia, and 2% to North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Saya Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 15 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $23K first-time, $10K repeat.
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 $356K (2021) to $788K (2024). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $788K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 13 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $351,000 |
| The Citizens Foundation Schaumburg, IL | charitable | $192,034 |
| New Horizon School Westside Los Angeles, CA | educational | $50,000 |
| Various Donations Less Than 5000 Los Angeles, CA | charitable | $44,422 |
| Mpac Foundation Los Angeles, CA | charitable | $40,000 |
| Mhef USA Lansing, MI | Health Care | $40,000 |
| Development-in-Literacy Garden Grove, CA | educational | $10,500 |
| Anera Washington, DC | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Zindagi Trust Inc Orlando, FL | Educational | $10,000 |
| Islamic Center of Hawthorne Hawthorne, CA | Promote Religion | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Saya 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 | $4,676,250 | $935,468 | $802,034 | $787,956 | 27 | $787,956 | $133,303 | — |
| 2023 | $4,543,613 | $788,297 | $510,742 | $498,571 | 19 | $498,571 | $100,224 | — |
| 2022 | $4,170,070 | $627,421 | $552,992 | $541,145 | 22 | $541,145 | $47,343 | — |
| 2021 | $4,195,767 | $651,383 | $369,086 | $356,257 | 23 | $356,257 | $57,378 | — |
| 2020 | $3,856,756 | $447,206 | $371,331 | $358,833 | 18 | — | $97,325 | $147,079 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Saya Foundation’s stated vision is “an equitable society where every child in Myanmar has access to safe, inclusive, and quality education.” Its mission includes training, mentoring and coaching; developing and sharing educational resources; providing material and financial support to educators and learners; evidence-based advocacy; collaboration with schools and communities; and public awareness.
The website groups its program themes under development, sustainability, and peace, with education at the center. Activities include teacher training and mentorship, whole-school support, learning-at-home programs, resources for children and teachers, and education-related research and advocacy.
The 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. New Horizon School Westside, which received $50,000, says its mission is to promote rigorous academics and universal moral values in a progressive Islamic environment, while fostering a positive American Muslim identity, devotion to God, and commitment to family and diversity. Zindagi Trust Inc., which received $10,000, says it provides educational, charitable, and social assistance to underprivileged children. An individual recipient, which received $5,000, describes its mission as catalyzing positive change through filmmaking. Niswa Association Inc., which received $5,000, says it helps domestic-violence victims and provides temporary assistance, counseling, rehabilitation support, and rent assistance.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Saya Foundation reported 27 grants totaling $787,956. Individual grants ranged from $5,000 to $214,750, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest were $214,750 to Westside Community Center; $192,034 to The Citizens Foundation; $50,000 to New Horizon School Westside; $40,000 each to MPAC Foundation and MHEF USA; and $30,000 to the Woodrow Wilson Center.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Salim Adaya as President and CEO, Yasmin Adaya and Halima Mohammed as Vice Presidents, and Muhammad Adaya as Secretary.
Saya Foundation is led by Salim Adaya, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Salim Adaya
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Halima Mohammed
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Muhammad Adaya
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yasmin Adaya
Vice President
On filings since 2020
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.
Frequently asked questions about Saya Foundation
How much does Saya Foundation give each year?
Saya Foundation gave $788K across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $499K across 19 grants.
What is Saya Foundation's typical grant size?
Saya Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $29,184, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Saya Foundation that year got $23K on average.
Where does Saya Foundation give grants?
Saya Foundation gives mostly in California: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (24%) and Michigan (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (4 grants).
Does Saya Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on Saya Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (6 grants) and "Educational" (5 grants).
Who are Saya Foundation's largest grantees?
Saya Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Citizens Foundation ($192,034), New Horizon School Westside ($50,000) and Various Donations Less Than 5000 ($44,422), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 13 grants to individuals ($351,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Saya Foundation?
Saya Foundation reported $4.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $935K.
What does Saya Foundation fund?
Saya Foundation’s stated vision is “an equitable society where every child in Myanmar has access to safe, inclusive, and quality education.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Saya Foundation?
Saya Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check saya-foundation.org for any change to that policy.
What is Saya Foundation's EIN?
Saya Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3343622. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Saya Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Saya Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/saya-foundation-morg_df11500a0ac048a2be19a36366bd92a5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203343622_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Saya Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/saya-foundation-morg_df11500a0ac048a2be19a36366bd92a5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Saya 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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