Sijbrandij Foundation
The Sijbrandij Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its website says it funds early ideas with the potential for outsized social returns and also incubates projects internally, with the aim of proving concepts and spinning them out as independent organizations.
Key facts about Sijbrandij Foundation
In short: Sijbrandij Foundation gave $5.4M across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $340K), top state California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 85-4270305
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,435,593
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- Average grant
- $339,725
- Median grant
- $249,761
- Total assets
- $79,175,143
- Primary geography
- California (38% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$79.2M
+14.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.4M
-49.6% YoY
Grant Count
16
-5.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$340K
-46.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sijbrandij Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Sijbrandij Foundation gives
- 23% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 190% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says it takes calculated risks on early ideas where it can model a 100× social return and where early funding can help unlock capital to scale. Its stated areas of direct charitable activity include incentive design in education, health, and housing, and the Big Art Loop, a project to place temporary large-scale sculptures in public spaces around San Francisco.
Its grants support organizations working in areas including research, education, workforce development, immigration, land-use data, public art, and access to educational content. For example, Open Research Lab says it works on open-ended questions and long-term technology and research that should not be owned by a single company. Abundance Network Education says it seeks to improve California state and local government through research and education about public policy and government operations. The University of Chicago describes its mission as communicating and creating knowledge and fostering a community of scholars and students.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $5,435,593. Grants ranged from $18,000 to $1,500,000, with a median of $249,761. Among the largest were $1.5 million to Open Research Lab for a universal basic income study, distribution, and marketing; $1 million to Information Age Academy (The Levitt Lab Inc) to launch a high school; and three grants to Global Impact totaling $1,216,913 for Global Income Coin. Other substantial grants included $530,000 across two grants to Third Sector for upskilling low-income workers through public-private partnerships, and $250,000 to Digital Harbor Foundation’s Talent Mobility Fund for highly skilled immigration.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in California (38%), Virginia (22%), Colorado (18%), Massachusetts (10%), and Maryland (5%). Listed 2024 recipients also included organizations in Washington, DC, and Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $5.0M (2021) to $10.8M (2023). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $5.4M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Open Research Lab ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $5.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 12 grants of 47 (26%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Open Research Lab Oakland, CA | Universal Basic Income Study Distirbution and Marketing | $1,500,000 |
| Information Age Academy (The Levit Lab Inc) Boulder, CO | Launch High School | $1,000,000 |
| Global Impact Alexandria, VA | Global Income Coin | $505,810 |
| Global Impact Alexandria, VA | Global Income Coin | $399,629 |
| Global Impact Alexandria, VA | Global Income Coin | $311,474 |
| Third Sector Boston, MA | Upskilling Low Income Workers Through Public/Private Partnerships | $310,000 |
| Digital Harbor Foundation (Talent Mobility Fund) Baltimore, MD | Highly Skilled Immigration | $250,000 |
| Land Use Atlas Inc Washington, DC | Zoning Data for Land Use | $250,000 |
| Illuminate (Accessible Big Art - Naga and the Captainess) San Francisco, CA | Big Art SF Sculpture | $249,522 |
| Third Sector Boston, MA | Upskilling Low Income Workers Through Public/Private Partnerships | $220,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $79,175,143 | $17,940,646 | $6,189,173 | $5,435,593 | 16 |
| 2023 | $68,932,147 | $28,089,797 | $11,191,347 | $10,790,127 | 17 |
| 2022 | $51,990,254 | $577,085 | $7,532,721 | $7,395,162 | 13 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $79,175,143 | $68,932,147 | $51,990,254 |
| Revenue | $17,940,646 | $28,089,797 | $577,085 |
| Expenses | $6,189,173 | $11,191,347 | $7,532,721 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $6,156,697 | $10,986,899 | $7,528,721 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,803,964 | $1,365,751 | $518,085 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,239,273 | $2,379,409 | $2,791,706 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sytse Rients Sijbrandij as president and director; Karen Xandra Esther Sijbrandij as treasurer and director; Eefje Chalmers as secretary and director; and Welmoed Fokkema and Ramy Adeeb as directors. Ivan French is listed as chief executive officer.
Sijbrandij Foundation is led by Ivan French, Chief Executive Officer on the 2024 filing; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ivan French
Chief Executive Officer
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$199K (2024)
Sytse Rients Sijbrandij
President & Director
President → President & Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen Xandra Esther Sijbrandij
Treasurer & Director
Treasurer → Treasurer & Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eefje Chalmers
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Welmoed Fokkema
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ramy Adeeb
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: April Lindsey Malone (2020–2021) — Secretary & Director
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 $199K, to Ivan French (Chief Executive Officer).
Contact
Mailing address: 548 Market Street Pmb 35123, San Francisco, CA 94104-5401
Phone: (415) 954-4400
Website: https://sijbrandijfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Sijbrandij Foundation
How much does Sijbrandij Foundation give each year?
Sijbrandij Foundation gave $5.4M across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $10.8M across 17 grants.
What is Sijbrandij Foundation's typical grant size?
Sijbrandij Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $249,761, and its average grant was $339,725, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Sijbrandij Foundation give grants?
Sijbrandij Foundation's top state is California, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (22%) and Colorado (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (4 grants), Alexandria, VA (3 grants), Boston, MA (2 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does Sijbrandij Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Sijbrandij Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Global Income Coin" (3 grants).
Who are Sijbrandij Foundation's largest grantees?
Sijbrandij Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Open Research Lab ($1,500,000), Global Impact ($1,216,913 across 3 grants) and Information Age Academy (The Levit Lab Inc) ($1,000,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sijbrandij Foundation?
Sijbrandij Foundation reported $79.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $6.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sijbrandij Foundation fund?
The foundation says it takes calculated risks on early ideas where it can model a 100× social return and where early funding can help unlock capital to scale. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sijbrandij Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Sijbrandij Foundation's EIN?
Sijbrandij Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-4270305. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sijbrandij 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.
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