Simpson PSB Fund
Simpson PSB Fund is a private foundation based in Orinda, California. Formed in 1988 by Barclay and Sharon Simpson, the fund supports causes in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California, with a history of giving for arts and education.
Simpson PSB Fund at a glance
In short: Simpson PSB Fund gave $17.4M across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $512K), mostly in California. 12% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $17,408,345
- +28.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- -5.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $512,010
- +35.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $22,500
- Total assets
- $128,385,654
- -6.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (4 of 34, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (100% 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 Simpson PSB Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The fund’s website says it does not accept unsolicited requests. The 2024 filing lists Grant Administration as the contact and describes a written submission detailing the request’s charitable purpose and its relation to the local community, arts, or education.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Grant Administration
Mailing address: 21 Orinda Way Suite C 358, Orinda, CA 94563
Phone: (925) 330-8690
Website: https://simpsonpsbfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Simpson PSB Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of California Berkeley Foundation ($10.0M). Together the top 10 received $17.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
213 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 143 grants of 213 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s website describes the Simpsons’ giving as supporting causes in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California. In 2024, all grant dollars went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Simpson PSB Fund open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 34 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $579K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $28K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 480% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 198% 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 $3.0M (2021) to $17.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $17.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of California Berkeley Foundation Berkeley, CA | To support the missions and operations of the berkeley art museum and pacific film archive, the library fund, and the botantical garden. | $10,020,372 |
| UCSF Foundation San Francisco, CA | To further the organization's mission to advance health worldwide by supporting research for breast cancer treatment options and initiatives for providing patients with access to compassionate and equitable care. | $4,970,473 |
| Girls Inc of Alameda County Oakland, CA | To provide funds for unrestricted general support and scholarships to help girls from underserved bay area communities rise to be strong, smart and bold. | $790,000 |
| Oakland Museum of California Oakland, CA | To provide funds for unrestricted general operating support to further the mission of the organization. | $525,000 |
| Uc Theatre Berkeley Music Group Berkeley, CA | To provide funds in support of the creation of a chief operating officer position at the uc theatre. | $200,000 |
| New Literary Project Oakland, CA | To provide funds for unrestricted general support that invests in students, teachers, readers, authors and writers by offering free workshops for underserved younger writers; a national award to a mid-career author; and other events to celebrate storytelling and creative writing. | $160,000 |
| Oakland Leaf Oakland, CA | To provide funds for unrestricted general support for students needing social and emotional resources and enrichment opportunities, that include the love cultivating schoolyards program, theater arts, poetry and other dynamic youth activities. | $110,000 |
| California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA | To support the maker/meet/future capital campaign for the expansion of the cca san francisco campus, and to benefit the cca scholarship fund for talented and deserving art and design students. | $100,000 |
| California Symphony Walnut Creek, CA | To provide funds for unrestricted general support for California symphony's music education programs offered to musicians, at-risk bay area students, classically-curious adults and rising composers. | $87,500 |
| Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area Walnut Creek, CA | To support the construction of the new state of the art cancer support center in lafayette, California that will allow all people affected by cancer to receive comprehensive and equitable cancer care. | $85,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Simpson PSB Fund?
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 | $128,385,654 | $2,120,295 | $19,693,905 | $17,408,345 | 34 | $17,458,180 | $2,273,060 | $8,839,098 |
| 2023 | $137,487,321 | $57,827,411 | $14,698,190 | $13,592,525 | 36 | $13,062,413 | $44,410,474 | $5,669,604 |
| 2022 | $93,600,248 | $-2,115,611 | $4,914,763 | $3,843,883 | 45 | $3,898,111 | $992,101 | $5,549,374 |
| 2021 | $101,551,875 | $22,558,408 | $4,113,483 | $3,000,500 | 42 | $3,055,936 | $11,480,657 | $5,771,293 |
| 2020 | $90,425,017 | $-6,837,663 | $8,348,566 | $7,402,933 | 56 | — | $716,387 | $4,877,380 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Simpson PSB Fund reported a distributable amount of $8.8M 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 fund’s stated grant restrictions generally favor organizations and initiatives that further and improve the local community, the arts, or educational resources. Its 2024 giving also included support for breast cancer research and equitable patient care.
The 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Oakland Museum of California says its mission is to inspire Californians through collections, exhibitions, education programs, and public dialogue. New Literary Project says it invests in students, teachers, readers, and authors and equips writers across generations. California College of the Arts says it educates students through art, architecture, design, and writing. Other 2024 recipients included arts organizations, educational institutions, and youth-serving organizations.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund awarded 34 grants totaling $17,408,345. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $10,020,372, with a median of $22,500.
The largest 2024 grants included $10,020,372 to the University of California Berkeley Foundation for the missions and operations of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, the Library Fund, and the Botanical Garden; $4,970,473 to UCSF Foundation for breast cancer treatment research and initiatives to improve access to compassionate and equitable care; and $790,000 to Girls Inc of Alameda County for unrestricted general support and scholarships. Other notable grants were $525,000 to Oakland Museum of California for unrestricted general operating support, $200,000 to UC Theatre Berkeley Music Group to support creation of a chief operating officer position, and $160,000 to New Literary Project for unrestricted general support.
The fund’s website says it does not accept unsolicited grant proposals and proactively identifies potential recipients. The 2024 filing, however, describes a written submission detailing the charitable purpose of a grant request and its relation to the local community, arts, or education. It lists no deadlines and says grants are generally made to organizations and initiatives that further and improve the local community, arts, or educational resources.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists S Simpson as President/Chair of the Board and K Lip as Treasurer and Secretary.
Simpson PSB Fund is led by S. Simpson, President & Chair of the Board on every filing since 2023; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
S. Simpson
President & Chair of the Board
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
K. Lip
Treasurer & Secretary
Secretary → Treasurer & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Sharon Simpson (2020–2022) — President
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 Simpson PSB Fund
How much does Simpson PSB Fund give each year?
Simpson PSB Fund gave $17.4M across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $13.6M across 36 grants.
What is Simpson PSB Fund's typical grant size?
Simpson PSB Fund's median grant in 2024 was $22,500, and its average grant was $512,010, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Simpson PSB Fund that year got $8K on average.
Where does Simpson PSB Fund give grants?
Simpson PSB Fund gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Walnut Creek, CA (8 grants), San Francisco, CA (7 grants), Oakland, CA (7 grants) and Berkeley, CA (4 grants).
Does Simpson PSB Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 62% of Simpson PSB Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Simpson PSB Fund's largest grantees?
Simpson PSB Fund's largest 2024 grantees include University of California Berkeley Foundation ($10,020,372), UCSF Foundation ($4,970,473) and Girls Inc of Alameda County ($790,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 91% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Simpson PSB Fund?
Simpson PSB Fund reported $128.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $17.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Simpson PSB Fund fund?
The fund’s stated grant restrictions generally favor organizations and initiatives that further and improve the local community, the arts, or educational resources. Its 2024 giving also included support for breast cancer research and equitable patient care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Simpson PSB Fund?
The fund’s website says it does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Simpson PSB Fund's EIN?
Simpson PSB Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 68-0168017. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Simpson PSB Fund 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Simpson PSB Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Simpson PSB Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/simpson-psb-fund-morg_80694c01c46a4d89bed10dc77261820f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_680168017_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Simpson PSB Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/simpson-psb-fund-morg_80694c01c46a4d89bed10dc77261820f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Simpson PSB Fund'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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