Smartmeme inc. Dba center for story-based strategy ("css") is a national strategy center dedicated to harnessing the power of narrative for movement building and social change. Css provides social, economic and ecological justice leaders, organizations and alliances the strategic support to reframe issues and win critical campaigns. We use story-based approaches to amplify the impact of grassroots organizing, to communicate transformative possibilities and to re-imagine social change strategy. Through training and consulting, weve supported over 300 nonprofit organizations and 6,000 individual change agents.
Key facts about Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy
In short: Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy gave $663K across 6 grants in 2025 (avg $110K), mostly in District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 20-1897585
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $662,949
- Grants made (2025)
- 6
- Average grant
- $110,492
- Median grant
- $47,500
- Total assets
- $4,177,120
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (66% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$4.2M
-21.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$663K
+713.4% YoY
Grant Count
6
+50.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$110K
+442.3% YoY
About Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy
Based on IRS filings
Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy is a public charity focused on Education, based in Los Angeles, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $4.2M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 6 grants totaling $663K. Net investment income was $21K.
Focus Areas
Ready to take the next step with Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 6 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2023) to $663K (2025). In 2025 it made 6 grants totaling $663K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Frameworks Institute ($438K). Together the top 6 received $663K.
Grant Size Distribution
11 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 8 grants of 11 (73%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Frameworks Institute West Washington, DC | Re-grants | $437,949 |
| Center for Policy Initiatives San Diego, CA | Re-grants | $60,000 |
| Social & Environmental Entrep Calabasas, CA | Re-grants | $60,000 |
| Black Organizing Project Oakland, CA | Re-grants | $35,000 |
| Central Valley Movement Build Sacramento, CA | Re-grants | $35,000 |
| Gender & Sexualities Alliance San Francisco, CA | Re-grants | $35,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,177,120 | $5,309,193 | $3,119,879 |
| Revenue | $2,017,745 | $4,218,156 | $1,678,377 |
| Expenses | $2,878,224 | $2,036,399 | $1,598,407 |
| Net Investment Income | $21,183 | $19,879 | $10,033 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 11, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 11, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 20, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy is led by Angus Maguire, President since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 3 of 8 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Angus Maguire
President
Committee Manager → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$61K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Reuben Tihi Hayslett
Interim Executive Director
Board Member → Board President, 2023
Board President → Interim Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$47K (2025)
Nayantara Sen
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
32 hrs/week
$156K (2025)
Jamila Brown
Vice President
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$42K (2025)
Kedar Reddy
Board Member
Treasurer → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Seng So
Secretary
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Iva Torres
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Weidinger
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (21)
- Former: Michael Premo (2019–2024) — Outgng Treasurer
- Former: Yee Won Chong (2019–2024) — Outgngtreasurer
- Former: Dallas Goldtooth (2020–2024) — Outgoing President
- Former: Paul Castro (2023–2024) — Interim Executive Director
- Former: Sara Dillon (2023–2024) — Outgng Secretary
- Former: Ivy Brashear (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Zakiya Scott (2024) — Strategy Director
- Former: Trina Jackson (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Cristobal Lagunas (2023) — Staff Representative
- Former: Bernice Julie Shaw (2019–2022) — Co-Director
- Former: Jennifer Dillon (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Sara Pennington (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Sean Watkins (2019–2022) — Ext Affairs Chair
- Former: Shana McDavis-Conway (2019–2022) — Co-Director
- Former: Mariana Mendoza (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Miya Yoshitani (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Gopal Dayaneni (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Jacqueline Patterson (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Amara Possian (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Celia Alario (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Ratema Uch (2019) — Ops.coordinator
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $156K, to Nayantara Sen (Executive Dir.). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy
How much does Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy give each year?
Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy gave $663K across 6 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $82K across 4 grants.
What is Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy's typical grant size?
Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy's median grant in 2025 was $47,500, and its average grant was $110,492, across 6 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy give grants?
Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy gives mostly in District of Columbia: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (34%).
Does Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 6 grants with a stated purpose on Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Re-grants" (6 grants).
Who are Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy's largest grantees?
Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy's largest 2025 grantees include The Frameworks Institute ($437,949), Center for Policy Initiatives ($60,000) and Social & Environmental Entrep ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy?
Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy reported $4.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.0M.
What is Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy?
Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy is a public charity focused on Education, based in Los Angeles, CA. It holds $4.2M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy's EIN?
Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1897585. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Here's the math on researching Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in California
Warsh-Mott Legacy
Petaluma, CA
Warsh-Mott Legacy’s 2025 grants supported general operating costs, donor-advised funds, and specific projects; the foundation’s own mission and focus areas are not stated. Its grants ranged from $10,000 to $1.707 million, with a median of $20,000, and most funding went to California, with grants also reaching organizations in other states and Puerto Rico. It does not accept unsolicited requests; organizations may submit contact information and a brief overview for periodic review.
Assets
$51.1M
Grants
51
Total Given
$3.4M
RSF Social Finance Inc
San Francisco, CA
RSF Social Finance funds organizations and projects advancing social and environmental change, especially in food and agriculture, climate and energy, education, and community impact. Its 2024 grants had a median of $25,000, with awards ranging from $5,250 to $5.52 million; recipients were primarily in California, Maryland, New York, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. The profile does not state whether RSF accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$108.4M
Grants
457
Total Given
$48.2M
Marin Community Foundation
Novato, CA
Marin Community Foundation funds equity-focused work, including affordable housing, homelessness, community resilience and power, and arts; its Buck Family Fund supports organizations serving Marin County, including those based elsewhere. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000 and ranged from $5,050 to $10 million; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,573
Total Given
$186.1M
Solutions Project Inc
Los Angeles, CA
Solutions Project Inc funds grassroots climate justice organizations led by Black, Indigenous, immigrant, women, and other people of color, supporting work such as clean energy, safe water, affordable housing, and green jobs across the United States and Puerto Rico. Its 2024 grants ranged from $8,000 to $100,000, with a median of $30,000. Its grantmaking is described as invitation-based; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$28.8M
Grants
146
Total Given
$5.0M
Common Counsel Foundation
Oakland, CA
Common Counsel Foundation funds social justice movements, especially community-led organizing, movement building, leadership development, and structural change, with most support as general operating grants. Its 2024 grants had a median of $30,000; open programs include grants of $10,000–$30,000 for Native-led groups and typical $1,000 rapid-response grants, with funding nationally and a separate California-focused program. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$67.5M
Grants
621
Total Given
$101.2M
The Libra Foundation
San Francisco, CA
The Libra Foundation funds BIPOC-led movements and frontline organizations advancing community safety and justice, environmental and climate justice, and gender justice, with work spanning local, national, and transnational levels. Its 2024 grants ranged from $17,100 to $19 million, with a median of $9 million, and it prioritizes multi-year, unrestricted support. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$432.2M
Grants
3
Total Given
$28.0M
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
The California Community Foundation funds work in education, health, housing, immigration, and other community needs, primarily in Los Angeles County. Its 2025 grants had a median of $50,000, though amounts varied widely; it does not accept unsolicited funding requests.
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
2,174
Total Given
$326.6M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation funds education, climate and conservation, the arts, gender equity, governance, democracy, and philanthropy, with work in the San Francisco Bay Area, the U.S. West, nationally, and internationally. Its 2024 grants had a median of $150,000, though awards ranged from $50 to more than $11 million; it often provides long-term general operating support. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, except through invited open processes.
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
Direct Relief
Santa Barbara, CA
Direct Relief funds community health centers, free and charitable clinics, educational institutions, and other organizations addressing health inequities, and provides medical supplies for healthcare facilities serving underserved communities and people affected by emergencies. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,500 to $4.34 million, with a median of $100,000, supporting work across the U.S. and more than 80 countries. The available information does not state whether it accepts unsolicited grant requests.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,367
Total Given
$337.4M
Conrad N Hilton Foundation
Westlake Village, CA
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation funds nonprofits working to improve lives and alleviate poverty, with initiatives including early childhood development, homelessness, refugees, safe water, and support for foster and opportunity youth. Its work is global, and its 2024 grants had a median award of $76,000. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, except through its Good Neighbor Program for eligible local nonprofits and Title 1 schools.
Assets
$7.4B
Grants
1,339
Total Given
$287.7M
The San Diego Foundation
San Diego, CA
The San Diego Foundation supports nonprofits advancing racial and social justice, equity of opportunity, and resilient communities, with grants for projects, capacity building, or general support. Its 2025 itemized grants had a median of $25,000, with awards ranging from $5,100 to nearly $5 million; it generally funds organizations serving San Diego County residents, though some grants reach beyond the county. Applications are made through posted funding opportunities, and the profile does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
1,158
Total Given
$94.3M
More Funders in California
Smartmeme DBA Center for Story-based Strategy down — hundreds of funders to go?