Snap Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) foundation established in 2017 by Snap Inc. and its co-founders Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California (with offices listed in both Santa Monica and Los Angeles), the foundation operates as a grantmaking organization dedicated to expanding opportunities in the creative economy for underrepresented youth.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$139.7M
-0.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.9M
-25.5% YoY
Grant Count
61
-26.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$97K
+1.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Snap Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Develop pathways to the creative economy for underrepresented youth in Los Angeles.
Vision: The foundation envisions a future where all young people have equitable opportunities to contribute to and benefit from Los Angeles's thriving creative ecology by ensuring creative nonprofit organizations and collaborative efforts are well-resourced with access to funding, mentorship, networking opportunities, high-quality education and training in creative fields, and support for arts policy advocacy.
Core Values: Collaboration, creativity, innovation, transformation, and trust.
Strategic Focus Areas
The foundation's grantmaking is organized around four strategic pillars:
- Creative Education and Skills — Opportunities for youth to develop and appreciate creativity through exposure to arts, general skills development, and creative education
- Career Exploration and Readiness — Opportunities for youth to learn about career pathways through skills development, career exposure, mentorship, internship and externship programs
- Workforce Entry and Advancement — Opportunities for youth to gain direct employment in the creative economy through training, certification programs, and placement support
- Responsive Initiatives — Short-term, urgent initiatives addressing time-sensitive community needs that benefit youth education or arts, support creative economy pathways, and connect to the Los Angeles community
Grantmaking
The foundation made 32 grants in 2023, with total giving of approximately $5.9 million to $7.4 million annually. Grant amounts typically range from $100 to over $13 million, though most grants are substantially smaller.
How to Apply
The foundation accepts inquiries from Los Angeles-based creative arts nonprofits through an online submission form requesting organization information, mission, annual budget, geographic service area, and population served.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation focuses exclusively on Los Angeles, serving youth across all areas of the city (East, West, Central, South, and North Los Angeles).
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $140.9 million
- Total Revenue: $1.3 million
- Total Expenses: $9.75 million
- Total Liabilities: $0
As of 2024 (most recent filing):
- Total Assets: $139.7 million
- Total Giving: $5.9 million
The foundation's financial support comes from pledges by Snap Inc.'s founders and board members, who have committed to donate up to 13 million shares of Class A common stock to the foundation over time.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $139,673,988 | $140,880,742 | $149,325,463 |
| Revenue | $6,626,600 | $1,306,887 | $215,250 |
| Expenses | $7,833,354 | $9,751,608 | $16,384,388 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $7,787,618 | $8,981,513 | $15,755,450 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,606,438 | $2,837,046 | $2,048,725 |
| Distributable Amount | $8,102,980 | $7,559,469 | $8,971,022 |
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
168 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Heart of Los Angeles Youth Inc ($250,000), Inner-city Arts ($250,000), Partnership for Los Angeles Schools ($250,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 4C LAB AZUSA, CA | General & Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| 826LA LOS ANGELES, CA | General & Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| A NOISE WITHIN PASADENA, CA | Education Program | $75,000 |
| A PLACE CALLED HOME LOS ANGELES, CA | Arts & Creative Expression Program | $100,000 |
| ACADEMY FOUNDATION BEVERLY HILLS, CA | General & Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| ARMORY CENTER FOR THE ARTS PASADENA, CA | General & Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| ARTLAB21 FOUNDATION LAWNDALE, CA | General & Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| ARTS FOR HEALING AND JUSTICE NETWORK LONG BEACH, CA | General & Unrestricted | $125,000 |
| ARTS FOR L A WEST COVINA, CA | General & Unrestricted | $125,000 |
| BARCID FOUNDATION LOS ANGELES, CA | General & Unrestricted | $100,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Joel Arquillos — Executive Director
- Mary Ritti — Board of Directors
- Evan Spiegel — Co-founder of Snap Inc. and Snap Foundation
- Bobby Murphy — Co-founder of Snap Inc. and Snap Foundation
The foundation employs approximately 4 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Arquillos | Executive Director | 40 | $282,014 |
| Juan Devis | Dir, VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| Kelly Kagan Law | Dir, Chair | 1 | — |
| Betsy Kenny Lack | Dir, Pres | 1 | — |
| Jonathon Locascio | Chief Tax Officer | 1 | — |
| Pedro Marti | Dir, Treas | 1 | — |
| Mary Ritti | Dir, Sec | 1 | — |
| Katherine Tassi | Dir, Vice Chair | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has hosted community engagement events, including the Futures Summit LA25, focused on creativity, community, and youth empowerment. The foundation continues to actively solicit applications from Los Angeles-based creative nonprofits and maintains an active grant portfolio supporting arts, culture, design, and innovation initiatives across the city.
Inside FUTURES SUMMIT LA25: A Day of Creativity, Community ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Snap Foundation fund?
**Mission:** Develop pathways to the creative economy for underrepresented youth in Los Angeles. **Vision:** The foundation envisions a future where all young people have equitable opportunities to contribute to and benefit from Los Angeles's thriving creative ecology by ensuring creative nonprofit organizations and collaborative efforts are well-resourced with access to funding, mentorship, networking opportunities, high-quality education and training in creative fields, and support for arts p…
How do I apply for a grant from Snap Foundation?
The foundation made 32 grants in 2023, with total giving of approximately $5.9 million to $7.4 million annually. Grant amounts typically range from $100 to over $13 million, though most grants are substantially smaller. Notable grants include: • Partnership for Los Angeles Schools — $250,000 (General & Unrestricted) • Southern California Grantmakers — $250,000 (Black Equity Collective Program) • California Community Foundation — $250,000 (Los Angeles Arts Relief and Recovery Fund) The foundatio…
Where does Snap Foundation make grants?
The foundation focuses exclusively on Los Angeles, serving youth across all areas of the city (East, West, Central, South, and North Los Angeles).
What size grants does Snap Foundation award?
In 2024, Snap Foundation awarded 61 grants totaling $5.9M — an average of about $97K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Snap Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Snap Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Snap Foundation's EIN?
Snap Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1817014. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Snap Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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