Spaht Family Foundation
The Spaht Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. It advances initiatives across the United States in climate, mental health, and the arts, with a stated commitment to substantive, long-term impact.
Spaht Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Spaht Family Foundation gave $2.7M across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $97K), mostly in New Hampshire. 59% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,729,743
- +95.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- -6.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $97,491
- +109.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $122,077,362
- +145.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (13 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New Hampshire (52% 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 Spaht Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing describes requests as a letter form addressed to Holden and Claire Spaht. The foundation does not intend to make grants directly to individuals.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: Holden And Claire Spaht
Mailing address: 135 Main Street Suite 850, San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 361-5944
Website: https://spahtfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Spaht Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Dartmouth College ($1.4M across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $2.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
108 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 75 grants of 108 (69%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as spanning the United States. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New Hampshire (52%), California (30%), and Texas (9%); recipients in the District of Columbia and New York received 3% and 2%, respectively.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Spaht Family Foundation open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 22 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $270K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $66K repeat.
- 41% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 74% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $449K (2022) to $2.9M (2021). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | Spaht Family Senior Associate Director for Peak Performance | $1,250,000 |
| Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco, CA | Spaht family endowment fund to support school spirit and capital projects fund | $500,000 |
| Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX | The claire morris spaht chair of art and the spaht family student immersion fund | $250,000 |
| St Mary the Virgin San Francisco, CA | General Support | $100,000 |
| Community Initiatives - Northern Sierra Partnership San Francisco, CA | General Support | $100,000 |
| Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | Spaht Family Mental Health Fund | $83,333 |
| Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | Dartmouth College Fund | $75,000 |
| Environmental Working Group (EWG) Washington, DC | General Support | $61,360 |
| Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA | W&L Fund for Area of Greatest Need | $50,000 |
| Save the Redwoods San Francisco, CA | Support the Redwood Land Fund | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Spaht Family 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 | $122,077,362 | $69,458,075 | $6,353,310 | $2,729,743 | 28 | $2,868,008 | $68,587,497 | $3,888,621 |
| 2023 | $49,673,493 | $8,729,985 | $4,669,309 | $1,399,522 | 30 | $1,439,160 | $7,420,922 | $2,059,780 |
| 2022 | $37,360,859 | $13,558,639 | $523,223 | $448,500 | 15 | $540,673 | $13,245,437 | $1,056,612 |
| 2021 | $27,795,250 | $4,902,005 | $2,121,747 | $2,867,000 | 21 | $2,889,956 | $4,633,219 | $1,294,953 |
| 2020 | $27,225,502 | $7,327,548 | $4,465,174 | $2,223,500 | 14 | — | $1,183,606 | $942,474 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Spaht Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.9M 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 foundation says it advances visionary leaders and enduring initiatives in climate, mental health, and the arts. Its website describes its approach as supporting leaders with defined strategies through multi-year, flexible funding, collaboration, and mutual learning.
Its climate work includes conservation, adaptation, and sustainability. A featured partnership with the Northern Sierra Partnership has supported initiatives including the California Wildfire Solutions Coalition. Its mental health work aims to expand access to care, reduce stigma, and build supportive systems for mental and emotional well-being.
Grantees include educational, health, environmental, and arts organizations. For example, Southern Methodist University describes its mission as education through research and teaching; the Westchester Medical Center Foundation says it supports the needs of its affiliated hospital and facilities and the communities they serve. The Museum of Modern Art says it fosters public awareness of modern and contemporary art, while Headlands Center for the Arts describes its work as providing artist residencies and public programs.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $2,729,743. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $1,250,000, with a median of $25,000. Notable awards included $1,250,000 to Dartmouth College for the Spaht Family Senior Associate Director for Peak Performance; $500,000 to Schools of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco for its Spaht Family Endowment Fund; and $250,000 to Southern Methodist University for the Claire Morris Spaht Chair of Art and the Spaht Family Student Immersion Fund. Other awards included $100,000 each to St Mary the Virgin and Community Initiatives – Northern Sierra Partnership for general support, and $61,360 to Environmental Working Group for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Holden Spaht is listed as president, and Claire Spaht as secretary and treasurer on the 2024 filing. The foundation’s website identifies both as co-founders and principals.
Spaht Family Foundation is led by Holden Spaht, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Holden Spaht
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Claire Spaht
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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 Spaht Family Foundation
How much does Spaht Family Foundation give each year?
Spaht Family Foundation gave $2.7M across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 30 grants.
What is Spaht Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Spaht Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $97,491, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Spaht Family Foundation that year got $23K on average.
Where does Spaht Family Foundation give grants?
Spaht Family Foundation gives mostly in New Hampshire: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (30%) and Texas (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (10 grants), Hanover, NH (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Nantucket, MA (3 grants).
Does Spaht Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 57% of Spaht Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Spaht Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Spaht Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Dartmouth College ($1,408,333 across 3 grants), Schools of the Sacred Heart ($510,000 across 2 grants) and Southern Methodist University ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Spaht Family Foundation?
Spaht Family Foundation reported $122.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Spaht Family Foundation fund?
The foundation says it advances visionary leaders and enduring initiatives in climate, mental health, and the arts. Its website describes its approach as supporting leaders with defined strategies through multi-year, flexible funding, collaboration, and mutual learning. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Spaht Family Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Spaht Family Foundation's EIN?
Spaht Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-2183149. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Spaht Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/spaht-family-foundation-morg_e23c4c5b9dee41e1af0e17f7a74ff0d8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_832183149_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Spaht Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/spaht-family-foundation-morg_e23c4c5b9dee41e1af0e17f7a74ff0d8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Spaht Family 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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