Spruce Street Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Los Angeles, CA EIN: 22-3343609

Spruce Street Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. It supports charitable organizations through grants; its 2024 filing reports 21 grants totaling $1,265,433.

Spruce Street Foundation Inc at a glance

In short: Spruce Street Foundation Inc gave $1.3M across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $60K), mostly in California. 57% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$1,265,433
+59.6% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
21
+61.5% vs 2023
Average grant
$60,259
-1.2% vs 2023
Median grant
$25,000
Total assets
$14,235,954
+113.1% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
57% first-time grantees (12 of 21, 2024; small sample)
Primary geography
California (50% 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 Spruce Street Foundation Inc

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
Review Cycle
TBD
Deadline
TBD
Contact

Application contact: David W Mills
Mailing address: 1130 S Flower Street Suite 312, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: (323) 987-5780

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Spruce Street Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Stanford Law School: $450KStanford Law School$450KPartners for Justice: $100KPartners for Justice$100KJohn Hopkins University: $100KJohn Hopkins University$100KBattery Powered: $100KBattery Powered$100KUS Olympic and Paralympic Foundatio: $76KUS Olympic and ParalympicFoundatio$76KCARE Impact Awards 2024: $50KCARE Impact Awards 2024$50KEverybody Votes Campaign: $50KEverybody Votes Campaign$50KWorking America Fund: $50KWorking America Fund$50KNotley Impact Freedom2Vote: $50KNotley Impact Freedom2Vote$50KWellesley College: $34KWellesley College$34K

The largest 2024 recipient was Stanford Law School ($450K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.

Grant Size Distribution

83 grants across all recorded years

57<$50K12$50–100K10$100–250K4$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 83 (69%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s 2024 grants went to recipients in multiple states. By grant dollars, California accounted for 50%, New York and Washington, DC, 12% each, Maryland 8%, and Colorado 6%.

Grant Distribution by State

13states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.

Cities

New YorkLos AngelesSan FranciscoAtlantaBrooklynStanfordWashingtonMoreno ValleyPasadenaBostonSan RafaelColorado SpringsNew York CityWellesleyAustinBaltimoreBlacksburgBrewsterCincinnatiDurham

Is Spruce Street Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

57%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 12 of 21 grantees (57%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $43K; repeat grants $83K. How we count

Medians: $38K first-time, $25K repeat.

  • 29% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 25% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2023 it paid out 280% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2024). 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

$0$500K$1M$1.5M27 grants2021 22 grants2022 13 grants2023 21 grants2024

From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $793K (2023) to $1.3M (2024). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $1.3M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Stanford Law School Stanford, CABest use of funds$450,000
Partners for Justice New York City, NYTo provide support for the charitable organizations purpose.$100,000
John Hopkins University Baltimore, MDTo provide support for the charitable organizations purpose.$100,000
Battery Powered San Francisco, CATo provide support for the charitable organizations purpose.$100,000
US Olympic and Paralympic Foundatio Colorado Springs, COTo provide support for the charitable organizations purpose.$75,600
CARE Impact Awards 2024 Atlanta, GATo provide support for the charitable organizations purpose.$50,000
Everybody Votes Campaign Washington, DCTo provide support for the charitable organizations purpose.$50,000
Working America Fund Washington, DCTo provide support for the charitable organizations purpose.$50,000
Notley Impact Freedom2Vote Austin, TXTo provide support for the charitable organizations purpose.$50,000
Wellesley College Wellesley, MATo provide support for the charitable organizations purpose.$33,833
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$14,235,954$8,679,398$1,266,264$1,265,43321$1,265,433$8,696,151—
2023$6,679,329$-47,927$792,663$792,66313$792,663—$282,897
2022$7,516,645$1,924,279$1,031,972$1,031,92522$1,031,972—$301,526
2021$8,809,443$744,940$1,012,026$1,012,00027—$39,317$252,393

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included organizations whose own missions address areas such as legal and social support, civic engagement, education, and the arts. For example, Partners for Justice says it works to help low-income people maintain homes, livelihoods, family bonds, property, and access to the social safety net. Civic Nation describes its work as using organizing, engagement, and public awareness to address pressing challenges. Wellesley College says it provides a liberal arts education for women, and Pioneer Works Art Foundation says it promotes participation in the arts and sciences.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $1,265,433. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $450,000, with a median of $25,000. Its largest grants included $450,000 to Stanford Law School, $100,000 each to Partners for Justice, Johns Hopkins University, and Battery Powered, and $75,600 to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation. Other grants included $50,000 each to CARE Impact Awards 2024, Everybody Votes Campaign, Working America Fund, and Notley Impact Freedom2Vote.

The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. The filing lists David W Mills as the contact; application form and materials and award restrictions are listed as TBD.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists David W Mills as President, Anne Devereux-Mills as Secretary, Kenneth J Slutsky as Vice President, and Sam S Leslie as Treasurer.

Spruce Street Foundation Inc is led by David W Mills, President since 2023 (on filings since 2021); none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • David W Mills

    President

    President & CEO → President, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Anne Devereux-Mills

    Secretary

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kenneth J. Slutsky

    Vice President

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sam S. Leslie

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "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 Spruce Street Foundation Inc

How much does Spruce Street Foundation Inc give each year?

Spruce Street Foundation Inc gave $1.3M across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $793K across 13 grants.

What is Spruce Street Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Spruce Street Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $60,259, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Spruce Street Foundation Inc that year got $43K on average.

Where does Spruce Street Foundation Inc give grants?

Spruce Street Foundation Inc gives mostly in California: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (12%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).

Does Spruce Street Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Spruce Street Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To provide support for the charitable organizations purpose." (18 grants) and "Best use of funds" (3 grants).

Who are Spruce Street Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Spruce Street Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Stanford Law School ($450,000), Partners for Justice ($100,000) and John Hopkins University ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Spruce Street Foundation Inc?

Spruce Street Foundation Inc reported $14.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $8.7M.

What does Spruce Street Foundation Inc fund?

The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included organizations whose own missions address areas such as legal and social support, civic engagement, education, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Spruce Street Foundation Inc?

Spruce Street Foundation Inc does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.

What is Spruce Street Foundation Inc's EIN?

Spruce Street Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3343609. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.

Does Spruce Street Foundation Inc 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

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024

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Browse active grant opportunities in Spruce Street Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Spruce Street Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/spruce-street-foundation-inc-morg_0aa17d1343a34f86b3c6ce8edd1ec972

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223343609_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Spruce Street Foundation Inc funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/spruce-street-foundation-inc-morg_0aa17d1343a34f86b3c6ce8edd1ec972},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Spruce Street Foundation Inc'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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