Sustainable Arts Foundation
Sustainable Arts Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2010, it supported artists and writers with children for thirteen years, including through unrestricted awards to individual artists and grants to artist residencies.
Sustainable Arts Foundation at a glance
In short: Sustainable Arts Foundation gave $416K across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in California. 94% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $416,000
- -59.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,235
- -59.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $119,904
- -77.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 94% first-time grantees (32 of 34, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (67% 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 Sustainable Arts Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. It directs readers to line 2a for application forms and materials and award restrictions.
- Contact
Application contact: Applysustainableartsfoundationorg
Mailing address: See Website, San Francisco, CA 94122
Phone: (415) 683-5859
Email: info@sustainableartsfoundation.org
Website: https://sustainableartsfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Sustainable Arts Foundation
Who Sustainable Arts Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Northern Chumash Tribal Council ($50K). Together the top 10 received $269K.
Grant Size Distribution
171 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 161 grants of 171 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in California. Other leading recipient states were New York (7%), Colorado (5%), South Dakota (5%), and Montana (4%). The 2024 grants also included recipients in Oklahoma and Utah.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sustainable Arts Foundation open to new grantees?
94%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 32 of 34 grantees (94%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $12K repeat.
- 6% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 146% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $169K (2021) to $1.0M (2023). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $416K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Chumash Tribal Council Los Osos, CA | General Budget | $50,000 |
| Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut Tribe Lemoore, CA | General Budget | $50,000 |
| Tule River Indian Health Center Porterville, CA | General Budget | $50,000 |
| YTT Northern Chumash Nonprofit San Luis Obispo, CA | General Budget | $50,000 |
| Sogorea Te Land Trust Oakland, CA | General Budget | $15,000 |
| Brooklyn Arts Exchange Brooklyn, NY | 2024 Residency Grant | $12,000 |
| Kala Art Institute Berkeley, CA | 2024 Residency Grant | $12,000 |
| Chalon Indian Council of Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA | General Budget | $10,000 |
| Chickasaw Foundation Ada, OK | General Budget | $10,000 |
| First Nations Development Institute Longmont, CO | General Budget | $10,000 |
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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 | $119,904 | $23,457 | $427,812 | $416,000 | 34 | $421,322 | $5,155 | $10,876 |
| 2023 | $524,259 | $-118,585 | $1,101,068 | $1,032,320 | 34 | $1,091,166 | $116,960 | $66,362 |
| 2022 | $1,493,355 | $159,389 | $246,388 | $193,990 | 23 | $237,313 | $114,130 | $78,813 |
| 2021 | $1,985,107 | $247,974 | $222,968 | $168,795 | 18 | $211,018 | $195,749 | $95,473 |
| 2020 | $1,866,337 | $353,810 | $244,102 | $186,710 | 62 | — | $286,859 | $91,283 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sustainable Arts Foundation reported a distributable amount of $11K 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’s earlier work supported creative parents and helped make artist residencies more accessible to parents. It reports having awarded unrestricted cash awards to 273 individual artists and grants to more than 60 residencies.
The foundation describes its transition as returning remaining funds to Indigenous communities, including through grants to local tribes, California Native programs, and Native-led national organizations. Among its 2024 grantees, the Northern Chumash Tribal Council says its mission is to help bring Chumash culture and heritage back to life and educate the public about Chumash continuity. Sogorea Te’ Land Trust describes itself as an urban Indigenous women-led land trust working to return Indigenous land to Indigenous people. First Peoples Fund says it honors and supports the collective spirit of First Peoples artists and culture bearers.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $416,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $7,500. The four largest listed grants were $50,000 each, to the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut Tribe, Tule River Indian Health Center, and YTT Northern Chumash Nonprofit; each was designated for general budget support. Other listed grants included $15,000 to Sogorea Te Land Trust for general budget support, and $12,000 each to Brooklyn Arts Exchange and Kala Art Institute for 2024 residency grants.
The foundation’s previous residency program supported organizations seeking to make residency opportunities more accessible to parent artists and writers. Its website says that program, along with the individual award program, is no longer running.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Anthony Grant and Caroline Grant as co-directors. The foundation’s website identifies Caroline and Tony Grant as its founders.
Sustainable Arts Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Anthony Grant
Co-Director
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caroline Grant
Co-Director
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/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 Sustainable Arts Foundation
How much does Sustainable Arts Foundation give each year?
Sustainable Arts Foundation gave $416K across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.0M across 34 grants.
What is Sustainable Arts Foundation's typical grant size?
Sustainable Arts Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $12,235, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sustainable Arts Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does Sustainable Arts Foundation give grants?
Sustainable Arts Foundation gives mostly in California: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Oakland, CA (2 grants), Juneau, AK (2 grants) and Santa Fe, NM (2 grants).
Does Sustainable Arts Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 65% of Sustainable Arts Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sustainable Arts Foundation's largest grantees?
Sustainable Arts Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Northern Chumash Tribal Council ($50,000), Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut Tribe ($50,000) and Tule River Indian Health Center ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sustainable Arts Foundation?
Sustainable Arts Foundation reported $120K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $421K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $11K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sustainable Arts Foundation fund?
The foundation’s earlier work supported creative parents and helped make artist residencies more accessible to parents. It reports having awarded unrestricted cash awards to 273 individual artists and grants to more than 60 residencies. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sustainable Arts Foundation?
The 2024 filing says giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sustainable Arts Foundation's EIN?
Sustainable Arts Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3373919. 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
Live grants for the work Sustainable Arts Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sustainable Arts Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sustainable Arts Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sustainable-arts-foundation-morg_61e78266c4714c749f0c2a75894a08e6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263373919_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sustainable Arts Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sustainable-arts-foundation-morg_61e78266c4714c749f0c2a75894a08e6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Sustainable Arts 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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