Tella Sakamoto Foundation
Tella Sakamoto Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. In its 2025 filing, it reported 20 grants totaling $136,359, including support for poverty relief, education, performing arts, media, health, and humanitarian organizations.
Tella Sakamoto Foundation at a glance
In short: Tella Sakamoto Foundation gave $136K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in New York. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $136,359
- +15.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +17.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,818
- -1.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,550
- Total assets
- $2,345,331
- -1.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (3 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (58% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Tella Sakamoto Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 870 Bruce Dr, Palo Alto, CA 94303-3643
Phone: (650) 494-1045
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tella Sakamoto Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was GiveDirectly Inc ($50K). Together the top 10 received $132K.
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 95 grants of 99 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars were reported as going to recipients in New York (58%), California (26%), and Pennsylvania (15%); the filing also lists 1% for an unspecified state and 1% for Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tella Sakamoto Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 20 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 75% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $118K (2024) to $237K (2023). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $136K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| GiveDirectly Inc New York, NY | SNAP Gap Program | $50,000 |
| Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | General fund | $20,000 |
| Fdn for Liberty and Human Rights Berkeley, CA | General fund | $15,000 |
| Palo Alto Medical Foundation Palo Alto, CA | General fund | $10,000 |
| Martha Graham Dance Company New York, NY | General fund | $10,000 |
| Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation New York, NY | General fund | $10,000 |
| Ballet Theatre Foundation New York, NY | General fund | $5,000 |
| Kqed San Francisco, CA | General fund | $5,000 |
| HaoExpression Dance Company Mountain View, CA | General fund | $5,000 |
| Childrens International New York, NY | Philippines typhoon relief 10,000 and general fund 1,875 | $2,100 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,345,331 | $113,940 | $144,179 | $136,359 | 20 | $144,159 | $113,920 | $191,970 |
| 2024 | $2,375,570 | $365,717 | $127,119 | $117,726 | 17 | $125,251 | $363,849 | $176,993 |
| 2023 | $2,136,972 | $112,552 | $246,310 | $237,180 | 22 | $244,430 | $111,229 | $154,627 |
| 2022 | $2,270,730 | $73,685 | $158,908 | $118,134 | 20 | $125,209 | $40,090 | $166,178 |
| 2021 | $2,355,953 | $132,728 | $290,633 | $174,148 | 20 | $255,665 | $97,760 | $183,381 |
| 2020 | $2,513,858 | $25,173 | $215,433 | $121,215 | 29 | — | $18,215 | $172,295 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tella Sakamoto Foundation reported a distributable amount of $192K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. GiveDirectly describes its mission as reducing poverty by providing financial assistance directly to people in need. Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation says it provides dance performances, training and education, and community programs. Ballet Theatre Foundation describes its work as presenting and preserving classical dance through performances and educational programming. KQED says it provides public-interest media, community dialogue, arts programming, and educational support.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $136,359. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $50,000, with a median of $1,550.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $50,000 to GiveDirectly Inc for its SNAP Gap Program; $20,000 to Carnegie Mellon University for its general fund; $15,000 to Foundation for Liberty and Human Rights for its general fund; and $10,000 each to Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Martha Graham Dance Company, and Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, all for general funds. Other grants included $5,000 each to Ballet Theatre Foundation, KQED, and HaoExpression Dance Company. Children International received $2,100, with the filing listing Philippines typhoon relief and general fund purposes. Doctors Without Borders USA and Osmania University each received $1,000; the latter grant was for the University College of Engineering.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Vijay Tella as president, director, and Hideko Sakamoto as secretary, CFO, and director.
Tella Sakamoto Foundation is led by Vijay Tella, President Director since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Vijay Tella
President Director
President & Director → President Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hideko Sakamoto
Secretary CFO Director
Secretary, CFO & Director → Secretary CFO Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Gopal Rao Tella (2020–2021) — Vice President COO
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Tella Sakamoto Foundation
How much does Tella Sakamoto Foundation give each year?
Tella Sakamoto Foundation gave $136K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $118K across 17 grants.
What is Tella Sakamoto Foundation's typical grant size?
Tella Sakamoto Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,550, and its average grant was $6,818, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tella Sakamoto Foundation that year got $19K on average.
Where does Tella Sakamoto Foundation give grants?
Tella Sakamoto Foundation gives mostly in New York: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (26%) and Pennsylvania (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants), Palo Alto, CA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Tella Sakamoto Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 85% of Tella Sakamoto Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Tella Sakamoto Foundation's largest grantees?
Tella Sakamoto Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include GiveDirectly Inc ($50,000), Carnegie Mellon University ($20,000) and Fdn for Liberty and Human Rights ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Tella Sakamoto Foundation?
Tella Sakamoto Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $144K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $192K (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 Tella Sakamoto Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. GiveDirectly describes its mission as reducing poverty by providing financial assistance directly to people in need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tella Sakamoto Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Tella Sakamoto Foundation's EIN?
Tella Sakamoto Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0559416. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Tella Sakamoto Foundation 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 17, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 11, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 25, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tella Sakamoto Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tella-sakamoto-foundation-morg_640eb5302b9746d2bac06f63e51199f7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_770559416_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tella Sakamoto Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tella-sakamoto-foundation-morg_640eb5302b9746d2bac06f63e51199f7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Tella Sakamoto 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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