The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation
The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation is a private foundation based in Ross, California. Its 2024 filing reports 26 grants totaling $6,726,988, supporting organizations working in areas including climate and conservation, student leadership, and public broadcasting.
The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation at a glance
In short: The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation gave $6.7M across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $259K), mostly in California. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,726,988
- +9.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- +4.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $258,730
- +5.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $200,000
- Total assets
- $49,029,511
- -1.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (7 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (69% 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 The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1072, Ross, CA 94957
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was PBS Foundation ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $4.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
120 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 47 grants of 120 (39%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, California recipients received 69% of grant dollars, Virginia recipients 15%, Colorado recipients 6%, Montana recipients 4%, and Texas recipients 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 26 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $273K; repeat grants $254K. How we count
Medians: $250K first-time, $200K repeat.
- 69% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 28% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 155% of 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 $6.2M (2023) to $9.4M (2021). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $6.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| PBS Foundation Arlington, VA | PBS Climate Initiative | $1,000,000 |
| Summer Search Oakland, CA | Summer Search No Ceilings Campaign | $1,000,000 |
| Sustainable Conservation San Francisco, CA | Stewarding Soils and Watersheds Toward Water Resilience | $500,000 |
| The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Menlo Park, CA | Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Fund IV | $500,000 |
| Point Blue Conservation Science Petaluma, CA | Unlocking Point Blue's Public/Private Partnerships to Dramatically Increase Conservation Impact | $400,000 |
| Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation Bozeman, MT | Adventure Scientists Project Seed Fund | $300,000 |
| California Assoc of Resource Conservation District Sacramento, CA | Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling carbon SEQUESTRATION AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE ON WORKING LANDS | $300,000 |
| Carbon Cycle Institute Petaluma, CA | Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resilience on Working Lands | $300,000 |
| The Climate Center Santa Rosa, CA | Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Up Natural Sequestration on Working Lands | $300,000 |
| Foundation for National Progress San Francisco, CA | General & Unrestricted | $250,000 |
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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 | $49,029,511 | $6,923,173 | $7,488,002 | $6,726,988 | 26 | $7,046,592 | $3,295,879 | $4,549,563 |
| 2023 | $49,594,340 | $2,974,766 | $6,958,493 | $6,158,834 | 25 | $6,484,068 | $2,178,290 | $4,527,912 |
| 2022 | $53,578,067 | $4,930,146 | $7,435,611 | $6,581,658 | 21 | $6,854,086 | $4,378,566 | $4,360,285 |
| 2021 | $56,083,532 | $5,483,130 | $10,621,093 | $9,375,411 | 26 | $9,676,750 | $4,540,777 | $5,364,987 |
| 2020 | $61,221,495 | $2,038,322 | $8,346,537 | $7,327,306 | 22 | — | $1,468,376 | $5,440,782 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for climate and conservation efforts, student development, public broadcasting, and social enterprises.
The grantees describe their work in varied ways. Summer Search says it supports low-income high school students through mentoring, summer experiences, college advising, and a lasting support network. The Climate Center describes itself as a climate and energy policy nonprofit working to reduce climate pollution, starting in California. Sustainable Conservation says it advances collaborative stewardship of California’s land, air, and water. The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation describes itself as a venture philanthropy firm supporting early-stage, high-impact social enterprises.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $6,726,988. Grants ranged from $15 to $1,000,000, with a median grant of $200,000.
The largest 2024 grants included $1,000,000 each to PBS Foundation for its PBS Climate Initiative and Summer Search for its No Ceilings Campaign. Sustainable Conservation and the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation each received $500,000. Point Blue Conservation Science received $400,000. Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation, the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, Carbon Cycle Institute, and The Climate Center each received $300,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Eleanor Patterson Clifford as director; Elizabeth R Patterson as president, director, and treasurer; and William R Patterson as secretary and director.
The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation is led by Elizabeth R Patterson, President, Director & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elizabeth R Patterson
President, Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William R Patterson
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eleanor Patterson Clifford
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Ellie Patterson (2020) — Director
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 The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation
How much does The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation give each year?
The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation gave $6.7M across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $6.2M across 25 grants.
What is The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation's typical grant size?
The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $200,000, and its average grant was $258,730, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation that year got $273K on average.
Where does The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation give grants?
The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation gives mostly in California: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (15%) and Colorado (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (4 grants), Petaluma, CA (3 grants), Oakland, CA (2 grants) and Boulder, CO (2 grants).
Does The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 31% of The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation's largest grantees?
The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include PBS Foundation ($1,000,000), Summer Search ($1,000,000) and Sustainable Conservation ($500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation?
The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation reported $49.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $7.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for climate and conservation efforts, student development, public broadcasting, and social enterprises. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation's EIN?
The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3667071. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson 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 October 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 November 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-elizabeth-r-and-william-j-patterson-foundation-morg_002190cd3c2148028df96a48bb704514
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383667071_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Elizabeth R \& William J Patterson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-elizabeth-r-and-william-j-patterson-foundation-morg_002190cd3c2148028df96a48bb704514},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson 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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