The Heising-Simons Action Fund
The Heising-Simons Action Fund is a public charity filing on Form 990, based in Los Altos, California. Established in 2020, it engages primarily in legislative and other public policy activities, including contributions to ballot measure campaigns and policy and legislative advocacy, to promote the common good and general welfare.
The Heising-Simons Action Fund at a glance
In short: The Heising-Simons Action Fund gave $16.2M across 73 grants in 2024 (avg $222K), top state District of Columbia. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $16,200,000
- +2.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 73
- -11.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $221,918
- +14.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $200,000
- Total assets
- $2,726,336
- -54.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (8 of 64, 2024)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (36% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Heising-Simons Action Fund
- Contact
Mailing address: 400 Main Street 160, Los Altos, CA 94022
Phone: (650) 887-0277
Website: https://hsaction.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Heising-Simons Action Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Alliance for Safety and Justice Action Fund ($645K). Together the top 10 received $5.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
311 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 167 grants of 311 (54%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Action Fund describes its work as taking place in California and elsewhere, with specific mention of community advocacy in San Jose and grassroots mobilization at the federal and state levels. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC (36%), California (27%), New York (12%), North Carolina (6%), and Texas (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 73 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Heising-Simons Action Fund open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 64 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $236K; repeat grants $256K. How we count
Medians: $225K first-time, $200K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $10.0M (2020) to $20.7M (2021). In 2024 it made 73 grants totaling $16.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance for Safety and Justice Action Fund Sacramento, CA | For General Support | $645,000 |
| Children's Funding Accelerator Inc Washington, DC | For General Support | $550,000 |
| Climate Equity Action Fund Washington, DC | For General Support | $500,000 |
| Care in Action Inc New York, NY | For the Care Can't Wait Campaign | $400,000 |
| Carolina Federation Durham, NC | For General Support | $400,000 |
| Center for Community Change Action Washington, DC | For General Support | $400,000 |
| Child Care Providers United California Los Angeles, CA | For communications support to transform child care subsidies in California | $400,000 |
| Climate Power Washington, DC | For General Support | $400,000 |
| Energy Action Fund San Francisco, CA | For General Support | $400,000 |
| Environmental Defense Action Fund Washington, DC | For General Support | $400,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,726,336 | $14,731,440 | $17,101,156 | $16,200,000 | 73 | $216,940 |
| 2023 | $5,939,767 | $18,250,554 | $16,619,548 | $15,850,000 | 82 | $446,500 |
| 2022 | $3,829,373 | $15,064,004 | $16,759,382 | $15,999,999 | 67 | $58,423 |
| 2021 | $5,883,828 | $24,516,493 | $21,429,454 | $20,700,000 | 53 | $3,703 |
| 2020 | $1,743,394 | $13,009,001 | $11,347,480 | $10,000,000 | 36 | $2,596 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Action Fund’s stated mission is to promote the common good and general welfare through legislative and other public policy activities in California and elsewhere. Its work focuses on climate and clean energy, education, human rights, civic engagement and community advocacy in San Jose, and grassroots mobilization to strengthen democracy and equitable representation.
The organization says it provided grants to organizations focused on policy and legislative advocacy in climate and clean energy, education, and human rights. Examples of grantees’ stated work include the Children’s Funding Accelerator, which says it helps communities translate voter support for early childhood development into sustained public investment; the Climate Equity Action Fund, which says it works with community-based partners to secure and sustain climate and clean-energy policy wins; and Energy Action Fund, which says it advocates for a clean and equitable energy future.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Action Fund reported 73 grants totaling $16.2 million. Grant amounts ranged from $20,000 to $645,000, with a median of $200,000. The filing describes grants to organizations working on policy and legislative advocacy.
The largest reported grant was $645,000 to Alliance for Safety and Justice Action Fund for general support. Other notable grants included $550,000 to Children’s Funding Accelerator Inc. and $500,000 to Climate Equity Action Fund, both for general support; and $400,000 each to Care in Action Inc. for the Care Can’t Wait campaign, Carolina Federation for general support, and Child Care Providers United California for communications support to transform child care subsidies in California.
Due diligence is performed before grants are made. Recipient reports may be requested at the discretion of the program officer. No application method or deadline is stated.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Elizabeth Simons as chair; Mark Heising, Caitlin Heising, and Matthew Heising as vice chairs; Kevin Luu as chief financial officer and treasurer; Chelsey Scaffidi as secretary; and Barbara Chow as program director. It lists Sushma Raman as president and CEO through July 24, 2024, Judy Blumenstein as treasurer through January 7, 2024 and finance director, and Jennifer Shipp as secretary through July 8, 2024 and interim CEO/president.
The filing states that the Action Fund has four voting directors: Mark Heising, Elizabeth Simons, Caitlin Heising, and Matthew Heising.
The Heising-Simons Action Fund is led by Jennifer Shipp, Secretary, Interim CEO & President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 10 of 14 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jennifer Shipp
Secretary, Interim CEO & President
General Counsel → Secretary, Interim CEO & President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.2 hrs/week
$46K (2020) → $22K (2024)
Sushma Raman
President & CEO
President → President & CEO, 2024
On filings since 2023
1.1 hrs/week
$23K (2023) → $23K (2024)
Elizabeth Simons
Chair
On filings since 2020
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Angie Junck
Program Director
On filings since 2020
7.6 hrs/week
$32K (2020) → $96K (2024)
Barbara Chow
Program Director
On filings since 2020
1.7 hrs/week
$28K (2020) → $23K (2024)
Brian Eule
Communications Director
Corporate Secretary → Communications Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.1 hrs/week
$13K (2020) → $8K (2024)
Judy R. Blumenstein
Treasurer & Finance Director
Director & Finance → Treasurer, 2023
Treasurer → Treasurer & Finance Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.2 hrs/week
$7K (2020) → $12K (2024)
Camellia Pham
Special Initiatives
New on the 2024 filing
1.1 hrs/week
$7K (2024)
Chelsey Scaffidi
Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
1.1 hrs/week
$7K (2024)
Kevin Luu
Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
1.1 hrs/week
$12K (2024)
Laura Wisland
Program Officer
New on the 2024 filing
1.1 hrs/week
$7K (2024)
Caitlin Heising
Vice Chair
On filings since 2020
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Heising
Vice Chair
On filings since 2020
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Heising
Vice Chair
On filings since 2023
0.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Deanna Gomby (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Jeff Malloy (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Cynthia Atherton (2021–2023) — Program Director
- Former: Roland Hwang (2022–2023) — Program Director
- Former: Devra Wang (2020) — Program 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $96K, to Angie Junck (Program Director). 10 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Heising-Simons Action Fund
How much does The Heising-Simons Action Fund give each year?
The Heising-Simons Action Fund gave $16.2M across 73 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $15.8M across 82 grants.
What is The Heising-Simons Action Fund's typical grant size?
The Heising-Simons Action Fund's median grant in 2024 was $200,000, and its average grant was $221,918, across 73 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Heising-Simons Action Fund that year got $236K on average.
Where does The Heising-Simons Action Fund give grants?
The Heising-Simons Action Fund's top state is District of Columbia, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (27%) and New York (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (21 grants), San Francisco, CA (8 grants), New York, NY (7 grants) and Oakland, CA (5 grants).
Does The Heising-Simons Action Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 75% of The Heising-Simons Action Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (55 of 73) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are The Heising-Simons Action Fund's largest grantees?
The Heising-Simons Action Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Alliance for Safety and Justice Action Fund ($645,000), Sixteen Thirty Fund ($575,000 across 2 grants) and Children's Funding Accelerator Inc ($550,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 11% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Heising-Simons Action Fund?
The Heising-Simons Action Fund reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $14.7M.
What does The Heising-Simons Action Fund fund?
The Action Fund’s stated mission is to promote the common good and general welfare through legislative and other public policy activities in California and elsewhere. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Heising-Simons Action Fund?
The Heising-Simons Action Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check hsaction.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Heising-Simons Action Fund's EIN?
The Heising-Simons Action Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-4316553. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Heising-Simons Action Fund funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Heising-Simons Action Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-heising-simons-action-fund-morg_b0e23b8a2fb742c7b9034145882510c3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_844316553_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Heising-Simons Action Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-heising-simons-action-fund-morg_b0e23b8a2fb742c7b9034145882510c3},
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 The Heising-Simons Action Fund'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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