The Morrison & Foerster Foundation
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation is a public charity based in an individual recipient, California, formed in 1986. It focuses its charitable giving on U.S. nonprofit organizations serving communities where Morrison & Foerster personnel live and work, including organizations supporting disadvantaged children and youth, access to legal services, scholarships and fellowships, health and basic needs, and the arts.
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation at a glance
In short: The Morrison & Foerster Foundation gave $4.6M across 228 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), top state California. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,573,927
- +44.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 228
- +16.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,061
- +24.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,161,769
- -10.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (61 of 225, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (41% 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 Morrison & Foerster Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 425 Market Street 32Nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-2482
Phone: (415) 268-7000
Website: https://mofo.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Morrison & Foerster Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Equal Justice Works ($335K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($16,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
935 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 900 grants of 935 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s stated grantmaking serves communities where Morrison & Foerster personnel live and work and, for the programs described in its filing, communities where the firm has offices. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (41%), New York (22%), and the District of Columbia (21%), followed by Massachusetts (5%) and Virginia (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 228 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Morrison & Foerster Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 61 of 225 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $11K 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 $2.2M (2020) to $4.6M (2024). In 2024 it made 228 grants totaling $4.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Equal Justice Works Washington, DC | Fellowship Program, General Support | $335,000 |
| Myriad USA Inc New York, NY | Integrated brilliant education - restricted program support, child's dream foundation | $256,418 |
| Oakland Reach Oakland, CA | Restricted Program Support | $150,000 |
| De Novo Center for Justice and Healing Inc Cambridge, MA | Restricted Program Support | $112,500 |
| Dream Project Inc Arlington, VA | Restricted Program Support, General Support | $100,600 |
| Advocates for Children of New York Inc New York, NY | Restricted Program Support | $100,000 |
| DC Central Kitchen Inc Washington, DC | Restricted Program Support | $100,000 |
| Big Brothers and Big Sisters of NYC Inc New York, NY | Restricted Program Support, General Support | $85,000 |
| Bay Area Legal Aid Oakland, CA | General Support | $75,000 |
| Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco, CA | General Support | $75,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Morrison & Foerster Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,161,769 | $5,518,053 | $5,892,249 | $4,573,927 | 228 | $163,506 |
| 2023 | $3,535,965 | $5,060,819 | $4,466,752 | $3,172,065 | 196 | $126,173 |
| 2022 | $2,941,898 | $4,580,728 | $4,053,418 | $2,851,207 | 182 | $28,316 |
| 2021 | $2,414,588 | $3,913,713 | $3,949,564 | $2,666,024 | 177 | $221 |
| 2020 | $2,450,439 | $3,973,450 | $3,251,950 | $2,183,785 | 152 | $5,701 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to enable Morrison & Foerster’s people to focus their charitable giving on nonprofit organizations serving communities where the firm’s personnel live and work. Its stated grantmaking includes support for disadvantaged children and youth; reduced- or no-cost legal services for people of limited means; scholarships and fellowships benefiting children and youth or encouraging public service or diversity in higher education and the legal profession; and organizations addressing health, basic needs, or artistic endeavors. It also makes grants through employee and partner matching-gift programs.
Examples of grantees’ work, as described by the grantees themselves, include Equal Justice Works creating opportunities for lawyers to commit to public service; Bay Area Legal Aid providing free civil legal services to low-income residents; the Dream Project supporting students from Virginia’s immigrant community with scholarships, mentoring, and other assistance; and Advocates for Children of New York working to ensure high-quality education for students facing barriers to academic success.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 228 grants totaling $4,573,927. Grant amounts ranged from $5,100 to $335,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest reported grants included $335,000 to Equal Justice Works for its fellowship program and general support; $256,418 to Myriad USA for restricted program support; $150,000 to Oakland REACH for restricted program support; and $112,500 to De Novo Center for Justice and Healing for restricted program support. Other notable grants included $100,600 to the Dream Project, $100,000 each to Advocates for Children of New York and DC Central Kitchen, and $75,000 each to Bay Area Legal Aid, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the an individual recipient Bay Area, and Scientific Adventures.
Separately, in September 2024, the Foundation announced $2.1 million in special project grants for its 40th anniversary: $1.7 million in large grants for nonprofits broadly serving disadvantaged youth and families, plus $400,000 for 10 additional youth- and community-focused nonprofits. The Foundation said the selected programs addressed issues including educational equity, migrant children and families, food insecurity, and mental health services. The organizations were nominated by Morrison & Foerster lawyers and employees and selected by the Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jamie A. Levitt as chair and director; Kenneth A. Kuwayti as president and director; Trevor L. James as secretary and director; and Caitlin Sinclaire Blythe, Dale E. Caldwell, Thomas Th Chou, David A. Ephraim, Brian M. Kramer, Jaclyn Liu, and Scott F. Llewellyn as vice-presidents and directors.
The filing states that the Foundation is run entirely by volunteers who are Morrison & Foerster LLP partners or employees. It also states that the firm’s chair, or a partner serving the same function if there is no chair, annually names all Foundation directors.
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation is led by Kenneth A. Kuwayti, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 15 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kenneth A. Kuwayti
President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jamie A. Levitt
Chair & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alex Van Der Wolk
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian M. Kramer
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dale E. Caldwell
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David A. Ephraim
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. Alex Ward
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jaclyn Liu
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul D. McKenzie
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott F. Llewellyn
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Trevor L. James
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caitlin Sinclaire Blythe
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hanno Timner
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Th Chou
Vice President & Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Arthur M. Keller
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Anne M. Ellis (2020–2023) — Chief Operating Officer
- Former: Kira A. Davis (2023) — Vice President & Director
- Former: Angela Kerek (2020–2022) — Vice President & Director
- Former: Nancy R. Thomas (2020–2022) — Vice President & 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 Morrison & Foerster Foundation
How much does The Morrison & Foerster Foundation give each year?
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation gave $4.6M across 228 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $3.2M across 196 grants.
What is The Morrison & Foerster Foundation's typical grant size?
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $20,061, across 228 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Morrison & Foerster Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does The Morrison & Foerster Foundation give grants?
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation's top state is California, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (22%) and District of Columbia (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (42 grants), New York, NY (37 grants), San Francisco, CA (28 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (18 grants).
Does The Morrison & Foerster Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of The Morrison & Foerster Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (158 of 228) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Restricted Program Support" (10 grants) and "Undergraduate Program (Terraciano Scholarship Awards)" (9 grants).
Who are The Morrison & Foerster Foundation's largest grantees?
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Equal Justice Works ($335,000), Myriad USA Inc ($256,418) and Oakland Reach ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($16,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Morrison & Foerster Foundation?
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.5M.
What does The Morrison & Foerster Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to enable Morrison & Foerster’s people to focus their charitable giving on nonprofit organizations serving communities where the firm’s personnel live and work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Morrison & Foerster Foundation?
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check mofo.com for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Morrison & Foerster Foundation's EIN?
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3006979. 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 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 4, 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 November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Morrison & Foerster Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-morrison-and-foerster-foundation-morg_fbde437c2f5a490da9af0bad914a94cd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943006979_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Morrison \& Foerster Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-morrison-and-foerster-foundation-morg_fbde437c2f5a490da9af0bad914a94cd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Morrison & Foerster 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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