The Play Equity Fund
The Play Equity Fund is a public charity based in Los Angeles, California, formed in 2014. It supports programs using sport and play to advance gender equity and social justice, increase awareness of equity in sports, and provide sports-based youth development.
The Play Equity Fund at a glance
In short: The Play Equity Fund gave $1.2M across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $41K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,152,499
- +258.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- +115.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $41,161
- +66.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $11,034,646
- +79.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to The Play Equity Fund
- Contact
Mailing address: 2141 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90018
Phone: (323) 730-4628
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Play Equity Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Project Blue - (Formerly Kids & Cops Making a Difference) ($110K). Together the top 10 received $711K.
Grant Size Distribution
178 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 116 grants of 178 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 6% to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Play Equity Fund gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 $120K (2020) to $2.8M (2022). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Project Blue - (Formerly Kids & Cops Making a Difference) Carson, CA | Program Support | $110,200 |
| Inglewood Unified School District Los Angeles, CA | Program Support | $90,000 |
| Los Angeles Parks Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Program Support | $89,899 |
| After-School All-Stars Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Program Support | $60,200 |
| Boyle Heights Youth Football Los Angeles, CA | Program Support | $60,200 |
| Boys & Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley and Eastside Monterey Park, CA | Program Support | $60,200 |
| Everybody Dance LA Los Angeles, CA | Program Support | $60,200 |
| Hollenbeck Police Activities League Los Angeles, CA | Program Support | $60,200 |
| Proyecto Pastoral Los Angeles, CA | Program Support | $60,200 |
| Street Soccer USA Inc New York, NY | Program Support | $60,200 |
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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 | $11,034,646 | $7,411,080 | $2,555,072 | $1,152,499 | 28 | $26,783 |
| 2023 | $6,143,150 | $1,177,865 | $2,534,413 | $321,600 | 13 | $8,056 |
| 2022 | $8,091,209 | $4,138,874 | $5,067,343 | $2,767,852 | 49 | $217 |
| 2021 | $8,804,590 | $6,621,285 | $3,072,010 | $1,880,975 | 84 | $165 |
| 2020 | $4,582,964 | $4,360,934 | $754,512 | $120,000 | 4 | $175 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is “bringing the transformational power of sport and play to all children, regardless of their race, gender, zip code or socio-economic status.” Its stated program areas include supporting gender equity and social justice through sport, increasing knowledge and awareness of equity in sports, and supporting national sports legacy programs that provide meaningful sports-based youth development.
Its 2024 grantees include organizations with a range of youth and community missions. For example, Los Angeles Parks Foundation says its mission is to enhance, expand, preserve and promote public recreation, parks and open space for Los Angeles’s diverse people. Woodcraft Rangers says its NVision after-school program aims to reduce risk factors and increase young people’s chances of success in school and life through youth development programs for low-income and/or at-risk youth. Street Soccer USA says it uses soccer and community-based programs to fight poverty and strengthen communities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the funder reported 28 grants totaling $1,152,499. Grants ranged from $5,200 to $110,200, with a median of $50,000. Listed grants were generally designated for program support. Among the largest were $110,200 to Project Blue (formerly Kids & Cops Making a Difference), $90,000 to Inglewood Unified School District, and $89,899 to Los Angeles Parks Foundation.
Other 2024 grants included $60,200 each to After-School All-Stars Los Angeles, Boyle Heights Youth Football, Boys & Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley and Eastside, Everybody Dance LA, Hollenbeck Police Activities League, Proyecto Pastoral, Street Soccer USA, Woodcraft Rangers, and YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. Proyecto Pastoral describes its mission as empowering Boyle Heights’ economically and politically disenfranchised community through grassroots projects in education, leadership and service. Everybody Dance LA says it transforms the lives of underserved Los Angeles youth through high-quality dance instruction.
During the grant period, funds are monitored through reports that include the program location, number of youth served, outcomes as defined by the grantee, and other information the grantee chooses to share. Monitoring may also include phone calls and potential site visits; a site visit is described as observing an exemplar day of the program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Renata Simril as president; William O’Brien as chair; Lisa Wehrly as vice chair; and Joseph Lumarda as secretary. Directors listed are Elizabeth Alexander, Wendy Chang, Terry Feit, Gina Galasso, Jeffrey Glassman, and Robert Graziano.
The Play Equity Fund is led by Renata Simril, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 17 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Renata Simril
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William O'Brien
Chair
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Glassman
Director
Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marquise Watts
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Chang
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Alexander
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frank Sanchez
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gina Galasso
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Graziano
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stasia Washington
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Quesada
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Kaplan
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Terry Feit
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Greuel
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Lumarda
Secretary
Director → Chairman, 2023
Chairman → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marcia Suzuki
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Wehrly
Vice Chair
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Benjamin Shriner (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Derek Fisher (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Zamora (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jane Usher (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Joanne Pasternak (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Lindsay Amstutz (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Valorie Kondos Field (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Debrah Kay Duncan (2023) — Director
- Former: Fernando Ramirez (2023) — Vice President
- Former: James Lopez (2023) — Program Director Social Impact
- Former: Alexia Valencia (2022) — Director & Development
- Former: Kathleen Ash (2020) — Chief Development Officer
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 Play Equity Fund
How much does The Play Equity Fund give each year?
The Play Equity Fund gave $1.2M across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $322K across 13 grants.
What is The Play Equity Fund's typical grant size?
The Play Equity Fund's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $41,161, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does The Play Equity Fund give grants?
The Play Equity Fund gives mostly in California: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (18 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Play Equity Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on The Play Equity Fund's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (28 grants).
Who are The Play Equity Fund's largest grantees?
The Play Equity Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Project Blue - (Formerly Kids & Cops Making a Difference) ($110,200), Inglewood Unified School District ($90,000) and Los Angeles Parks Foundation ($89,899), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Play Equity Fund?
The Play Equity Fund reported $11.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $7.4M.
What does The Play Equity Fund fund?
The organization’s stated mission is “bringing the transformational power of sport and play to all children, regardless of their race, gender, zip code or socio-economic status.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Play Equity Fund?
The Play Equity Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Play Equity Fund's EIN?
The Play Equity Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1295322. 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 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 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 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Play Equity Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Play Equity Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-play-equity-fund-morg_aaef4098c1494b78aaf8a95b8fc84a00
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_471295322_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Play Equity Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-play-equity-fund-morg_aaef4098c1494b78aaf8a95b8fc84a00},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Play Equity 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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