The Sato Fdn Separate Fund
The Sato Fdn Separate Fund is a private foundation based in San Rafael, California. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, primarily in California.
The Sato Fdn Separate Fund at a glance
In short: The Sato Fdn Separate Fund gave $376K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), mostly in California. 22% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $376,000
- -2.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- +21.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,348
- -19.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,454,421
- -2.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (5 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (95% 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 Sato Fdn Separate Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 369 3Rd St Ste B-462, San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: (213) 861-5183
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Sato Fdn Separate Fund
Who The Sato Fdn Separate Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Marin Community Foundation ($65K). Together the top 10 received $255K.
Grant Size Distribution
106 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 97 grants of 106 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 95% of reported grant dollars went to California recipients, with 3% each going to Massachusetts and Colorado. The reported shares may not total 100% because of rounding.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Sato Fdn Separate Fund open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 23 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 98% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $376K (2024) to $413K (2022). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $376K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Marin Community Foundation Novato, CA | General Operating | $65,000 |
| Napa Valley Community Foundation Napa, CA | General Operating | $50,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | General Operating | $35,000 |
| Awake Los Angeles, CA | General Operating | $20,000 |
| Kqed San Francisco, CA | General Operating | $20,000 |
| Kala Art Institute Berkeley, CA | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Mountain School Mountain View, CA | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Performing Stars Marin City, CA | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Wildcare San Rafael, CA | General Operating | $10,000 |
| California Academy of Sciences San Francisco, CA | General Operating | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Sato Fdn Separate Fund?
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 | $6,454,421 | $233,067 | $419,130 | $376,000 | 23 | $402,475 | $217,254 | $410,019 |
| 2023 | $6,620,742 | $180,695 | $417,439 | $385,000 | 19 | $399,576 | $174,549 | $367,900 |
| 2022 | $6,858,903 | $43,331 | $450,444 | $413,000 | 21 | $427,407 | $139,979 | $384,090 |
| 2021 | $7,270,180 | $335,886 | $430,269 | $378,000 | 22 | $392,586 | $300,729 | $425,417 |
| 2020 | $7,357,757 | $185,721 | $443,642 | $405,000 | 21 | — | $206,029 | $405,643 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sato Fdn Separate Fund reported a distributable amount of $410K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The program description presents the foundation’s aim as supporting cultural and educational programs that help people develop essential life skills. It highlights innovative, long-term initiatives and experiential, culturally enriching opportunities.
The 2024 grantees illustrate a range of work. Marin Community Foundation describes its mission as advancing equity for people, places, and the planet by mobilizing community and philanthropic resources. Kala Art Institute says it helps artists sustain their work and engages the community through exhibitions, public programs, and education. KQED describes its work as providing Northern California audiences with public-service media, community dialogue, arts programming, and educational support. Other grantees include organizations whose stated missions involve youth surf instruction, wildlife education and conservation, and musical performance.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the funder reported 23 grants totaling $376,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $65,000, with a median of $10,000. Notable grants included $65,000 to Marin Community Foundation, $50,000 to Napa Valley Community Foundation, $35,000 to Stanford University, and $20,000 each to AWAKE and KQED. The listed grant purposes were general operating.
The Sato Foundation Grant is described as active. Its program description says a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status submits a letter of inquiry. The foundation’s 2024 filing, however, states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kozo Sato as CEO/Treasurer, Sonia Sato as Director, and Kate Sato Burton as Secretary.
The Sato Fdn Separate Fund is led by Kozo Sato, CEO & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kozo Sato
CEO & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sonia Sato
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kate Sato Burton
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Sato Fdn Separate Fund
How much does The Sato Fdn Separate Fund give each year?
The Sato Fdn Separate Fund gave $376K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $385K across 19 grants.
What is The Sato Fdn Separate Fund's typical grant size?
The Sato Fdn Separate Fund's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $16,348, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sato Fdn Separate Fund that year got $11K on average.
Where does The Sato Fdn Separate Fund give grants?
The Sato Fdn Separate Fund gives mostly in California: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (7 grants) and San Rafael, CA (2 grants).
Does The Sato Fdn Separate Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Sato Fdn Separate Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Sato Fdn Separate Fund's largest grantees?
The Sato Fdn Separate Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Marin Community Foundation ($65,000), Napa Valley Community Foundation ($50,000) and Stanford University ($35,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Sato Fdn Separate Fund?
The Sato Fdn Separate Fund reported $6.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $402K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $410K (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 The Sato Fdn Separate Fund fund?
The program description presents the foundation’s aim as supporting cultural and educational programs that help people develop essential life skills. It highlights innovative, long-term initiatives and experiential, culturally enriching opportunities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sato Fdn Separate Fund?
The Sato Fdn Separate Fund does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.
What is The Sato Fdn Separate Fund's EIN?
The Sato Fdn Separate Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3356933. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Sato Fdn Separate Fund 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sato Fdn Separate Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sato-fdn-separate-fund-morg_34be72cdf07e4a08aa676bda6f5ce2a8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943356933_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sato Fdn Separate Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sato-fdn-separate-fund-morg_34be72cdf07e4a08aa676bda6f5ce2a8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Sato Fdn Separate 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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