The Silver Lining Foundation
The Silver Lining Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California, according to its filing information. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with the largest awards supporting education programs and education outcome improvement.
The Silver Lining Foundation at a glance
In short: The Silver Lining Foundation gave $2.8M across 44 grants in 2024 (avg $64K), mostly in California. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,806,461
- +12.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 44
- +18.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $63,783
- -5.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $40,500,981
- -46.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (14 of 44, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (70% 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 Silver Lining 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. The Silver Linings Foundation website also describes an individual equipment-assistance application, but it lists a different EIN from the San Francisco foundation; its application process and current status therefore cannot be confirmed as applying to this funder.
- Contact
Mailing address: One Lombard Street 305, San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 834-9934
Website: https://silverliningsfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Silver Lining Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was California Education Partners ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $2.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
210 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 123 grants of 210 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants were concentrated in California, which received 70% of grant dollars. Other leading recipient-state shares were Minnesota (5%), the District of Columbia (4%), Massachusetts (4%), and New York (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Silver Lining Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 44 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $38K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 66% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−7%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 139% 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 $2.5M (2023) to $3.6M (2020). In 2024 it made 44 grants totaling $2.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California Education Partners San Francisco, CA | To Support Education Programs | $1,043,211 |
| Children Now Oakland, CA | To Support Education Outcome Improvement | $175,000 |
| Occidental College Los Angeles, CA | To Support Education Programs | $170,000 |
| American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences San Mateo, CA | To Support Education Outcome Improvement | $150,000 |
| Borealis Philanthropy Minneapolis, MN | To Support Community Organizing | $150,000 |
| Edsource Oakland, CA | To Support Education Outcome and Improvement | $100,000 |
| Educare Silicon Valley San Jose, CA | To Support Education Programs | $100,000 |
| Power California Oakland, CA | To Support Community Organizing | $75,000 |
| Accelerate Change Inc Boston, MA | To Support Community Organizing | $75,000 |
| Hopewell Fund Washington, DC | To Support Community Organizing | $75,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Silver Lining Foundation?
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 | $40,500,981 | $4,009,401 | $3,724,154 | $2,806,461 | 44 | $3,523,355 | $3,429,744 | $2,526,481 |
| 2023 | $75,071,927 | $2,370,752 | $4,119,376 | $2,506,638 | 37 | $3,047,060 | $2,233,916 | $2,790,121 |
| 2022 | $48,620,573 | $2,921,840 | $4,426,652 | $2,935,428 | 47 | $4,319,592 | $2,776,726 | $3,028,177 |
| 2021 | $82,275,065 | $8,390,863 | $4,507,850 | $3,004,000 | 40 | $4,102,264 | $8,291,828 | $4,149,046 |
| 2020 | $80,651,636 | $2,020,179 | $4,462,348 | $3,580,000 | 42 | — | $1,901,426 | $4,183,293 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Silver Lining Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.5M 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
No mission statement for the San Francisco foundation is established in the available information. Its 2024 grants show support for education programs, education outcome improvement, community organizing, and community programs.
Among its grantees, Children Now says it advances equitable solutions for California’s children; EdSource says it distributes information on public education to support public engagement and effective policy; and Borealis Philanthropy says it directs resources to people building thriving communities, with those most affected by injustice leading. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions, not statements of the foundation’s mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 44 grants totaling $2,806,461. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $1,043,211, with a median award of $25,000.
The largest reported grants included $1,043,211 to California Education Partners for education programs; $175,000 to Children Now for education outcome improvement; $170,000 to Occidental College for education programs; and $150,000 to the American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences for education outcome improvement. Other notable awards included $150,000 to Borealis Philanthropy for community organizing, $100,000 to EdSource for education outcome improvement, and $100,000 to Educare Silicon Valley for education programs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Philip W. Halperin as president, Peggy Anne Dow as secretary, and Maurine S. Halperin as director.
The Silver Lining Foundation is led by Philip W. Halperin, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Philip W. Halperin
President
On filings since 2020
7 hrs/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2024)
Maurine S. Halperin
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peggy Anne Dow
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Julie Kidd (2020–2022) — Executive 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 $2K, to Philip W Halperin (President).
Frequently asked questions about The Silver Lining Foundation
How much does The Silver Lining Foundation give each year?
The Silver Lining Foundation gave $2.8M across 44 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.5M across 37 grants.
What is The Silver Lining Foundation's typical grant size?
The Silver Lining Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $63,783, across 44 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Silver Lining Foundation that year got $38K on average.
Where does The Silver Lining Foundation give grants?
The Silver Lining Foundation gives mostly in California: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Minnesota (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (14 grants), Oakland, CA (3 grants), Boston, MA (3 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does The Silver Lining Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 44 grants with a stated purpose on The Silver Lining Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support Community Organizing" (14 grants), "To Support Education Programs" (13 grants) and "To Support Community Programs" (11 grants).
Who are The Silver Lining Foundation's largest grantees?
The Silver Lining Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include California Education Partners ($1,043,211), Children Now ($175,000) and Occidental College ($170,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Silver Lining Foundation?
The Silver Lining Foundation reported $40.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Silver Lining Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the San Francisco foundation is established in the available information. Its 2024 grants show support for education programs, education outcome improvement, community organizing, and community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Silver Lining 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 Silver Lining Foundation's EIN?
The Silver Lining Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3285094. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Silver Lining 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 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Silver Lining Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Silver Lining Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-silver-lining-foundation-morg_6ae9faebdef9487ea8675d37bbb2b2e4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943285094_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Silver Lining Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-silver-lining-foundation-morg_6ae9faebdef9487ea8675d37bbb2b2e4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Silver Lining 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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