The Silver Lining Foundation

SAN FRANCISCO, CA EIN: 94-3285094 Website

The Silver Lining Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) grantmaking foundation based in San Francisco, California. Established in 1998, the foundation operates as a private foundation focused on philanthropic giving and educational support.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$40.5M

-46.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.8M

+12.0% YoY

Grant Count

+18.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$64K

-5.9% YoY

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 April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission is to improve the lives and prospects of low-income children in the San Francisco Bay Area by affording them increased and more accessible educational opportunities. The foundation identifies and contributes to organizations whose work promotes success in school and other academically-oriented enrichment activities.

Primary funding focus areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

The foundation makes grants primarily in California, Wisconsin, and New York. Recent grantmaking activity includes:

Ready to take the next step with The Silver Lining Foundation?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Primary funding focus is the San Francisco Bay Area, California, with additional grantmaking in Wisconsin and New York.

Grant Distribution by State

California $11.4M (77%)

Minnesota $751K (5%)

Michigan $625K (4%)

Virginia $465K (3%)

New York $376K (3%)

District of Columbia $272K (2%)

Rhode Island $178K (1%)

Massachusetts $150K (1%)

+7 more states

States

California District of Columbia Georgia Illinois Massachusetts Maryland Michigan Minnesota North Carolina New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Virginia Washington Wisconsin

Cities

AlamedaAnn ArborArlingtonAshevilleBaldwinBerkeleyBostonBrooklynCambridgeChapel HillChicagoDetroitDewittEast Palo AltoEdinaFresnoHarrisburgLong BeachLos AngelesMclean

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Financial Data (2024):

Total Assets: $40,500,981
Total Revenues: $4,009,401
Total Expenses: $3,724,154

Historical Data (2023):

Total Assets: $75.1M
Total Revenues: $2.37M
Total Expenses: $4.12M
Total Liabilities: $1.52M

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$40,500,981	$75,071,927	$48,620,573
Revenue	$4,009,401	$2,370,752	$2,921,840
Expenses	$3,724,154	$4,119,376	$4,426,652
Qualifying Distributions	$3,523,355	$3,047,060	$4,319,592
Net Investment Income	$3,429,744	$2,233,916	$2,776,726
Distributable Amount	$2,526,481	$2,790,121	$3,028,177

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

210 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include California Education Partners ($1,043,211), Children Now ($175,000), Occidental College ($170,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH IN THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES SAN MATEO, CA	TO SUPPORT EDUCATION OUTCOME IMPROVEMENT	$150,000
ASHEVILLE SCHOOL INC ASHEVILLE, NC	TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS	$5,000
ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE ASIAN LAW CAUCUS SAN FRANCISCO, CA	TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ORGANIZING	$25,000
ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE ATLANTA INC NORCROSS, GA	TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ORGANIZING	$25,000
ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES, CA	TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ORGANIZING	$25,000
BOREALIS PHILANTHROPY MINNEAPOLIS, MN	TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ORGANIZING	$150,000
CALIFORNIA EDUCATION PARTNERS SAN FRANCISCO, CA	TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS	$1,043,211
CATCHLIGHT SAN FRANCISCO, CA	TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS	$5,000
CHILDREN NOW OAKLAND, CA	TO SUPPORT EDUCATION OUTCOME IMPROVEMENT	$175,000
CROHN'S & COLITIS FOUNDATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA	TO SUPPORT RESEARCH COMMUNITY AND PROGRAMS	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
PHILIP W HALPERIN	PRESIDENT	7	$2,308
PEGGY ANNE DOW	SECRETARY	1	—
MAURINE S HALPERIN	DIRECTOR	1	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Silver Lining Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from The Silver Lining Foundation?

The foundation makes grants primarily in California, Wisconsin, and New York. Recent grantmaking activity includes: **2024 Grants Made:** • The California Education Partners: $1,043,211 (to support education programs) • Children Now: $175,000 (to support education outcome improvement) • Occidental College: $170,000 (to support education programs) • Total of 38 grants made in 2024 **Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $500–$1,085,388 • Total giving in 2024: $2,809,211 **Funding Sourc…

Where does The Silver Lining Foundation make grants?

Primary funding focus is the San Francisco Bay Area, California, with additional grantmaking in Wisconsin and New York.

What size grants does The Silver Lining Foundation award?

In 2024, The Silver Lining Foundation awarded 44 grants totaling $2.8M — an average of about $64K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Silver Lining Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Silver Lining Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.