The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation
The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. It aims to support women and girls in public service and civic engagement, people working on the climate crisis, and visionaries driving community transformation.
The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation at a glance
In short: The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation gave $396K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $395,720
- +2.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- +90.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,827
- -46.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $6,629,399
- -0.9% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (23% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website describes a two-page letter of inquiry outlining program objectives and funding needs, with a proposal invitation if the work aligns with its priorities. The website says it typically does not fund capital campaigns, international programs, health services, direct service programs, drug or alcohol rehabilitation, or film/video projects.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 29921, San Francisco, CA 94129-9921
Phone: (415) 439-1144
Website: https://susietompkinsbuell.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Red Wine & Blue Education Fund ($50K). Together the top 10 received $295K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 82 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to New York (23%), the District of Columbia (19%), California (13%), Ohio (13%), and Michigan (8%). Grants also included recipients in Georgia and Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation gives
- 21% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 262% from 2021 to 2024. 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 (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 $109K (2021) to $403K (2020). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $396K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Red Wine & Blue Education Fund Cleveland, OH | National network of women to support diverse library shelves for children to promote books that discuss diversity, equity and inclusion | $50,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America New York, NY | To provide comprehensive reproductive health care services, advocate for public policies and ensure access to services and provide sex education | $50,000 |
| Global Press Institute Washington, DC | Build representative newsrooms that put local women journalists at the forefront of advancing narrative change | $50,000 |
| Remake San Francisco, CA | To get women in the clothing industry paid fairly | $25,000 |
| Voto Latino Foundation Washington, DC | Educates and empowers a new generation of latino voters | $25,000 |
| Vote Mama Foundation Amityville, NY | Break the structural barriers moms face while running for office, normalize mothers of young children running for office, and equip legislators with the tools they need to advance policies that allow all women and working families to thrive. | $25,000 |
| Voteamerica Inc San Francisco, CA | Uses technology to simplify political engagement and increase voter turnout. | $25,000 |
| Spark Reproductive Justice Now Atlanta, GA | Womens healthcare, education and advocacy with an emphasis on queer youth and adults of color | $15,000 |
| Detroit People's Platform Detroit, MI | Provide resources to relieve the poor, the distress and the under-privileaged on our community | $15,000 |
| Black Leaders Organizing Communities (Bloc) Milwaukee, WI | Ensure a high quality of life for black communities in Wisconsin | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Susie Tompkins Buell 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 | $6,629,399 | $436,668 | $499,498 | $395,720 | 19 | $395,996 | $334,654 | $403,035 |
| 2023 | $6,692,229 | $319,361 | $508,322 | $385,680 | 10 | $386,622 | $198,943 | $377,650 |
| 2022 | $6,881,190 | $338,901 | $502,301 | $402,340 | 21 | $402,559 | $240,551 | $394,774 |
| 2021 | $7,044,590 | $529,002 | $194,940 | $109,350 | 4 | — | $445,161 | $425,191 |
| 2020 | $6,710,528 | $335,917 | $498,649 | $403,193 | 28 | — | $269,402 | $358,402 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $403K 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 foundation describes its priorities as supporting women and girls in public service and civic engagement, people working on the climate crisis, and visionaries advancing community transformation. Its website also highlights trailblazing women and girls who lift others up and environmental advocates who develop climate solutions.
Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including reproductive health, civic participation, journalism, and women’s economic conditions. For example, Planned Parenthood Federation of America describes its mission as providing comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care and advocating for public policies. Voto Latino Foundation says it educates and empowers Latino voters, while Global Press Institute says it trains and employs local women journalists to report from undercovered regions. Remake describes its mission as building a conscious consumer movement and improving conditions for women who make clothing.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 19 grants totaling $395,720. Grant amounts ranged from $720 to $50,000, with a median of $15,000. Among the largest grants were $50,000 each to Red Wine & Blue Education Fund, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Global Press Institute; and $25,000 each to Remake, Voto Latino Foundation, Vote Mama Foundation, and VoteAmerica.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Susie Tompkins Buell as president, Mark Buell as vice president, and Belinda Viray-Munoz as executive director.
The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation is led by Belinda Viray-Munoz, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Belinda Viray-Munoz
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susie Tompkins Buell
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Buell
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/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 Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation
How much does The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation give each year?
The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation gave $396K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $386K across 10 grants.
What is The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation's typical grant size?
The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $20,827, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation give grants?
The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation's top state is New York, with 23% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (19%) and California (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants), San Francisco, CA (2 grants), Detroit, MI (2 grants) and Phoenix, AZ (2 grants).
Does The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 5% of The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation's largest grantees?
The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Red Wine & Blue Education Fund ($50,000), Planned Parenthood Federation of America ($50,000) and Global Press Institute ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation?
The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation reported $6.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $396K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $403K (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 Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its priorities as supporting women and girls in public service and civic engagement, people working on the climate crisis, and visionaries advancing community transformation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation's EIN?
The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0266801. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Susie Tompkins Buell 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-susie-tompkins-buell-foundation-morg_29a0c3f896424fea8cd1c43dbf6d15ec
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_770266801_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Susie Tompkins Buell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-susie-tompkins-buell-foundation-morg_29a0c3f896424fea8cd1c43dbf6d15ec},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Susie Tompkins Buell 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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