The Svane Family Foundation
The Svane Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Walnut Creek, California. Its 2024 filing describes the Culture Forward grant program as supporting San Francisco arts, entertainment, and cultural projects intended to attract families, students, and young professionals to downtown San Francisco.
Key facts about The Svane Family Foundation
In short: The Svane Family Foundation gave $1.3M across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $69K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 84-2627980
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,320,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- Average grant
- $69,474
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $39,853,781
- Primary geography
- California (62% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation’s website describes a Culture Forward application process with four grant rounds per year. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The website lists December 1, 2026, as the next Culture Forward deadline.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$39.9M
+5.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.3M
+252.0% YoY
Grant Count
19
+72.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$69K
+103.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Svane Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How The Svane Family Foundation gives
- 0% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 72% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 81% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated direct charitable activity is the Culture Forward grant program. Its website says Culture Forward supports arts and culture projects in downtown San Francisco; examples include public events, artist-led markets, performances, cultural archives, and creative incubators.
The 2024 filing lists grants to varied organizations. For example, Golden Gate Performing Arts says it was created to help ensure the financial health of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, while the Urban School of San Francisco says it seeks to inspire students’ participation in their education. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a description of the foundation’s own mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $1,320,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $250,000, with a median of $10,000. In 2023, it made 11 grants totaling $375,000; in 2022, it made 11 grants totaling $1,734,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $250,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, $200,000 each to Golden Gate Performing Arts, Cape Eleuthera Foundation, and Urban School of San Francisco, and $100,000 to Cypress School of San Francisco on each of three listed grants. The filing lists “honoraria for artists” as the purpose for these grants.
The foundation’s website describes Culture Forward as open to individual artists and organizations, and its FAQs say projects may apply through a fiscal sponsor classified as a public charity if they do not have their own 501(c)(3) status. Applicants may submit one application per quarterly round; previous applicants and grantees may apply again in later rounds. The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Review Cycle
The website lists December 1, 2026, as the next Culture Forward deadline.
How to Apply
The foundation’s website describes a Culture Forward application process with four grant rounds per year. Its FAQs say applicants may apply once per round and that a public-charity fiscal sponsor is required for projects without their own 501(c)(3) status. The 2024 filing states that the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Svane Family Foundation
Ready to take the next step with The Svane Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes Culture Forward as supporting projects in downtown San Francisco. Its 2024 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in California (62%), followed by New York (19%) and Pennsylvania (15%); North Carolina and Minnesota each accounted for 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2020) to $1.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cypress School of San Francisco (FKA Cow Hollow School) ($300K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 25 grants of 45 (56%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc New York, NY | Honoraria for Artists | $250,000 |
| Golden Gate Performing Arts Inc San Francisco, CA | Honoraria for Artists | $200,000 |
| Cape Eleuthera Foundation Philadelphia, PA | Honoraria for Artists | $200,000 |
| Urban School of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Honoraria for Artists | $200,000 |
| Cypress School of San Francisco (FKA Cow Hollow School) San Francisco, CA | Honoraria for Artists | $100,000 |
| Cypress School of San Francisco (FKA Cow Hollow School) San Francisco, CA | Honoraria for Artists | $100,000 |
| Cypress School of San Francisco (FKA Cow Hollow School) San Francisco, CA | Honoraria for Artists | $100,000 |
| Synergy School San Francisco, CA | Honoraria for Artists | $75,000 |
| Central City Hospitality House San Francisco, CA | Honoraria for Artists | $25,000 |
| Gay Men's Chorus of Charlotte Inc Charlotte, NC | Honoraria for Artists | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $39,853,781 | $1,398,861 | $1,759,238 | $1,320,000 |
| 2023 | $37,920,271 | $918,227 | $1,018,814 | $375,000 |
| 2022 | $34,703,701 | $44,991,991 | $1,998,016 | $1,734,000 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $39,853,781 | $37,920,271 | $34,703,701 |
| Revenue | $1,398,861 | $918,227 | $44,991,991 |
| Expenses | $1,759,238 | $1,018,814 | $1,998,016 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,549,328 | $521,690 | $1,942,959 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,196,951 | $907,081 | $25,976,934 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,914,722 | $1,751,914 | $859,502 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mikkel Svane as president and Jacob Glickman as CFO and secretary.
The Svane Family Foundation is led by Mikkel Svane, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mikkel Svane
President
Secretary & Treasurer → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jacob Glickman
CFO & Secretary
Director → CFO & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Amie Spitler (2020–2021) — President & 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.
Contact
Mailing address: 2121 N California Blvd Suite 610, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Phone: (415) 956-1750
Website: https://svaneff.org
Frequently asked questions about The Svane Family Foundation
How much does The Svane Family Foundation give each year?
The Svane Family Foundation gave $1.3M across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $375K across 11 grants.
What is The Svane Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Svane Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $69,474, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Svane Family Foundation give grants?
The Svane Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (19%) and Pennsylvania (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (8 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Svane Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on The Svane Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Honoraria for Artists" (19 grants).
Who are The Svane Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Svane Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cypress School of San Francisco (FKA Cow Hollow School) ($300,000 across 3 grants), Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc ($250,000) and Golden Gate Performing Arts Inc ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Svane Family Foundation?
The Svane Family Foundation reported $39.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.9M (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 Svane Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated direct charitable activity is the Culture Forward grant program. Its website says Culture Forward supports arts and culture projects in downtown San Francisco; examples include public events, artist-led markets, performances, cultural archives, and creative incubators. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Svane Family Foundation?
The foundation’s website describes a Culture Forward application process with four grant rounds per year. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Svane Family Foundation's EIN?
The Svane Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-2627980. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Svane Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Svane Family Foundation by hand.
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