The Svane Family Foundation
The Svane Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Walnut Creek, California. Its website says it supports the arts, artists, and arts organizations, and describes Culture Forward as a $5 million program supporting arts and culture projects in downtown San Francisco.
The Svane Family Foundation at a glance
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.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,320,000
- +252.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- +72.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $69,474
- +103.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $39,853,781
- +5.1% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (62% 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 Svane Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not accept unsolicited requests. Separately, the Culture Forward website provides an application process with quarterly rounds.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists December 1, 2026, as the next Culture Forward application deadline.
- Deadline
- The website lists December 1, 2026, as the next Culture Forward application deadline.
- Next open deadline
- December 1, 2026 (Culture Forward Grant)
- Contact
Mailing address: 2121 N California Blvd Suite 610, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Phone: (415) 956-1750
Website: https://svaneff.org
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 Svane Family Foundation
Who The Svane Family Foundation funds
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%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Walnut Creek, California. In 2024, 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 19% to New York, 15% to Pennsylvania, and 1% each to North Carolina and Minnesota. The foundation describes Culture Forward as supporting projects in downtown San Francisco.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
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.
Giving History
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.
Grants by year
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 |
Ready to take the next step with The Svane Family 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 | $39,853,781 | $1,398,861 | $1,759,238 | $1,320,000 | 19 | $1,549,328 | $1,196,951 | $1,914,722 |
| 2023 | $37,920,271 | $918,227 | $1,018,814 | $375,000 | 11 | $521,690 | $907,081 | $1,751,914 |
| 2022 | $34,703,701 | $44,991,991 | $1,998,016 | $1,734,000 | 11 | $1,942,959 | $25,976,934 | $859,502 |
| 2021 | $20,577,118 | $26,421,717 | $1,598,719 | $765,800 | 3 | $1,373,035 | $12,581,929 | $940,520 |
| 2020 | $13,635,736 | $3,592,529 | $1,213,749 | $50,000 | 1 | — | $2,079,255 | $410,337 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website states that it supports the arts, artists, and arts organizations. Its Culture Forward program is described as supporting arts and culture projects in downtown San Francisco.
The 2024 grants included organizations with varied missions. For example, Urban School of San Francisco says it seeks to inspire students to become engaged participants in their education, while Synergy School says it aims to help children flourish academically and develop as creative learners. Central City Hospitality House describes itself as a community-based organization serving San Francisco neighborhoods including the Tenderloin, Sixth Street Corridor, and Mid-Market. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated foundation priorities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $1,320,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $250,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest reported grants included $250,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc.; $200,000 each to Golden Gate Performing Arts Inc., Cape Eleuthera Foundation, and Urban School of San Francisco; and $100,000 each in three grants to Cypress School of San Francisco. The listed purpose for these grants was “honoraria for artists.”
The foundation’s website describes Culture Forward as having four grant rounds per year, one each quarter, and says applicants may submit one application per round. It states that existing projects and previously awarded projects may apply again, and that an organization may apply for its own project while also serving as a fiscal sponsor for other projects. Fiscal sponsors must be public charities. The website says applicants should consult the grant guidelines and past grantees; it does not provide individual application feedback. The foundation’s 2024 filing 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 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.
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 website states that it supports the arts, artists, and arts organizations. Its Culture Forward program is described as supporting arts and culture projects in downtown San Francisco. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Svane Family Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not accept unsolicited requests. 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 October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Svane Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Svane Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Svane Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-svane-family-foundation-morg_3270eadbec154d0fbc20795af9c000af
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_842627980_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Svane Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-svane-family-foundation-morg_3270eadbec154d0fbc20795af9c000af},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. 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 Svane Family 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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