The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation
The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation is a public charity based in Palo Alto, California, formed in 1990. It makes gifts to other 501(c)(3) organizations for activities that improve quality of life and community, further the professional and educational interests of the legal profession, or conduct charitable, educational, and community activities.
Key facts about The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation
In short: The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation gave $3.1M across 335 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in California. 73% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 77-0276529
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,059,917
- Grants made (2025)
- 335
- Average grant
- $9,134
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 73% first-time grantees (177 of 244, 2025)
- Total assets
- $3,197,489
- Primary geography
- California (62% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$3.2M
+3.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.1M
+89.8% YoY
Grant Count
335
+335.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
-56.4% YoY
Is The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation open to new grantees?
73%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 177 of 244 grantees (73%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $15K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). 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 mission is to make gifts to other 501(c)(3) organizations whose activities improve quality of life and community, further the professional and educational interests of the legal profession, or conduct charitable, educational, and community activities.
Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in areas such as civil legal services, human rights, emergency food response, and the arts. For example, Bay Area Legal Aid says it provides free civil legal services to low-income Bay Area residents, while the Center for Justice & Accountability describes its work as pursuing justice and redress for victims and survivors of severe human rights abuses. World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. These are grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation reported 335 grants totaling $3,059,917. Grants ranged from $500 to $135,000, with a median of $5,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California recipients received 62% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in the District of Columbia (13%), New York (8%), Washington (3%), and Texas (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 335 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2021) to $3.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 335 grants totaling $3.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area ($294K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
622 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 594 grants of 622 (95%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bay Area Legal Aid Oakland, CA | General Operating Support | $135,000 |
| Law Foundation of Silicon Valley San Jose, CA | General Operating Support | $133,820 |
| Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto East Palo Alto, CA | General Operating Support | $101,000 |
| Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $98,100 |
| Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $98,100 |
| Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $98,100 |
| California Community Foundation Los Angeles, CA | General Operating Support | $68,233 |
| Center for Justice & Accountability San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $61,000 |
| Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles Glendale, CA | General Operating Support | $60,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,197,489 | $2,486,359 | $2,378,227 | $3,059,917 | 335 |
| 2024 | $3,089,357 | $2,392,532 | $2,106,607 | $1,611,880 | 77 |
| 2023 | $2,803,432 | $2,260,324 | $1,992,204 | $1,468,704 | 71 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,197,489 | $3,089,357 | $2,803,432 |
| Revenue | $2,486,359 | $2,392,532 | $2,260,324 |
| Expenses | $2,378,227 | $2,106,607 | $1,992,204 |
| Net Investment Income | $77,684 | $86,120 | $60,324 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David Thomas as Chair of the Board and President; James Griffin-Stanco as Secretary and Vice President; and Gary Greenstein as Treasurer and Vice President. Directors and Vice Presidents listed are Colleen Bal, David Berger, David Steuer, Deirdre Carroll, Gregory Watts, Jeana Kim, and Katharine Martin.
The filing states that, with the exception of David Steuer, the trustees and officers have business relationships with one another. It also states that officers are employees of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Professional Corporation and that, with the same exception, trustees are shareholders holding less than one percent of that corporation. The filing says they serve in their individual capacities, not as representatives of the corporation. It identifies David Steuer as a retired member and former shareholder who continues to serve on the Foundation’s board.
The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation is led by David Thomas, Chair of the Board & President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 21 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Thomas
Chair of the Board & President
Treasurer → Chairman & President, 2023
Chairman & President → Chair of the Board & President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Colleen Bal
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Berger
Director & Vice President
Secretary → Director, 2022
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Steuer
Director & Vice President
Chairman & President → Director, 2023
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory Watts
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katharine Martin
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lucy Yen
Director & Vice President
Secretary → Director, 2023
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Fitzgerald
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Randy Lewis
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Suffoletta
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Luke Liss
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lori Westin
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deirdre Carroll
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeana Kim
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Mills
Director & Vice President
Director → Director & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ariela Tannenbaum
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gail McFall
Foundation Administrator
Vice President & Foundation Administrator → Foundation Administrator, 2025
On filings since 2020
4.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gary Greenstein
Treasurer & Vice President
Treasurer → Treasurer & Director, 2024
Treasurer & Director → Treasurer & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Scrafford
Controller
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Griffin-Stanco
Secretary & Vice President
Secretary → Secretary & Director, 2024
Secretary & Director → Secretary & Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lia Cartagena
Administrator of the Foundation
Foundation Administrator → Administrator of the Foundation, 2025
On filings since 2024
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Bob O'Connor (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Vern Norviel (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Catherine Moreno (2020–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 650 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050
Phone: (650) 493-9300
Frequently asked questions about The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation
How much does The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation give each year?
The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation gave $3.1M across 335 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.6M across 77 grants.
What is The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation's typical grant size?
The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,134, across 335 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation give grants?
The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation gives mostly in California: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (13%) and New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (44 grants), New York, NY (39 grants), Washington, DC (35 grants) and San Diego, CA (21 grants).
Does The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (335 of 335) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation's largest grantees?
The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area ($294,300 across 3 grants), Bay Area Legal Aid ($135,000) and Law Foundation of Silicon Valley ($133,820), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation?
The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.5M.
What does The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to make gifts to other 501(c)(3) organizations whose activities improve quality of life and community, further the professional and educational interests of the legal profession, or conduct charitable, educational, and community activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation?
The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation's EIN?
The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0276529. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation by hand.
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