Upstart Bay Area
Upstart Bay Area is a public charity based in Oakland, California. It supports impact-driven entrepreneurs and Jewish ventures by connecting them with expertise, community, and capital, and its 2024 filing reports 31 grants totaling $1,829,923.
Upstart Bay Area at a glance
In short: Upstart Bay Area gave $1.8M across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $59K), top state California. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,829,923
- +14.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 31
- -18.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $59,030
- +40.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $30,899
- Total assets
- $1,355,629
- -63.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (10 of 31, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (38% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Upstart Bay Area
- Contact
Mailing address: 1111 Broadway 3Rd Floor, Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: (415) 536-5918
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Upstart Bay Area
Who Upstart Bay Area funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was FJC - A Foundation of Philan ($277K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
175 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 124 grants of 175 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in California (38%), New York (30%), Massachusetts (6%), Georgia (6%), and Minnesota (6%). These figures describe the locations of recipients reported in the filing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Upstart Bay Area open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 31 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $68K; repeat grants $55K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $968K (2022) to $3.0M (2020). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FJC - A Foundation of Philan New York, NY | Capacity Building Grant | $276,997 |
| Gather Consulting Long Beach, CA | Fiscal Sponsorship Grant | $235,500 |
| Social Good Fund Richmond, CA | UpSpring Graduation | $103,862 |
| Jewfolk Inc Minneapolis, MN | Israel Grant | $101,350 |
| Tides Center Los Angeles, CA | Upspring Grant | $101,117 |
| Jewish Fertility Foundation Atlanta, GA | Upspring Grant | $101,072 |
| Lehrhaus Somerville, MA | Upspring Grant | $100,511 |
| Ammud the JOC Torah Academy New York, NY | Upspring Grant | $100,000 |
| Theirstory Inc Rochester, NY | Upspring Grant | $100,000 |
| Conscious Builders Los Angeles, CA | Fiscal Sponsorship | $86,900 |
Ready to take the next step with Upstart Bay Area?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,355,629 | $4,096,349 | $6,825,997 | $1,829,923 | 31 | $94,040 |
| 2023 | $3,750,262 | $4,632,384 | $6,075,903 | $1,596,945 | 38 | $67,103 |
| 2022 | $5,268,133 | $7,572,356 | $4,924,962 | $967,907 | 18 | $404 |
| 2021 | $3,262,664 | $6,387,953 | $5,382,054 | $1,718,387 | 32 | $175 |
| 2020 | $2,044,138 | $6,490,768 | $7,113,343 | $3,016,554 | 56 | $1,438 |
| 2019 | $2,123,454 | $6,475,497 | $6,013,985 | $1,283,877 | 28 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
UpStart’s stated mission is to accelerate growth, nurture ideas, and advance new experiences for the Jewish community by connecting impact-driven entrepreneurs to expertise, community, and capital. Its website describes venture programming that offers training, connections, and funding. The Venture Accelerator page describes access to up to $100,000 per venture in unrestricted funding; this is participant funding, not a separate grant program for outside applicants.
The 2024 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, FJC says it supports the nonprofit sector through donor-advised funds, fiscal sponsorship, nonprofit lending, and customized philanthropic solutions. JewFolk Media says it connects, engages, and inspires Jewish adults and strengthens Jewish communities. The Jewish Fertility Foundation says it provides financial assistance, emotional support, and infertility education to people struggling to build their families. ALEPH Alliance for Jewish Renewal describes its work as bringing spiritual vitality into daily Jewish life and empowering leadership and multiracial, multiethnic communities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, UpStart reported 31 grants totaling $1,829,923. Grants ranged from $5,399 to $276,997, with a median of $30,899. It reported 38 grants totaling $1,596,945 in 2023 and 18 grants totaling $967,907 in 2022.
Among the largest reported 2024 grants were $276,997 to FJC for capacity building; $235,500 to Gather Consulting for fiscal sponsorship; $103,862 to Social Good Fund for “UpSpring Graduation”; and $101,350 to JewFolk Inc for an Israel grant. Other notable grants included $101,117 to Tides Center for an UpSpring grant, $101,072 to Jewish Fertility Foundation for an UpSpring grant, $100,511 to Lehrhaus for an UpSpring grant, and $100,000 each to Ammud the JOC Torah Academy and TheirStory Inc for UpSpring grants.
UpStart’s website describes Entrepreneur Sprints and the Venture Accelerator as programs for entrepreneurs and ventures. The Sprint description offers a $2,500 unrestricted grant, while the Accelerator description offers participants up to $100,000 per venture in unrestricted funding. Its UpLift materials describe an early-stage grant package of $3,000 for eligible program completers. The UpLift application information refers to 2024 cohorts, which are past cycles. The website lists UpSpring as an active program but provides limited details in the supplied materials.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Aaron Katler as CEO; Aliza Mazor as Chief Field Building Officer; Jed Snerson as CFOO; Aleeza Lubin as Managing Director; Sarah Kornhauser as Managing Director of Programs; Whitney Weathers as Managing Director of DEIJ; Rebecca Kaduru as Chief Strategy Officer; Kate Holsapple and Rachel Cort as members; and Raymond Stern as Treasurer.
Upstart Bay Area is led by Aaron Katler, CEO on every filing since 2019; 7 of 24 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Aaron Katler
CEO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$249K (2019) → $279K (2024)
Mark Achler
Chair
Member → Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aleeza Lubin
Managing Director
Man. Director & Program Ops → Managing Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$145K (2023) → $152K (2024)
Sarah Kornhauser
Man. Director & Program
Senior Director, Ent. & Vent → Man. Director & Soc. Ent, 2023
Man. Director & Soc. Ent → Man. Director & Program, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$114K (2021) → $149K (2024)
Whitney Weathers
Man. Director & Deij
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$141K (2023) → $142K (2024)
Aliza Mazor
Chief Fld Bld Ofc.
Chief Fld Bld Officer → Chief Fld Bld Ofc., 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$147K (2019) → $195K (2024)
Jed Snerson
Cfoo
Cfoo → CFO, 2022
CFO → Cfoo, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$164K (2020) → $183K (2024)
Rebecca Kaduru
Chief Strat. Officer
Cf Strat. Officer → Chief Strat. Officer, 2023
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$143K (2022) → $124K (2024)
Emeri Handler
Member
Chair → Member, 2022
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Horowitz
Member
Member → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Member, 2024
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Raymond Stern
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Wagonfeld
Member
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gamal Palmer
Member
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Malek
Member
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kate Holsapple
Member
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andy Cheng
Member
On filings since 2022
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Monica Rodriguez Kuniyoshi
Member
On filings since 2022
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vicki Dansky
Member
On filings since 2022
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Schilit
Secretary
Member → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lev Tsypin
Member
On filings since 2023
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Cort
Member
On filings since 2023
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Forman
Member
New on the 2024 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kendell Pinkney
Member
New on the 2024 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leili Davari
Member
New on the 2024 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (20)
- Former: Eli Malinsky (2019–2023) — Member
- Former: Rabbi Sarah Bassin (2019–2023) — Member
- Former: Harry Nathan Gottlieb (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Jaime Barry (2019–2022) — Cf Staff & Brand
- Former: Taylor Epstein (2019–2022) — Mg Director, Lrn & Design
- Former: Michael Rosoff (2022) — Member
- Former: Janet Holmgren (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Joe Preis (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Jordan Fishfeld (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Sarah Schonberg (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Robert Sherman (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: Stacye Zeisler (2020–2021) — Cf Devel. Officer
- Former: Linda Gerard (2019–2020) — Chief Program Officer
- Former: Kate Forester (2019) — Member
- Former: Kate Kastenbaum (2019) — Secretary
- Former: Lisa Lepson (2019) — Chief Advance. Officer
- Former: Nancy Schwartz Sternoff (2019) — Member
- Former: Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann (2019) — Member
- Former: Roy Baharav (2019) — Member
- Former: Shirley Solomon (2019) — Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $279K, to Aaron Katler (CEO). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Upstart Bay Area
How much does Upstart Bay Area give each year?
Upstart Bay Area gave $1.8M across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.6M across 38 grants.
What is Upstart Bay Area's typical grant size?
Upstart Bay Area's median grant in 2024 was $30,899, and its average grant was $59,030, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Upstart Bay Area that year got $68K on average.
Where does Upstart Bay Area give grants?
Upstart Bay Area's top state is California, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (30%) and Massachusetts (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), New York, NY (4 grants), Atlanta, GA (2 grants) and Berkeley, CA (2 grants).
Does Upstart Bay Area give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 31 grants with a stated purpose on Upstart Bay Area's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Upspring Grant" (11 grants), "Capacity Building Grant" (7 grants) and "Fiscal Sponsorship Grant" (3 grants).
Who are Upstart Bay Area's largest grantees?
Upstart Bay Area's largest 2024 grantees include FJC - A Foundation of Philan ($276,997), Gather Consulting ($235,500) and Social Good Fund ($103,862), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Upstart Bay Area?
Upstart Bay Area reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.1M.
What does Upstart Bay Area fund?
UpStart’s stated mission is to accelerate growth, nurture ideas, and advance new experiences for the Jewish community by connecting impact-driven entrepreneurs to expertise, community, and capital. Its website describes venture programming that offers training, connections, and funding. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Upstart Bay Area?
Upstart Bay Area has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Upstart Bay Area's EIN?
Upstart Bay Area's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3094076. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 6, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Upstart Bay Area's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Upstart Bay Area funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/upstart-bay-area-morg_81f9b5f5ecbc413f9fd7d79cf8d55d77
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263094076_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Upstart Bay Area funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/upstart-bay-area-morg_81f9b5f5ecbc413f9fd7d79cf8d55d77},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Upstart Bay Area'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.
Upstart Bay Area down — hundreds of funders to go?