Valhalla Foundation
Valhalla Foundation is a private foundation based in Woodside, California. It supports work across early childhood development, K-12 education, data science education, medical research and talent, environmental innovation, and collaborative philanthropy, with the stated aim of driving measurable and meaningful improvement in outcomes that matter.
Valhalla Foundation at a glance
In short: Valhalla Foundation gave $131.7M across 80 grants in 2024 (avg $1.6M), top state New York. 16% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $131,719,936
- +16.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 80
- -2.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,646,499
- +19.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $650,000
- Total assets
- $527,054,705
- -12.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (13 of 79, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (26% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Valhalla Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2995 Woodside Road 400-560, Woodside, CA 94062
Phone: (650) 529-9207
Website: https://valhalla.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Valhalla Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Blue Meridian Partners ($10.0M). Together the top 10 received $72.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
336 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 110 grants of 336 (33%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants were distributed among recipients in several states and Washington, DC. By share of grant dollars, New York accounted for 26%, California 25%, DC 16%, Massachusetts 7%, and Virginia 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 80 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Valhalla Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 79 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2.9M; repeat grants $1.4M. How we count
Medians: $2M first-time, $500K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 119% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 470% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 $54.6M (2020) to $131.7M (2024). In 2024 it made 80 grants totaling $131.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Meridian Partners New York, NY | Collaborative Philanthropy Initiative | $10,000,000 |
| Rand Corporation Santa Monica, CA | Project Canary, an Artificial Intelligence Safety Initiative | $10,000,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund New York, NY | Methane, Agriculture, and Clean Air Initiatives | $8,500,000 |
| City Fund Falls Church, VA | Scaling High Quality Public Schools | $8,333,334 |
| Charter School Growth Fund Broomfield, CO | Scaling High Quality Public Schools | $7,000,000 |
| Marshall University Foundation Huntington, WV | Post-Secondary Education Initiative | $6,500,000 |
| Windward Fund Washington, DC | Methane Initiatives | $6,500,000 |
| Kipp Foundation San Francisco, CA | Scaling High Quality Public Schools | $6,000,000 |
| Avina Americas Washington, DC | Mapbiomas | $5,000,000 |
| UCSF Foundation San Francisco, CA | Medical Research Initiatives | $4,709,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Valhalla 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 | $527,054,705 | $14,125,198 | $123,257,382 | $131,719,936 | 80 | $134,007,572 | $11,840,999 | $28,518,393 |
| 2023 | $602,326,886 | $16,134,902 | $133,120,208 | $113,185,411 | 82 | $115,078,745 | $13,921,186 | $30,410,560 |
| 2022 | $638,333,924 | $12,933,665 | $89,926,403 | $81,855,283 | 64 | $83,824,986 | $12,840,290 | $35,140,638 |
| 2021 | $839,554,681 | $50,541,806 | $103,655,046 | $60,145,383 | 56 | $62,131,850 | $187,809,282 | $37,129,494 |
| 2020 | $798,059,895 | $465,139,878 | $116,508,931 | $54,619,959 | 54 | — | $325,696,819 | $19,594,257 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Valhalla Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28.5M 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’s website describes six impact areas: early childhood development, K-12 education, data science education, medical research and talent, environmental innovation, and collaborative philanthropy. Its stated goals include improving kindergarten readiness and academic achievement, expanding data science education, addressing multiple sclerosis and related autoimmune diseases, reducing climate change drivers and pollution-related harm, and accelerating giving through collaboration with other funders.
The foundation describes supporting solutions, research, field-building, and policy work in areas including early childhood development and data science education. Its 2024 grants also included support for public-school scaling, post-secondary education, medical research, methane initiatives, and collaborative philanthropy. Among its grantees, KIPP Foundation describes its work as creating academically excellent schools; Environmental Defense Fund describes its mission as finding practical solutions to environmental problems; and Marshall University Foundation says it supports Marshall University by receiving, investing, and administering private resources.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 80 grants totaling $131,719,936. Grant amounts ranged from $5,250 to $10 million, with a median of $650,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $10 million to Blue Meridian Partners for a collaborative philanthropy initiative and $10 million to RAND Corporation for an artificial intelligence safety initiative; $8.5 million to Environmental Defense Fund for methane, agriculture, and clean air initiatives; $8,333,334 to City Fund and $7 million to Charter School Growth Fund for scaling high-quality public schools; and $6.5 million to Marshall University Foundation for a post-secondary education initiative. Other large grants included $6.5 million to Windward Fund for methane initiatives, $6 million to KIPP Foundation for scaling high-quality public schools, and $4,709,000 to UCSF Foundation for medical research initiatives.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing were H Signe Ostby, board chair; Scott D Cook, treasurer; Alex Terman, secretary; and Sara Allan, president. Amy Rodde was listed as interim president through January 2024.
Valhalla Foundation is led by Amy Rodde, Interim President on every filing since 2023; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Amy Rodde
Interim President
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sara Allan
President
President - → President, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
H. Signe Ostby
Board Chair
President → Board Chair, 2022
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alex Terman
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott D. Cook
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 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 Valhalla Foundation
How much does Valhalla Foundation give each year?
Valhalla Foundation gave $131.7M across 80 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $113.2M across 82 grants.
What is Valhalla Foundation's typical grant size?
Valhalla Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $650,000, and its average grant was $1,646,499, across 80 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Valhalla Foundation that year got $2.9M on average.
Where does Valhalla Foundation give grants?
Valhalla Foundation's top state is New York, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (25%) and District of Columbia (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (12 grants), Washington, DC (10 grants), San Francisco, CA (10 grants) and Boston, MA (4 grants).
Does Valhalla Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 16% of Valhalla Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 80) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scaling High Quality Public Schools" (5 grants), "Hunger Prevention Programs" (4 grants) and "Data Science Education Field-Building Initiatives" (3 grants).
Who are Valhalla Foundation's largest grantees?
Valhalla Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Blue Meridian Partners ($10,000,000), Rand Corporation ($10,000,000) and Environmental Defense Fund ($8,500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Valhalla Foundation?
Valhalla Foundation reported $527.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $134.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Valhalla Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website describes six impact areas: early childhood development, K-12 education, data science education, medical research and talent, environmental innovation, and collaborative philanthropy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Valhalla Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Valhalla Foundation's EIN?
Valhalla Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0478828. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Valhalla 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Valhalla Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in California
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
The Chicago Community Trust
Chicago, IL
The Chicago Community Trust funds eligible nonprofits working to narrow the wealth gap and meet urgent needs, with priorities including economic mobility, education, jobs, homeownership, and community development in metropolitan Chicago and Cook County. Its 2025 grants had a median of $26,500, though amounts varied widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
4,316
Total Given
$1.2B
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Los Altos, CA
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation funds charitable organizations working on just societies, healthy families and communities, and a healthy natural world, including climate solutions, ocean conservation, and science. Its 2024 grants had a median of $150,000, and half of grant dollars went to California recipients. It accepts unsolicited requests, but less than 1% of its grants come from them.
Assets
$8.5B
Grants
1,029
Total Given
$350.0M
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
The California Community Foundation supports nonprofits through discretionary and donor-directed grants, with discretionary priorities including education, health, housing and immigration, alongside other areas such as arts, civic engagement and economic opportunity. Its 2025 grants had a median of $50,000, and its work is focused on Los Angeles County; prospective discretionary applicants are asked to contact the relevant program officer before submitting a letter of intent.
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
2,174
Total Given
$326.6M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation funds education, climate and conservation, the arts, democracy, gender equity, racial justice, and efforts to strengthen nonprofits and philanthropy, with work spanning the San Francisco Bay Area, the U.S. West, and locations including East and West Africa and Mexico. Its 2024 grants had a median award of $150,000, though amounts varied widely. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, but sometimes invites proposals through open processes.
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
Marin Community Foundation
Novato, CA
Marin Community Foundation funds work in affordable housing and homelessness, community resilience and power, as well as social services, education, arts and conservation, with a focus on marginalized Marin County residents and some broader U.S. and international grantmaking. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, though amounts varied widely. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,573
Total Given
$186.1M
More similar funders
More Funders in California
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Valhalla Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/valhalla-foundation-morg_2dbff78dcd4d40689aa56d16dc34b379
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200478828_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Valhalla Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/valhalla-foundation-morg_2dbff78dcd4d40689aa56d16dc34b379},
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 Valhalla 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.
Valhalla Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?