Waverley Street Foundation
Waverley Street Foundation is a private, non-operating grantmaking foundation based in Palo Alto, California. Established in 2016, the foundation operates as an independent charitable organization focused on investing in community-led programs and innovative solutions to address critical challenges.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.7B
-1.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$282.1M
+25.1% YoY
Grant Count
144
+34.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2.0M
-7.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Waverley Street Foundation reported a distributable amount of $163.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's work centers on turning imagination into reality by investing in community-led programs across several key areas:
- Climate change and environmental solutions
- Sustainable food systems and farmland preservation
- Clean and affordable energy
- Business innovation and economic development
- Healing and environmental restoration
The foundation emphasizes core values in its approach:
- Imagination: Supporting big ideas and creative thinking to catalyze breakthroughs and shape new narratives
- Collaboration: Welcoming diverse perspectives and including communities previously left out of conversations
- Joy: Celebrating nature, food, art, movement, and music as part of climate action and community engagement
- Inspiration: Cultivating a culture of action, optimism, and trust through community connection
Grantmaking
The foundation has demonstrated significant grantmaking activity:
Grant Range
**: $5,000 to $36 million
Average Grant
amount**: $2.5 million
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated primarily in:
- California
- New York
- District of Columbia
These three states account for 56% of all grants. The foundation's reach extends across 25 states, with international presence in Mexico and Brazil.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Income:
- Total assets (2024): $2.74 billion
- Total assets (2023): $2.78 billion
- Annual income (2024): $709.1 million
- Total liabilities (2024): $0
Historical asset growth:
- 2019: $1.78 billion
- 2020: $2.99 billion
- 2021: $2.99 billion
- 2022: $2.84 billion
- 2023: $2.78 billion
- 2024: $2.74 billion
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,738,173,726 | $2,783,969,793 | $2,844,578,227 |
| Revenue | $290,111,328 | $209,773,699 | $45,531,839 |
| Expenses | $335,907,395 | $270,382,133 | $193,913,087 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $311,163,099 | $237,463,886 | $168,206,559 |
| Net Investment Income | $270,251,428 | $241,180,650 | $83,769,311 |
| Distributable Amount | $163,419,238 | $165,765,914 | $156,712,239 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
195 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Climate Imperative Foundation ($18,000,000), Tides Foundation ($10,000,000), Potential Energy Coalition Inc ($7,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MERIDIAN INSTITUTE Dillon, CO | Global Alliance for the Future of Food | $5,000 |
| ROCKEFELLER PHILANTHROPY ADVISORS INC New York, NY | Platform for Agriculture and Climate Transformation (PACT) | $1,000,000 |
| NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION Reston, VA | Great Lakes Regional Center support | $250,000 |
| REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Los Angeles, CA | Climate Hubs Learning Partnership | $1,000,000 |
| ALBIE SACHS TRUST FOR CONSTITUTIONALISM | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| SUSTAINABLE MARKETS FOUNDATION New York, NY | Years Project | $3,000,000 |
| CROATAN INSTITUTE Durham, NC | Regenerative Agriculture Program | $250,000 |
| TAPROOT EARTH Tulsa, OK | General Operating Support | $4,000,000 |
| BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS RESOURCE CENTRE | Energy transition | $550,000 |
| PEOPLE POWERED GLOBAL HUB Brooklyn, NY | Civic Engagement | $1,170,486 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key leadership includes:
- Jared Blumenfeld: President
- Jagadha Sivan: Chief Operating Officer
- Amanda Eller: Strategy Director
- Emiliano Martinez: General Counsel
- Nathan Jayappa: Director, Finance
- Michelle Thompson: Director, People
The foundation is governed by 12 officers and trustees and employs 34 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAURENE POWELL JOBS | VICE CHAIR/DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| ANNE MARIE BURGOYNE | TREASURER/SECRETARY/DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| J BRADLEY POWELL | DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| REED JOBS | DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| MONA SIMPSON | DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| MICHAEL KLEIN | DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| LISA JACKSON | CHAIR OF THE BOARD/Director | 6 | — |
| JARED BLUMENFELD | PRESIDENT | 40 | $920,193 |
| JAGADHA SIVAN | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $658,941 |
| DARREN WALKER | DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| RAFAEL REIF | DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
| RADHIKA FOX | DIRECTOR | 4 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Recent grant announcements demonstrate the foundation's active grantmaking:
$25 million awarded to GRID Alternatives Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund for renewable energy initiatives
GRID Alternatives Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund Awarded $25 million from$5 million grant to USC Equity Research Institute to strengthen its equity research mission
$5M grant strengthens USC Equity Research Institute's mission for ...$5 million grant to the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs' Justice Climate Fund
Indigenous Resilience Center receives $2 million grant from ...$2 million grant to the Indigenous Resilience Center
Indigenous Resilience Center receives $2 million grant from ...The foundation maintains an active web presence and engages directly with communities and stakeholders as part of its collaborative approach to grantmaking.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Waverley Street Foundation fund?
The foundation's work centers on turning imagination into reality by investing in community-led programs across several key areas: • Climate change and environmental solutions • Sustainable food systems and farmland preservation • Clean and affordable energy • Business innovation and economic development • Healing and environmental restoration The foundation emphasizes core values in its approach: • **Imagination**: Supporting big ideas and creative thinking to catalyze breakthroughs and shape …
How do I apply for a grant from Waverley Street Foundation?
The foundation has demonstrated significant grantmaking activity: • **Total giving (2024)**: $282.1 million • **Grant range**: $5,000 to $36 million • **Average grant amount**: $2.5 million • **Median grant amount**: $1 million • **Total grants awarded**: 228 grants totaling $570.7 million (as of available records) • **Unique organizations supported**: 156 Annual giving has grown substantially, from $124.5 million in 2021 to $282.1 million in 2024. Recent major grants include $25 million to GRI…
Where does Waverley Street Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated primarily in: • California • New York • District of Columbia These three states account for 56% of all grants. The foundation's reach extends across 25 states, with international presence in Mexico and Brazil.
What size grants does Waverley Street Foundation award?
In 2024, Waverley Street Foundation awarded 144 grants totaling $282.1M — an average of about $2.0M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Waverley Street Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Waverley Street Foundation reported a distributable amount of $163.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Waverley Street Foundation's EIN?
Waverley Street Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3242506. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Waverley Street Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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