Waverley Street Foundation
Waverley Street Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. It supports community-led climate solutions, with an emphasis on approaches that connect climate progress with human wellbeing and respond to local community priorities.
Waverley Street Foundation at a glance
In short: Waverley Street Foundation gave $282.1M across 144 grants in 2024 (avg $2.0M), top state California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $282,093,983
- +25.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 144
- +34.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,958,986
- -7.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000,000
- Total assets
- $2,738,173,726
- -1.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (42% 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 Waverley Street Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. When considering grants, it says it looks at the urgency of the challenge, the strength of the proposed approach, the leadership behind the work, and the likelihood that benefits will last beyond its funding.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3000 El Camino Real Suite 2-1000, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Phone: (650) 313-2002
Website: https://waverleystreet.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Waverley Street Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Climate Imperative Foundation ($36.0M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $130.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
356 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 163 grants of 356 (46%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as supporting local leaders and organizations in communities around the world. In 2024, 42% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 15% to New York, and 12% to Washington, DC. The filing data also lists 15% for an unidentified recipient state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 144 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Waverley Street Foundation gives
- 48% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 127% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 190% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $84.5M (2020) to $282.1M (2024). In 2024 it made 144 grants totaling $282.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Thousand Currents San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $20,000,000 |
| Climate Imperative Foundation San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $18,000,000 |
| Climate Imperative Foundation San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $18,000,000 |
| Tides Foundation San Francisco, CA | California Ambitions Program | $10,000,000 |
| Stichting European Climate Foundation | ReNew 2030 Project | $10,000,000 |
| Stichting Foundation for International Law | Capacity strengthening | $8,333,334 |
| Grid Alternatives Inc Oakland, CA | Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund | $8,000,000 |
| Conservation International Foundation Alrlington, VA | Broadleaf Initiative | $7,500,000 |
| Potential Energy Coalition Inc New York, NY | Communications support | $7,000,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc New York, NY | Platform for Agriculture and Climate Transformation (PACT) | $5,000,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Waverley Street 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 | $2,738,173,726 | $290,111,328 | $335,907,395 | $282,093,983 | 144 | $311,163,099 | $270,251,428 | $163,419,238 |
| 2023 | $2,783,969,793 | $209,773,699 | $270,382,133 | $225,507,334 | 107 | $237,463,886 | $241,180,650 | $165,765,914 |
| 2022 | $2,844,578,227 | $45,531,839 | $193,913,087 | $164,094,172 | 60 | $168,206,559 | $83,769,311 | $156,712,239 |
| 2021 | $2,992,959,475 | $151,268,979 | $146,313,164 | $124,475,000 | 24 | $124,899,654 | $140,039,230 | $165,086,350 |
| 2020 | $2,988,003,660 | $1,311,729,919 | $102,776,767 | $84,450,000 | 21 | — | $735,740,362 | $121,177,268 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says it supports climate solutions that care for the land, expand access to clean energy, and help people and communities flourish. Its stated focus areas include healthy food systems and land stewardship, alongside clean energy. Its values are imagination, collaboration, joy, and inspiration.
The foundation describes its grant partners as organizations working with farmers, students, investors, Indigenous peoples, advocates, and others. Among its 2024 grantees, Thousand Currents says it partners with Global South organizations developing community-based solutions, including work on locally grown food and economic wellbeing. Climate Imperative Foundation says it uses science and economics to cut global carbon emissions. Potential Energy Coalition says it uses communications strategies to educate the public on climate change and clean energy. Conservation International Foundation says it works to secure the benefits nature provides to humanity.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 144 grants totaling $282,093,983. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $20 million, with a median of $1 million. The foundation also reported approving over $330 million in grants to nearly 100 organizations during 2024.
Among the largest reported 2024 grants were $20 million to Thousand Currents for general operating support; two $18 million grants to Climate Imperative Foundation for general operating support; $10 million to Tides Foundation for its California Ambitions Program; $10 million to Stichting European Climate Foundation for the ReNew 2030 Project; and $8 million to GRID Alternatives for the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed for 2024 include Lisa Jackson, chair of the board; Laurene Powell Jobs, vice chair; Anne Marie Burgoyne, treasurer and secretary; Jared Blumenfeld, president; and Jagadha Sivan, chief operating officer. Other listed directors are J Bradley Powell, Reed Jobs, Mona Simpson, Michael Klein, and Darren Walker.
Waverley Street Foundation is led by Jared Blumenfeld, President on every filing since 2022; 2 of 12 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jared Blumenfeld
President
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$314K (2022) → $920K (2024)
Lisa Jackson
Chair of the Board & Director
Board of Director → Chair of the Board, 2021
Chair of the Board → Chair of the Board & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anne Marie Burgoyne
Treasurer, Secretary & Director
Treasurer, Secretary & Board of D → Treasurer, Secretary & Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. Bradley Powell
Director
Board of Director → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laurene Powell Jobs
Vice Chair & Director
President & Board of Director → Vice Chair, 2021
Vice Chair → Vice Chair & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Klein
Director
Board of Director → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mona Simpson
Director
Board of Director → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Reed Jobs
Director
Board of Director → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Darren Walker
Director
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rafael Reif
Director
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Radhika Fox
Director
New on the 2024 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jagadha Sivan
Chief Operating Officer
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$234K (2022) → $659K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $920K, to Jared Blumenfeld (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Waverley Street Foundation
How much does Waverley Street Foundation give each year?
Waverley Street Foundation gave $282.1M across 144 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $225.5M across 107 grants.
What is Waverley Street Foundation's typical grant size?
Waverley Street Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000,000, and its average grant was $1,958,986, across 144 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Waverley Street Foundation give grants?
Waverley Street Foundation's top state is California, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (15%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (20 grants), New York, NY (16 grants), San Francisco, CA (7 grants) and Berkeley, CA (6 grants).
Does Waverley Street Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 42% of Waverley Street Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (61 of 144) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Climate Hubs Learning Partnership" (6 grants), "Event sponsorship" (4 grants) and "Platform for Agriculture and Climate Transformation (PACT)" (3 grants).
Who are Waverley Street Foundation's largest grantees?
Waverley Street Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Climate Imperative Foundation ($36,000,000 across 2 grants), Thousand Currents ($20,000,000) and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc ($13,500,000 across 5 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Waverley Street Foundation?
Waverley Street Foundation reported $2.7B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $311.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $163.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Waverley Street Foundation fund?
The foundation says it supports climate solutions that care for the land, expand access to clean energy, and help people and communities flourish. Its stated focus areas include healthy food systems and land stewardship, alongside clean energy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Waverley Street Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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.
Does Waverley Street 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Waverley Street Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/waverley-street-foundation-morg_21fcd329b42d4120959708fd15226348
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_813242506_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Waverley Street Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/waverley-street-foundation-morg_21fcd329b42d4120959708fd15226348},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Waverley Street 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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