Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation
Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Established in September 2005 as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, it receives discretionary support from Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and makes grants for charitable and educational purposes.
Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation at a glance
In short: Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation gave $998K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $40K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $998,460
- -7.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- -26.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $39,938
- +26.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $8,053,716
- -5.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (54% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Williams-Sonoma Inc 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. Its stated grantmaking includes disaster relief grants to eligible Williams-Sonoma, Inc. employees and matching gifts to nonprofits on behalf of employees, as well as grants in the other charitable areas described above.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3250 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: (415) 421-7900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Jude Children's Research ($531K). Together the top 10 received $895K.
Grant Size Distribution
322 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 301 grants of 322 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 54% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee and 31% to recipients in California. Recipients in Washington, DC, New York, and New Jersey each accounted for 5%, 2%, and 2%, respectively.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation gives
- 54% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 53% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 257% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $651K (2022) to $1.1M (2023). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $998K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Jude Children's Research Memphis, TN | General Support | $530,953 |
| Bright Funds Foundation San Jose, CA | Employee Matching Grant | $111,507 |
| Disaster Relief 98 Individuals San Francisco, CA | Disaster Relief | $107,500 |
| World Wildlife Fund Washington, DC | General Support | $50,000 |
| The Hidden Genius Project Oakland, CA | General Support | $30,000 |
| Golden Gate National Parks Conserva San Francisco, CA | Tunnel Project | $20,000 |
| Embrace Kids Foundation New Brunswick, NJ | General Support | $15,000 |
| UCSF Foundation San Francisco, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Northeast MS Corinth, MS | General Support | $10,000 |
| CAMBA Housing Works Brooklyn, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $8,053,716 | $657,880 | $1,077,694 | $998,460 | 25 | $1,067,173 | $407,880 | $414,787 |
| 2024 | $8,473,530 | $649,351 | $1,166,239 | $1,077,125 | 34 | $1,157,841 | $431,899 | $422,658 |
| 2023 | $8,993,820 | $2,382,961 | $1,215,760 | $1,144,222 | 35 | $1,215,760 | $142,961 | $430,966 |
| 2022 | $7,809,355 | $3,248,315 | $653,596 | $651,391 | 227 | $653,596 | $3,815 | $341,768 |
| 2021 | $5,214,636 | $5,775,631 | $1,047,747 | $1,046,833 | 1 | — | $131 | $176,132 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation reported a distributable amount of $415K for 2025 — 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 filing describes the foundation’s charitable and educational purposes but does not state a separate mission statement. Its grants include support for organizations working in philanthropy, conservation, community services, health, and housing. For example, Bright Funds Foundation describes its mission as empowering people to be meaningful, effective, and engaged philanthropists; WWF says its mission is to conserve nature and reduce threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Tarrant Area Food Bank says it works to alleviate hunger and improve health, while Exodus Outreach Foundation describes its work as supportive housing for people recovering from addiction.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $998,460. Grants ranged from $3,500 to $530,953, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest grants included $530,953 to St Jude Children's Research for general support, $111,507 to Bright Funds Foundation for an employee matching grant, and $107,500 for disaster relief to 98 individuals. Other notable grants were $50,000 to World Wildlife Fund for general support, $30,000 to The Hidden Genius Project for general support, and $20,000 to Golden Gate National Parks Conserva for its Tunnel Project.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Karalyn Smith as President; Rachel Over as Secretary; Brian Yee as CFO; and Jeffrey E Howie and Laura Alber as Board Members.
Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation is led by Karalyn Smith, President on every filing since 2024; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karalyn Smith
President
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Yee
CFO
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Alber
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Over
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey E Howie
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Bren Betcone (2021–2023) — President
- Former: Julie P Whalen (2021–2023) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation
How much does Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation give each year?
Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation gave $998K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 34 grants.
What is Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation's typical grant size?
Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $39,938, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation give grants?
Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (31%) and District of Columbia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (4 grants), Memphis, TN (2 grants), Oakland, CA (2 grants) and Hickory, NC (2 grants).
Does Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 88% of Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation's largest grantees?
Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Jude Children's Research ($530,953), Bright Funds Foundation ($111,507) and Disaster Relief 98 Individuals ($107,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation?
Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation reported $8.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $415K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation fund?
The filing describes the foundation’s charitable and educational purposes but does not state a separate mission statement. Its grants include support for organizations working in philanthropy, conservation, community services, health, and housing. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Williams-Sonoma Inc 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 Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation's EIN?
Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3424952. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Williams-Sonoma Inc 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 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/williams-sonoma-inc-foundation-morg_836ba2d0d1b64fa1ba876fa862909f12
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203424952_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Williams-Sonoma Inc Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/williams-sonoma-inc-foundation-morg_836ba2d0d1b64fa1ba876fa862909f12},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Williams-Sonoma Inc 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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