Woka Foundation
Woka Foundation is a private foundation based in Newbury Park, California, that supports work on climate change. Its stated mission is to help create a just world that values environmental vitality and recognizes the dignity of all peoples.
Woka Foundation at a glance
In short: Woka Foundation gave $13.0M across 45 grants in 2024 (avg $288K), top state California. 19% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $12,976,000
- -5.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 45
- +7.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $288,356
- -11.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $225,000
- Total assets
- $192,297,869
- +48.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (8 of 43, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (24% 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 Woka Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
Woka does not accept unsolicited requests. It accepts applications through invitation only and makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. It supports only U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits; invited multi-year requests are considered.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4041 Barcelona Place, Newbury Park, CA 91320
Phone: (805) 551-6814
Website: https://wokafoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Woka Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Green America ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $6.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
185 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 73 grants of 185 (39%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (24%), Washington, DC (22%), Massachusetts (12%), New York (10%), and Virginia (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 45 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Woka Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 43 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $250K; repeat grants $314K. How we count
Medians: $200K first-time, $250K repeat.
- 79% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 203% 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 $3.8M (2020) to $14.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 45 grants totaling $13.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Green America Washington, DC | Soil Carbon Initiative | $1,000,000 |
| New Energy Nexus Berkeley, CA | General operating support | $1,000,000 |
| Activate Berkeley, CA | General operating expenses and climate tech fellows | $700,000 |
| Ashoka Arlington, VA | Select and support Ashoka Climate Fellows | $500,000 |
| Elemental Excelerator Elemental Imp Honolulu, HI | General operating support | $500,000 |
| Global Greengrants Boulder, CO | Gender & Environment | $400,000 |
| African Women Rising Santa Barbara, CA | General operating support | $400,000 |
| Climate Foundation Seattle, WA | General operating support | $400,000 |
| Rockefeller Family Fund FCOG New York, NY | General operating support for Funder's Collaborative on Oil and Gas initiative | $400,000 |
| International Biochar Initiative Canandaigua, NY | Capacity building support | $350,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Woka Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Figures are for the filing years shown.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $192,297,869 | $73,401,549 | $12,207,219 | $12,976,000 | 45 | $13,318,354 | $72,193,184 | $6,574,279 |
| 2023 | $129,420,935 | $26,825,137 | $19,841,657 | $13,693,986 | 42 | $13,741,024 | $26,418,868 | $5,450,892 |
| 2022 | $105,806,410 | $-2,185,846 | $15,220,472 | $14,726,393 | 41 | $14,874,599 | $874,682 | $5,966,307 |
| 2021 | $148,005,952 | $65,804,016 | $16,333,378 | $10,695,000 | 36 | $10,785,404 | $65,087,606 | $6,481,057 |
| 2020 | $94,223,691 | $76,139,536 | $8,733,875 | $3,759,000 | 21 | — | $76,274,401 | $1,813,989 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Woka Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.6M 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
Woka’s current focus areas are innovation, regenerative practices, gender equity, education, keeping fossil fuels in the ground, and civic infrastructure. Its website describes support for technological climate solutions, ecosystem restoration, gender-equitable leadership and movement building, and efforts to halt new fossil-fuel infrastructure and hold the fossil-fuel industry accountable.
Woka supports U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Examples of the kinds of organizations it has funded include Green America, whose mission is to use economic power to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society; Ashoka, which says it works to build an “everyone a changemaker” world through social innovation; and African Women Rising, whose mission is to empower women and girls affected by war to rise out of extreme poverty.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Woka reported 45 grants totaling $12,976,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $225,000. The foundation’s website separately states that its grant amounts range from $70,000 to $700,000 and that invited requests for multi-year grants are considered.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $1,000,000 to Green America for its Soil Carbon Initiative and $1,000,000 to New Energy Nexus for general operating support; $700,000 to Activate for general operating expenses and climate tech fellows; and $500,000 each to Ashoka to select and support Ashoka Climate Fellows and to Elemental Excelerator for general operating support. Other grants included $400,000 to African Women Rising for general operating support and $350,000 each to Center for Climate Integrity and Oil Change International for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Rod Womer as CEO and director, Barbara Karplus as secretary, treasurer, and director, and Krista Kurth as director.
Woka Foundation is led by Rod Womer, CEO & Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Rod Womer
CEO & Director
On filings since 2020
17 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Krista Kurth
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$7K (2024)
Barbara Karplus
Scty, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
10 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $7K, to Krista Kurth (Director).
Frequently asked questions about Woka Foundation
How much does Woka Foundation give each year?
Woka Foundation gave $13.0M across 45 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $13.7M across 42 grants.
What is Woka Foundation's typical grant size?
Woka Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $225,000, and its average grant was $288,356, across 45 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Woka Foundation that year got $250K on average.
Where does Woka Foundation give grants?
Woka Foundation's top state is California, with 24% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (22%) and Massachusetts (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (8 grants), Arlington, VA (3 grants), Boulder, CO (3 grants) and Boston, MA (3 grants).
Does Woka Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 67% of Woka Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 45) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Woka Foundation's largest grantees?
Woka Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Green America ($1,000,000), New Energy Nexus ($1,000,000) and Activate ($700,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Woka Foundation?
Woka Foundation reported $192.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $13.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Woka Foundation fund?
Woka’s current focus areas are innovation, regenerative practices, gender equity, education, keeping fossil fuels in the ground, and civic infrastructure. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Woka Foundation?
Woka does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Woka Foundation's EIN?
Woka Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-2848519. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Woka 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). Woka Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/woka-foundation-morg_1535e1a4078f4b8191e3fcb6d6a6df60
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_842848519_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Woka Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/woka-foundation-morg_1535e1a4078f4b8191e3fcb6d6a6df60},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Woka 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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