Yerba Buena Fund
Yerba Buena Fund is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations for general operations and specified purposes, including support for older adults, health and wellness, peacebuilding, and cultural heritage.
Yerba Buena Fund at a glance
In short: Yerba Buena Fund gave $1.4M across 54 grants in 2024 (avg $27K), mostly in California. 42% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,444,200
- +0.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 54
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,744
- +0.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $37,384,738
- +6.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (22 of 52, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (72% 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 Yerba Buena Fund
- 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: 368 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 328-1586
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Yerba Buena Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Alma Backyard Farms ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
228 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 188 grants of 228 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 72% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 20% to recipients in Washington, DC. The remaining reported shares went to recipients in New York (4%), Connecticut (1%), and Illinois (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Yerba Buena Fund open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 22 of 52 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 44% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 86% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $1.4M (2020) to $1.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 54 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alma Backyard Farms Los Angeles, CA | General Operations | $250,000 |
| Manifestworks Los Angeles, CA | General Operations | $250,000 |
| Alliance for Middle East Peace Washington, DC | General Operations | $125,000 |
| National Trust for Historic Preservation Washington, DC | To hire and retain full-time staff for the african American cultural heritage action fund | $125,000 |
| California Pacific Medical Center Foundation San Francisco, CA | General Operations | $100,000 |
| Healthy Hearts Institute Dublin, CA | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley Los Gatos, CA | Operation Dignity | $50,000 |
| Hebrew Free Loan Association San Francisco, CA | Loan Forgiveness for Seniors | $36,000 |
| Jewish Free Loan Association Los Angeles, CA | Guarantor Fund for Seniors | $36,000 |
| Bonafide Oakland, CA | General Operations | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Yerba Buena Fund?
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 | $37,384,738 | $1,883,792 | $2,125,045 | $1,444,200 | 54 | $1,564,832 | $1,521,978 | $1,824,682 |
| 2023 | $35,252,504 | $1,411,717 | $1,827,622 | $1,437,000 | 54 | $1,533,643 | $1,140,108 | $1,594,559 |
| 2022 | $30,351,726 | $1,086,176 | $1,865,584 | $1,443,000 | 53 | $1,699,190 | $777,515 | $1,557,213 |
| 2021 | $37,126,236 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | $32,300,435 | $1,391,743 | $1,718,228 | $1,409,000 | 67 | — | $1,177,878 | $1,383,553 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Yerba Buena Fund reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided in the available information. Its 2024 grants include general operating support and grants for specific purposes. The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of work supported: ManifestWorks describes its work as workforce development and job placement for people impacted by foster care, homelessness, and incarceration; Healthy Hearts Institute describes programs providing low-income families access to locally grown produce and health and wellness education; and Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley describes services for older adults and caregivers.
Other 2024 recipients describe work including peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians (Alliance for Middle East Peace), interest-free loans (Jewish Free Loan Association and Hebrew Free Loan Association), support for people affected by incarceration (Bonafide), and preservation of Los Angeles County’s historic architectural and cultural resources (Los Angeles Conservancy).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund reported 54 grants totaling $1,444,200. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $250,000, with a median of $7,500. The largest awards included $250,000 each to Alma Backyard Farms and ManifestWorks, both for general operations; $125,000 to Alliance for Middle East Peace for general operations; and $125,000 to the National Trust for Historic Preservation to hire and retain full-time staff for its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
Other reported grants included $100,000 to California Pacific Medical Center Foundation for general operations; $50,000 each to Healthy Hearts Institute for general operations and Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley for Operation Dignity; and $36,000 each to Hebrew Free Loan Association for loan forgiveness for seniors and Jewish Free Loan Association for a guarantor fund for seniors.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Alice Russell-Shapiro as president and secretary, William Russell-Shapiro as vice-president and vice-chair, William H Russell-Shapiro as treasurer, and Madeleine Russell-Shapiro as executive director.
Yerba Buena Fund is led by Madeleine Russell-Shapiro, Executive Director since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Madeleine Russell-Shapiro
Executive Director
Vice President & Vice Chair → Executive Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$75K (2020) → $77K (2024)
Alice Russell-Shapiro
President & Secretary
President, Chair & Director → President & Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William H. Russell-Shapiro
Vice President, Vice Chair & Treasurer
Secretary, Director, Treasurer & Director → Vice President, Vice Chair & Treasurer, 2022
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $77K, to Madeleine Russell-Shapiro (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Yerba Buena Fund
How much does Yerba Buena Fund give each year?
Yerba Buena Fund gave $1.4M across 54 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 54 grants.
What is Yerba Buena Fund's typical grant size?
Yerba Buena Fund's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $26,744, across 54 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Yerba Buena Fund that year got $11K on average.
Where does Yerba Buena Fund give grants?
Yerba Buena Fund gives mostly in California: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (18 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants), New York, NY (6 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (5 grants).
Does Yerba Buena Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 74% of Yerba Buena Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 54) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Yerba Buena Fund's largest grantees?
Yerba Buena Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Alma Backyard Farms ($250,000), Manifestworks ($250,000) and Alliance for Middle East Peace ($130,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Yerba Buena Fund?
Yerba Buena Fund reported $37.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Yerba Buena Fund fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided in the available information. Its 2024 grants include general operating support and grants for specific purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Yerba Buena Fund?
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 Yerba Buena Fund's EIN?
Yerba Buena Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1997261. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Yerba Buena Fund 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 15, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Yerba Buena Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Yerba Buena Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/yerba-buena-fund-morg_9873fe94a80646ca99e34ac6ebe177ff
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_461997261_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Yerba Buena Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/yerba-buena-fund-morg_9873fe94a80646ca99e34ac6ebe177ff},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Yerba Buena Fund'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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