Kimball Foundation Grant Program

The Kimball Foundation Grant Program supports college access, workplace training, cultural enrichment, and environmental education for low-income residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. By providing pathways to higher education, vocational training, and arts education, the foundation empowers youth to overcome barriers and achieve their goals. The foundation emphasizes culturally competent leadership and structured support, ensuring effective mentorship and long-term success for participants. Organizations are encouraged to apply for funding that aligns with these impactful missions.

The Kimball Foundation supports college access and persistence, workplace & vocational training, cultural enrichment, and environmental education programs serving the residents of San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, and Sonoma counties and to a limited extent Santa Clara County as far south as Palo Alto.
What We Fund
The Kimball Foundation supports college access and persistence, cultural enrichment, environmental education, and workplace success programs.
College Access and Persistence: We work to ensure that students who come from low-income backgrounds persist on a pathway through secondary school and into and through two- or four-year college with the support of high-quality academic and college-bound programs. Attributes of successful grantee organizations and programs:
Serves students ages 10-24 who demonstrate a commitment to achieve despite backgrounds that may include significant risk factors (e.g., first-in-family to attend college or status as an English language learner) and few supports
Strong program model based on recognized best practices in the field that is offered in or after school, including summers
Provides sequential support that bridges one or more critical transition phases over a number of years (e.g., middle to high school and/or high school to college) to ensure persistence and success
When academic support is provided to students, it is articulated to promote A-G course attainment
The foundation does not support scholarship programs unless they have a structured in-depth academic support component
Attributes of successful grantee organizations and programs:
At least 50% of program population served should be students aged 15-24 who demonstrate a commitment to employability despite backgrounds that may include significant risk factors  (e.g., poor academic preparation or former foster youth status) and few supports
Skills training includes soft-skills development as well as vocational/technical skills training that leads to living-wage and career building jobs in growth industries
Strong program model based on recognized best practices in the field that incorporates skills training and wraparound support services
Provide opportunities for academic or marketable credentials, including GEDs, high school diplomas, and industry-recognized certificates and coursework
Cultural Enrichment: We provide students with equal access to participatory arts education to foster an appreciation of the arts while promoting community engagement through cultural experiences. Attributes of successful grantee organizations and programs:

• Serves students ages 5-18 from low-income backgrounds
• Promotes an understanding of the arts and development of art skills (includes but is not limited to literary, media, performing, and visual)

Long-term focus on program depth through in-school, after-school and/or out-of-school opportunities with priority given to programs with a robust, sequential curriculum or training that help students meaningfully build artistic performance or skills.
Environmental Education: We provide youth with high engagement programs that provide outdoor experiential, wilderness, and environmental science education. Attributes of successful grantee organizations and programs: Serves students ages 10-18 from low-income backgrounds
Provides free or subsidized fees to program services and camps
Create meaningful opportunities for youth to build careers in Environmental Preservation and addressing Climate Change with access to mentors, program leaders, internships and other paid employment.
Rest Year Policy
The Kimball Foundation seeks to provide both ongoing support for effective nonprofit organizations, and to identify and support new and promising organizations. To achieve this goal, the foundation employs the following “rest year” policy: organizations that receive four years of consecutive funding need to take a one-year rest before receiving additional support.

Eligibility

The foundation supports:Public charities operating under an IRS 501(c)(3) status or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization;We serve the residents of San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, and Sonoma counties and to a limited extent Santa Clara County as far south as Palo Alto.Organizations with culturally-competent leadership, staff, and volunteers who provide individualized mentorship and support for each student

Ineligibility

The foundation does not support medical research, individuals, endowments, events, annual appeals, or religious organizations other than those providing non-sectarian services to the community.The foundation does not fund one-time wilderness experiences. ( for Environmental Education)