Foundations That Fund Education in California
8,335 foundations reported 69,557 grants worth $6.0B to education organizations in California on their most recent tax filings. Here is who they are — and which ones actually accept applications.
Repeat funding in education, California
Across 2,543 funder-year observations in this group, a typical foundation funded 67% of the same organizations again the following year. That is the core reason historical giving data is useful: past grantees are the best available predictor of future ones. It also means a funder with no history in your cause rarely starts with you.
Foundations that fund education in California and accept requests
These are the funders worth your time first: each one granted to this cause in this state, and none of them told the IRS it only funds organizations it picks itself. Ordered by how many grants they made — a foundation writing dozens of cheques is far more approachable than one writing two huge ones. Typical grant is the median, so you can judge whether you are their size.
| Foundation | Based in | Typical grant | Grants made | Granted here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bank of America Charitable | Charlotte, NC | $500 | 1,575 | $5.8M |
| The Northrop Grumman Foundation | Falls Church, VA | $500 | 566 | $1.8M |
| The Ahmanson Foundation | Beverly Hills, CA | $50K | 476 | $44.8M |
| Enterprise Holdings Foundation | Saint Louis, MO | $3K | 367 | $2.0M |
| Gates Foundation | Seattle, WA | $500K | 362 | $454.2M |
| Conrad N Hilton Foundation | Westlake Village, CA | $4K | 312 | $41.3M |
| Koret Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $100K | 287 | $55.2M |
| The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation | Menlo Park, CA | $100K | 283 | $51.1M |
| Fidelity Foundation | Boston, MA | $700 | 253 | $1.4M |
| The Sobrato Family Foundation | Mountain View, CA | $75K | 247 | $26.7M |
The largest funders — for reference
These give the most money to this cause in this state, but most do not accept unsolicited requests, and their grants are usually far larger than a small organization would seek. Useful context, not a target list.
| Foundation | Typical grant | Granted here | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gates Foundation | $500K | $454.2M | Accepts requests |
| Sergey Brin Family Foundation | $325K | $151.6M | Preselected only |
| Walton Family Foundation Inc | $335K | $150.3M | Preselected only |
| The Benificus Foundation | $2.5M | $147.6M | Preselected only |
| Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation | $25K | $105.9M | Preselected only |
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Where the money actually goes in California
Total granted to organizations in each city. Funding is usually far more concentrated than people expect, which matters when you are judging your own odds.
How to use this list
- Start with the foundations that accept requests. The rest almost never respond to unsolicited approaches.
- Check whether they fund organizations your size. The median grant here is $4K — a funder writing $4K checks is unlikely to write you a six-figure one.
- Look for a local connection. Foundations concentrate their giving geographically, and repeat the same grantees year after year.
- Read their recent grants before writing. Past giving tells you what they actually fund, which is often narrower than their stated mission.