GrantmakersCalifornia

California Access to Justice Commission

Carmichael, CA · EIN 84-3344697. Reported 272 grants totalling $19.4M to 126 organizations across tax years 2021-2024, on Form 990 Schedule I.

126organizations funded
$43,875median reported grant
$19.4Mgranted, 2021-2024
67%of grantees funded again the next year
14%of dollars to its largest recipient

Does this grantmaker accept applications?

Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.

Three things in the filing do bear on it:

  1. What kind of organization it is. The IRS has no activity classification on file for this one, so we cannot tell you whether it is a community foundation or a single-institution support fund. The recipient list below is the better guide.
  2. How spread out its giving is. 126 distinct organizations, with 14% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
  3. How much its list changes. 67% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is about the 57% median for grantmaking charities -- noticeably lower than the 67% private foundations manage. Organizations like this one rotate more of their list each year, which is where an opening for a newcomer tends to be.

How big are its grants?

The median reported grant is $43,875. Half of what it reported fell between $25,000 and $90,000; the smallest was $6,250 and the largest $2,617,500. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.

Schedule I only reports grants over $5,000. Form 990 requires a charity to list recipients it paid more than that and lets it omit the rest, so every grant-size figure on this page describes the grants it reported, not all of them. Its real median is lower and its real recipient count is higher. This is also why these numbers cannot be compared with the private-foundation figures elsewhere on this site -- Form 990-PF has no reporting floor, so the two are different populations rather than two samples of one.
$5,000 - $10,000
5 grants
$10,000 - $25,000
51 grants
$25,000 - $50,000
91 grants
$50,000 - $100,000
70 grants
$100,000 - $250,000
52 grants
$250,000 Or More
3 grants

Every organization it funded

This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.

OrganizationLocationTotal receivedGrantsYears fundedLast
Various Other GrantsCarmichael, CA$2,617,500112023
California Collaborative for Immigrant JusticeOakland, CA$700,000442024
Centro Legal De La Raza IncOakland, CA$526,875442024
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles CountyGlendale, CA$400,000222022
Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto IncE Palo Alto, CA$353,125332024
Public Law CenterSanta Ana, CA$344,000332024
Inner City Law CenterLos Angeles, CA$336,700442024
Alliance for Childrens RightsLos Angeles, CA$322,500442024
Thai Community Development CenterLos Angeles, CA$316,875442024
Coalition to Abolish Slavery & TraffickingLos Angeles, CA$312,000442024
Central California Legal Services IncFresno, CA$305,000332023
Legal Access AlamedaSan Francisco, CA$297,000442024
Open Door LegalSan Francisco, CA$291,875332023
Los Angeles Center for Law and JusticeLos Angeles, CA$290,000442024
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco, CA$280,000442024
Elder Law & AdvocacySan Diego, CA$275,000332023
OnejusticeSan Francisco, CA$275,000332023
Immigration Project IncBerkeley, CA$270,500332024
National Center for Youth LawOakland, CA$267,500332024
Root & ReboundSan Francisco, CA$250,000332023
Legal Aid at WorkSan Francisco, CA$246,000332023
Partnership for the Advancement of New AmericansSan Diego, CA$238,750332024
California Indian Legal Services IncSacramento, CA$232,400442024
Inland Counties Legal ServicesRiverside, CA$228,000332024
Public Interest Law ProjectOakland, CA$220,000442024
Mission Action IncSan Francisco, CA$215,500332024
San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance FoundationSn Luis Obisp, CA$215,000442024
Counsel for JusticeLos Angeles, CA$214,500332024
Cgrs California IncSan Francisco, CA$212,250442024
C R L a FoundationSacramento, CA$210,500442024
Oasis Legal ServicesBerkeley, CA$210,250332024
The Translatin CoalitionLos Angeles, CA$210,000222022
Al Otro Lado IncSan Ysidro, CA$200,000332024
Legal Assistance to the Elderly IncSan Francisco, CA$198,500212024
Secure Families CollaborativeSanta Rosa, CA$186,500332024
Immigration Institute of the Bay AreaSan Francisco, CA$183,250112024
East Bay Sanctuary CovenantBerkeley, CA$180,000332024
Kind IncWashington, DC$180,000332024
Senior Citizens Legal ServicesSanta Cruz, CA$178,500442024
Harriett Buhai Center for Family LawLos Angeles, CA$175,000222022
Legal Aid Society of San BernardinoSn Bernrdno, CA$175,000332024
Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing ProjectOxnard, CA$172,000112024
Immigrant Legal DefenseOakland, CA$169,000112024
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund IncBerkeley, CA$166,000442024
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA$159,500112024
Latin Advocacy NetworkSalinas, CA$158,500112024
AIDS Legal Referral Panel of the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco, CA$152,500332024
Center for Access to QdrosRch Cucamonga, CA$150,000332024
Legal Services for Children IncSan Francisco, CA$150,000222023
Public Advocates IncSan Francisco, CA$150,000332023
Contra Costa Senior Legal ServicesConcord, CA$147,000442024
California Rural Legal Assistance IncModesto, CA$146,500332024
East Bay Community Law CenterBerkeley, CA$146,250332024
California Advocates for Nursing Home ReformBerkeley, CA$138,400332023
Legal Aid of MarinSan Rafael, CA$138,000332024
San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program IncSan Diego, CA$130,500442024
Swords to Plowshares Veterans Rights OrganizationSan Francisco, CA$130,000332024
Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA$128,000112024
African Advocacy NetworrkSan Francisco, CA$125,000222023
Legal LinkOakland, CA$122,000222023
Family Violence Appellate ProjectOakland, CA$115,000222022
Justice at Last IncSan Francisco, CA$100,000332024
Leadership Counsel for Justice and AccountabilityFresno, CA$100,000222022
Legal Aid Foundation of Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA$100,000112024
Tahirih Justice CenterFalls Church, VA$100,000222023
Alameda County Homeless Action CenterBerkeley, CA$98,500332024
Immigrant Legal Resource CenterSan Francisco, CA$87,500112024
Veterans Legal InstituteTustin, CA$85,000332024
Network on Women in PrisonEmeryville, CA$79,500222024
Legal Services of Northern CaliforniaSacramento, CA$77,500222024
Family and Childrens Law CenterSan Rafael, CA$76,000222022
Center for Immigrant ProtectionSan Francisco, CA$75,000112024
Council on American-Islamic Relations CaliforniaAnaheim, CA$75,000112024
Mental Health Advocacy Services IncGlendale, CA$75,000332024
Pangea Legal ServicesSan Francisco, CA$71,500112024
Learning Rights Law CenterLos Angeles, CA$69,750442024
Bet TzedekLos Angeles, CA$68,750332024
Opening Doors IncSacramento, CA$68,750112024
President-Board of Trustees Santa Clara CollegeSanta Clara, CA$63,000112024
Services & Immigrant Rights & Education NetworkSan Jose, CA$62,500112024
Step Forward FoundationMorgan Hill, CA$61,500112024
Legal Aid Society of San Mateo CoRedwood City, CA$60,000222022
Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara, CA$59,000332024
Legal Assistance for Seniors IncOakland, CA$55,500212024
Cora Community Overcoming Relationship AbuseSan Mateo, CA$50,000112024
East Bay Childrens Law Offices IncorporatedOakland, CA$50,000112024
Immigrant Defenders Law CenterLos Angeles, CA$50,000222023
La Raza Centro Legal-San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA$50,000222023
Legal Aid Society of San DiegoSan Diego, CA$50,000222022
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance IncBakersfield, CA$47,500112024
Centro Del Inmigrante IncRiverside, CA$45,500112024
The Justice and Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San FrancisSan Francisco, CA$43,750112024
Dependency Advocacy CenterSan Jose, CA$42,500112024
Southern California Immigration ProjectSan Diego, CA$42,500112024
Impact FundBerkeley, CA$40,750112024
Legal Aid of Sonoma CountySanta Rosa, CA$40,000112024
Legal Services for SeniorsMonterey, CA$40,000112024
East Bay Family DefendersOakland, CA$37,500222023
UC Law Sf FoundationSan Francisco, CA$37,000112024
The@access Project IncOakland, CA$35,000112024
Eviction Defense Collaborative IncSan Francisco, CA$34,500112024
Todec Legal Center PerrisMoreno Valley, CA$34,500112024
Pro Bono Project Silicon ValleyCampbell, CA$33,000112024
American Bar Association Fund for Justice and EducationChicago, IL$31,250112024
Centro Binacional Para El Desarrollo Indigena OaxaquenoFresno, CA$31,250112024
Inland Coalition for Immigrant JusticeSn Bernrdno, CA$31,250112024
Jubilee Immigration AdvocatesSan Francisco, CA$31,000112024
Congress of Neutrals a California Public Benefit CorpPleasant Hill, CA$30,000112024
Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange CountySanta Ana, CA$30,000112024
Jubilee Imm AdvocatesSan Francisco, CA$30,000222023
Public Service Law Corporation of the Riverside County Bar AssociatiRiverside, CA$30,000112024
Guild Law SchoolLos Angeles, CA$26,000222022
Education and Leadership FoundationFresno, CA$25,000112024
National Center for Lgbtq RightsSacramento, CA$25,000112024
Nihonmachi Legal OutreachOakland, CA$25,000112023
Senior Advocacy NetworkModesto, CA$25,000112024
Social Justice CollaborativeBerkeley, CA$25,000112024
Community Lawyers IncCompton, CA$23,500112024
Mountainside Communion - a Church of the NazareneMonrovia, CA$19,500112024
Garment Worker CenterLos Angeles, CA$18,750112024
International Rescue Committee IncNew York, NY$18,750112024
Watsonville Law CenterWatsonville, CA$18,750112024
Wage Justice CenterLos Angeles, CA$15,000112024
Elevate Community CenterMountain View, CA$12,500112024
Transgender Law CenterOakland, CA$12,500112024
Youth Law CenterSan Francisco, CA$10,000112024

72 of 126 (57%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.

It also reported 2 groups of grants to individuals -- scholarships, emergency assistance and similar. Schedule I reports these by category with a headcount and never by name, so there is nothing here we could publish about the recipients even if we wanted to.

What kind of organizations it funds

By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 104 of 126 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.

Crime & Legal
56 orgs
Human Services
13 orgs
Civil Rights
8 orgs
Education
6 orgs
Housing & Shelter
4 orgs
Arts & Culture
3 orgs
International Affairs
3 orgs

Giving by year

Tax yearGrants reportedTotalMedian grant
202151$1,875,000$25,000
202270$5,105,000$57,375
202350$6,280,000$81,750
2024101$6,093,750$42,500

Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.

Where its money goes

98% of its giving went to organizations in California. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.

California
$19.0M
District of Columbia
$180K
Virginia
$100K
Illinois
$31K
New York
$19K

Down to the city

San Francisco, CA
$3.7M
Los Angeles, CA
$2.8M
Carmichael, CA
$2.6M
Oakland, CA
$2.3M
Berkeley, CA
$1.3M
San Diego, CA
$737K

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Funders that support the same organizations

These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available that two funders have overlapping priorities -- and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund78 shared recipientsAmerican Online Giving Foundation Inc70 shared recipientsDonor Advised Charitable Giving Inc67 shared recipientsVanguard Charitable Endowment Program53 shared recipientsSilicon Valley Community Foundation49 shared recipientsCalifornia Changelawyers42 shared recipients

How to approach this grantmaker

  1. Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
  2. Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $43,875 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
  3. Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in California.
  4. Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.

Related guides

Foundations funding human services in CaliforniaEvery funder in this group, rankedFoundations funding education in CaliforniaEvery funder in this group, ranked

Where these numbers come from

Everything above is taken from California Access to Justice Commission's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2020-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.

On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 101 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 0 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.

Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 645, Carmichael, CA, 95609.

EIN 84-3344697 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this

This is history, not an open call. Form 990 is published about a year after the tax year it covers. Nothing on this page is a deadline. It is a record of who this organization has actually funded, which is the best available predictor of who it will fund next.

Is something here wrong about your organization? Email hello@funderscope.com and we will correct it.