The Battery Foundation
San Francisco, CA · EIN 46-5476017. Reported 108 grants totalling $10.3M to 104 organizations across tax years 2021-2024, on Form 990 Schedule I.
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:
- What kind of organization it is. For The Battery Foundation, the IRS classifies it as a public foundation -- a grantmaker that raises its money from many sources rather than from one donor (NTEE T30).
- How spread out its giving is. 104 distinct organizations, with 3% 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.
- How much its list changes. 3% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is below the 57% median for grantmaking charities, and well below the 67% private foundations manage. A list that turns over this much is one a newcomer can realistically join.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $17,500. Half of what it reported fell between $10,000 and $185,470; the smallest was $7,650 and the largest $250,100. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
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.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday People for Change Inc | Oakland, CA | $345,365 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Pacific Institute for Studies in Development Environment and Securi | Oakland, CA | $267,292 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Mindful Life Project | Richmond, CA | $260,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| La Cocina Inc | San Francisco, CA | $250,100 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| 826 Valencia | San Francisco, CA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Baykeeper | Oakland, CA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Calmatters | Sacramento, CA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Childrens Council of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Dignitymoves | San Francisco, CA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Eat Real Certified Inc | San Francisco, CA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mediators Foundation Inc | Boulder, CO | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pepperwood Foundation | Santa Rosa, CA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Public Health Institute | Oakland, CA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation | San Francisco, CA | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Youth Passageways | Kansas City, MO | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| More in Common Inc | New York, NY | $246,202 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Civic Space Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $246,193 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Planting Justice | Oakland, CA | $237,184 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Pacific Community Ventures | Oakland, CA | $234,045 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Callisto | San Francisco, CA | $231,222 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Mk Level Playing Field Institute | Oakland, CA | $203,227 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Agriculture and Land Based Training Association | Salinas, CA | $201,207 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Western Rivers Conservancy | Portland, OR | $193,676 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| As You Sow | El Cerrito, CA | $192,254 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bipartisan Policy Center Action Inc | Washington, DC | $190,536 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mercy Housing California | Denver, CO | $189,157 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bayview Hunters Point Center for Arts and Technology | San Francisco, CA | $186,423 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Aim High for High School | San Francisco, CA | $185,470 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Justice Outside | Oakland, CA | $184,411 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tomkat Ranch Educational Foundation | Pescadero, CA | $184,136 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Youth Speaks Inc | San Francisco, CA | $181,870 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Girls Who Code Inc | New York, NY | $170,171 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Multiplier | San Francisco, CA | $163,712 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Institute for Nonprofit News | Beverly Hills, CA | $161,951 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mission Economic Development Agency | San Francisco, CA | $158,329 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Open Door Legal | San Francisco, CA | $153,894 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| San Francisco Housing Development Corporation | San Francisco, CA | $152,168 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Oakland Community Land Trust | Oakland, CA | $151,377 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Wildaid Inc | San Francisco, CA | $149,024 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Free Press | Florence, MA | $147,951 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Center for Investigating Reporting | Emeryville, CA | $145,440 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Point Reyes Bird Observatory | Petaluma, CA | $139,180 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press | Washington, DC | $134,700 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Headlands Center for the Arts | Sausalito, CA | $133,089 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Braver Angels Inc | New York, NY | $128,855 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Environmental Health Coalition | National City, CA | $123,877 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| First Graduate | San Francisco, CA | $106,837 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Save California Salmon | Orleans, CA | $100,610 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Agricultural Institute of Marin | San Rafael, CA | $95,947 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ryse Inc | Richmond, CA | $87,548 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Community Initiatives | Oakland, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Independent Arts & Media | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cultural Conservancy Sacred Land Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Food Chain Workers Alliance Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Alliance for Youth Organizing | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Assets Under Movement | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Black Cultural Zone Community Development Corporation | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| California Housing Partnership | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Californians for Justice Education Fund Inc | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cityside Journalism Initiative | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Civic News Company | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Community Water Center | Visalia, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Digdeep Right to Water Project | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Family Values at Work a Multi-State Consortium | Milwaukee, WI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Flourish Agenda Inc | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Food System 6 Accelerator Inc | Redwood City, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Global Fund for Women Inc | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Groundswell Action Fund | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Hiphopforchange Inc | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Inner Sunset Park Neighbors | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Latino Media Collaborative | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| March on | Derwood, MD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Marshall Project Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Movement Strategy Center | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| New Public | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| North Beach Citizens | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Oakland Ballet Company | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Oakland Reach | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| One America Movement | Bowie, MD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| People for Open Space Inc | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Regents of the University of California at Berkeley | Riverside, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services Inc | Richmond, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Rockefeller Family Fund Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rocketship Education | Redwood City, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Roxie Theater | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| San Francisco Education Fund | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| San Francisco Housing Action Coalition | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| San Francisco Study Center Inc | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Shotgun Players Inc | Berkeley, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Somarts | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sustainable Conservation | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sustainable Northwest | Portland, OR | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Alliance for Climate Protection | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Center for Cultural Power | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Climate Center | Santa Rosa, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Mama Glow Foundation | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Museum of the African Diaspora | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The@kelsey | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| United for Respect | Sacramento, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Western Resource Advocates | Boulder, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| A Home Within Inc | Oakland, CA | $7,650 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
4 of 104 (4%) 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.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose column of its filings, largest first. This is the closest thing to a statement of what it funds, in its own words.
- Public Health Institute
GENERAL SUPPORT OF RISEUP - Youth Passageways
GENERAL SUPPORT OF EVER FORWARD CLUB - Mediators Foundation
GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE ALGO (ALGORITHMS AND LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS FOR GOOD) INCUBATOR - Calmatters
SUPPORT FOR THE CALIFORNIA ACCOUNTABILITY DESK - 826 Valencia
SUPPORT IN-SCHOOLS PROGRAMMING IN SY 21-22 AND 22-23 - Children's Council of San Francisco
GENERAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN'S COUNCIL OF SAN FRANCISCO'S EFFORTS TO BOLSTER CHILD CARE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 96 of 104 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.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 34 | $2,622,629 | $10,000 |
| 2022 | 29 | $2,909,745 | $95,947 |
| 2023 | 25 | $2,733,813 | $100,610 |
| 2024 | 20 | $2,066,093 | $57,044 |
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
80% 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.
Down to the city
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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.
How to approach this grantmaker
- 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.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $17,500 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in California.
- 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.
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Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Battery Foundation's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 18 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 2 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: 717 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA, 94111.
EIN 46-5476017 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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