Skip to content
The Graybird Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Graybird Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$99k
Granted FY2025still arriving
32
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$12k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Philanthropy$86kHuman Services$54kInternational$41kArts & Culture$34kHousing & Shelter$30kEducation$26kHealth$24kEnvironment$24kOther$0
02FY2025 · 32 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k26 grants · $37k
  • $10k–50k6 grants · $62k
$533
Median grant
2
States reached
$1.1M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
ALLIANCE OF IDAHO$12,000
SENIOR COASTSIDERS$10,000
AYUDANDO LATINOS A SONAR$10,000
COASTSIDE HOPE$10,000
ARCHITECTS OF PEACE FOUNDATION$10,000
MAIDEN VOYAGE PRODUCTIONS$10,000
SONRISAS DENTAL HEALTH$7,500
COASTSIDE WOMENS CLUB$6,000
COASTSIDE HOPE$5,000
COASTSIDE LAND TRUST$5,000
BOYS GIRLS CLUB OF THE COASTSIDE$3,000
THE FUND FOR SUSTAINABLE TOMORROWS$1,065
HEAL PROJECT$1,000
SEA HUGGER$533
GOLDEN TICKET AWARD$533
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY17–25, $82k) land where the poverty rate runs at 8%, against an area that typically sits at 7%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 7%REACH FOR HOME: $15k → 9%REACH FOR HOME: $3k → 9%REACH FOR HOME: $3k → 9%REACH FOR HOME: $2k → 9%REACH FOR HOME: $2k → 9%REACH FOR HOME: $2k → 9%CANINE COMPANIONS: $500 → 9%SENIOR COASTSIDERS: $10k → 7%COASTSIDE HOPE: $10k → 7%AYUDANDO LATINOS A SONAR: $10k → 7%COASTSIDE HOPE: $5k → 7%COASTSIDE HOPE: $5k → 7%SENIOR COASTSIDERS: $5k → 7%COASTSIDE HOPE: $5k → 7%SENIOR COASTSIDERS: $1k → 7%SENIOR COASTSIDERS: $533 → 7%AYUDANDO LATINOS A SONAR: $522 → 7%COASTSIDE HOPE: $515 → 7%SENIOR COASTSIDERS: $510 → 7%SENIOR COASTSIDERS: $510 → 7%SENIOR COASTSIDERS: $300 → 7%SENIOR COASTSIDERS: $80 → 7%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
04

Where the work is directed

The same grants placed two ways: where each recipient sits, and where its stated purpose sends the money.

About 54% of The Graybird Foundation’s grant dollars are earmarked for a different county than the recipient’s own address. By recipient address, 68% of the giving stays in CA; by stated purpose, 44%.

The Graybird Foundationlessmore of its giving
Placed by recipient address
How this is measured
Recipient view: each grant at its grantee’s ZIP, mapped to a county. Directed view: each grant at the county its stated purpose names, falling back to the recipient’s county when the purpose names no place; US grants only. A county shows only if it carries the top 95% of that view’s dollars. Purposes are read from the funder’s own 990 grant descriptions.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

77%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$285k · 16 repeat orgs$84k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +68% since the first grant, against +27% for those funded once.

16 repeat relationships: 8 still active in FY2025, 8 since wound down; 9 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

16
21

Total granted

$285k
$45k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+68%
+27%

Still filing today

81%
62%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 61% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $39k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Human ServicesHealthInternationalEducationEnvironmentArts & CultureOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • WR
    WOOD RIVER WOMEN'S FOUNDATION
    3× · 2021–2023 · $85k · revenue +14%
  • AO
    ARCHITECTS OF PEACE FOUNDATION
    5× · 2019–2025 · $41k · revenue +123% · 50% of their budget
  • RF
    REACH FOR HOME
    3× · 2017–2019 · $27k · revenue +231%

Funded once

  • IC
    IDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE INC
    one grant, 2021 · $11k · revenue +7%
  • GS
    GOLDEN STATE YOUTH ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATIONgraduated
    one grant, 2018 · $8k · revenue +25%
  • CS
    CRYSTAL SPRINGS UPLANDS SCHOOLgraduated
    one grant, 2018 · $7k · revenue +101%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
The International School of San Francisco

Guided by the principles of academic rigor and diversity, the international school of san francisco offers programs of study in french and english to prepare its graduates for a world in which the ability to think critically and to…

Education
2
Terra Marin School

Our mission is to spark wonder and intellectual curiosity in each child. We achieve this through a purposeful blend of:Engaging academics custom-tailored to each child's abilities, strengths and interests;An unparalleled social-emotional…

Education
3
CalMatters

Our team of experienced journalists, with the time and resources to dig deep, is committed to meaningfully informing Californians about the players, politics, and interests that shape the issues that affect their lives.

Civil Rights
4
Sustainable Conservation

Sustainable Conservation advances the collaborative stewardship of Californias land, air, and water for the benefit of nature and people. For over three decades, Sustainable Conservation has built coalitions of people with different…

Environment
5
Stem Advantage

Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. STEM Advantage mentors, prepares, and inspires first-generation, low-income, and underserved college students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). We level…

Youth Development
6
City Surf Project

To ensure equitable access to the coastline and improve the health and well-being of Bay Area youth, through surf instruction. We use surfing as a vehicle to foster respect for nature, healthy living, personal growth, diversity, equity and…

Recreation & Sports
7
California Coastkeeper dba California Coastkeeper Alliance

California Coastkeeper Alliance unites Waterkeeper programs statewide to fight for swimmable, fishable, and drinkable waters for all Californians.

Environment
8
Ten Strands

We strengthen the partnerships, strategies, and systems that advance environmental literacy, ensuring all California TK12 students thrive in sustainable, resilient schools and engage in meaningful environmental learning experiences, both…

Environment
9
Silicon Valley Education Foundation

Who we are - silicon valley education foundation (svef) focuses on raising student performance in the critical areas of math and science across all 33 santa clara county school districts, and also adjoining san mateo and alameda counties.…

Community Improvement
10
California School-Age Consortium Inc

The California School-Age Consortium (CalSAC) builds professional networks that provide training, leadership development and advocacy to ensure that all young people have access to high quality out-of-school time programs and to create a…

—
11
The California Center for Civic Participation

To educate california youth about the operations of local, state, and federal government.

Public Benefit
12
California Forward

Ca fwd drives action to identify solutions that can be taken to scale to meet the challenges the state is facing. the organization is driven by the belief that regional solutions across the state will help ensure economic, environmental,…

Public Benefit
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Lifemoves; the most unlike its peers is Golden Ticket Award. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
05the grantee network

34 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 34 of the 48 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

1
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
11
Early backer (in before they grew)
33/34
Grantees still filing
26/34
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

WOOD RIVER WOMEN'S FOUNDATION: $85,376 · PhilanthropyWOOD RIVER WOMEN'S FOUNDAT…REACH FOR HOME: $27,162 · Human ServicesREACH FOR HOMECOASTSIDE HOPE: $25,515 · Human ServicesCOASTSIDE HOPESENIOR COASTSIDERS INC: $17,943 · Human ServicesSENIOR COASTSIDERS INCALAS AYUDANDO LATINOS A SONAR: $10,522 · Human ServicesALAS AYUDANDO LATINOS A S…+1 more: $500 · Human ServicesCOASTSIDE WOMEN'S CLUB: $13,233 · OtherCOASTSIDE WOMEN'S CLUBIDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE INC: $11,021 · OtherIDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE IN…BERKELEY SYMPHONY: $8,532 · OtherBERKELEY SYMPHONYGOLDEN STATE YOUTH ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION: $8,177 · OtherGOLDEN STATE YOUTH ORCHESTRA…ALLIANCE: $5,475 · OtherALLIANCECOASTAL REPERTORY THEATRE INC: $4,630 · OtherGATEPATH: $4,289 · OtherBOYS GIRLS CLUB OF THE COASTSIDE: $3,250 · OtherMAIDEN VOYAGE PRODUCTIONS INC: $10,000 · OtherMAIDEN VOYAGE PRODUCTIONS IN…CRYSTAL SPRINGS UPLANDS SCHOOL: $6,540 · OtherCRYSTAL SPRINGS UPLANDS SCHO…+22 more: $18,379 · Other+22 moreARCHITECTS OF PEACE FOUNDATION: $40,936 · InternationalARCHITECTS OF PE…ALLIANCE OF IDAHO INC: $12,000 · InternationalALLIANCE OF IDAH…+1 more: $533 · InternationalABILITYPATH: $20,029 · EmploymentSONRISAS DENTAL HEALTH INC: $16,850 · HealthCAMINAR: $1,000 · HealthNATIONAL PKU ALLIANCE INC: $1,000 · HealthCoastside Land Trust: $10,000 · EnvironmentTHE HEAL PROJECT: $4,936 · EnvironmentSEA HUGGER: $1,597 · Environment
Philanthropy$85,376Human Services$81,642Other$93,526International$53,469Employment$20,029Health$18,850Environment$16,533

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$10k$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetWOOD RIVER WOMEN'S FOUNDATION: $85,376 over 3y, 6.1% of budgetARCHITECTS OF PEACE FOUNDATION: $40,936 over 5y, 50% of budgetREACH FOR HOME: $27,162 over 3y, 2.0% of budgetCOASTSIDE HOPE: $25,515 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetABILITYPATH: $20,029 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetSENIOR COASTSIDERS INC: $17,943 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetSONRISAS DENTAL HEALTH INC: $16,850 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetCOASTSIDE WOMEN'S CLUB: $13,233 over 2y, 7.2% of budgetIDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE INC: $11,021 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetALAS AYUDANDO LATINOS A SONAR: $10,522 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCoastside Land Trust: $10,000 over 2y, 0.7% of budgetMAIDEN VOYAGE PRODUCTIONS INC: $10,000 over 1y, 4.9% of budgetGOLDEN STATE YOUTH ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION: $8,177 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetCRYSTAL SPRINGS UPLANDS SCHOOL: $6,540 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE HEAL PROJECT: $4,936 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetCOASTAL REPERTORY THEATRE INC: $4,630 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetANIMAL SHELTER OF WOOD RIVER VALLEY DBA MOUNTAIN HUMANE: $3,070 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetLIFEMOVES: $2,363 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFOUNDATION FOR A COLLEGE EDUCATION: $2,273 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetSEA HUGGER: $1,597 over 2y, 0.9% of budgetEducation Outside: $1,473 over 1y, 0.0% of budget826 Valencia: $1,320 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCAMINAR: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNAMI San Mateo County: $1,000 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetNATIONAL PKU ALLIANCE INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNETWORK FOR GOOD: $600 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGolden Ticket Award: $533 over 1y, 7.5% of budgetCANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE INC: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSOCIAL GOOD FUND INC: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCentro Community Partners: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetALL STARS HELPING KIDS INC: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE CHARLES ARMSTRONG SCHOOL: $54 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Silicon Valley Commun…Atkinson FoundationThe David and Lucile …Bothin FoundationKaiser Foundation Hos…East Bay Community Fo…Gs Donor Advised Phil…Mightycause Charitabl…The San Francisco Fou…Sutter Bay HospitalsPhilanthropic Venture…Gordon E and Betty I …
Silicon Valley Community FoundationCA27.9× affinity17 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Silicon Valley Community Foundation · Atkinson Foundation · The David and Lucile Packard Foundation · Bothin Foundation · Kaiser Foundation Hospitals · East Bay Community Foundation · Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management Inc · Mightycause Charitable Foundation · The San Francisco Foundation · Sutter Bay Hospitals · Philanthropic Ventures Foundation · Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization The Graybird Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Graybird Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%4%15%34%60%funder's share of their income ↑0%10%20%30%40%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    12report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–40%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to The Graybird Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to The Graybird Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

    Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 48 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Graybird’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home