California · Nonprofit
Sustainable San Mateo County
Sustainable San Mateo County (California) receives grants from 9 organizations whose IRS filings report $221,991 to it, the largest being SAND HILL FOUNDATION ($150,400). 6 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $412k
- Funders on record
- 9
- Grants received
- $222k
- Net assets
- $276k
What Sustainable San Mateo County does
Mission
To stimulate action to make San Mateo County more sustainable on economic, environmental, and social equity issues through empowering information and advocacy.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
On its FY2025 return the organization reported starting a significant new program.
YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL: Initiated new program to support high school students on local sustainability advocacy efforts. Staff and board meet with members monthly to determine priorities, set goals, and coordinate actions.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 2).
INDICATORS REPORT FOR A SUSTAINABLE SAN MATEO COUNTY: In 2025, the Indicators Report continued to serve as a critical research tool, offering an in-depth analysis of sustainability challenges and opportunities in San Mateo County. The 2025 report responded to one of the stated needs of local elected leaders, focusing on the climate impact of food systems, including dietary choices, food recovery, and waste management. SSMC hosted a launch event featuring expert panelists and facilitated discussions on how local governments, businesses, and schools can support reducing the climate impact of our food systems.
$79,441 spent32% of program spendingSUSTAINABILITY AWARDS: The Sustainability Awards remained a cornerstone of SSMC's community engagement efforts, recognizing individuals, businesses, and organizations that demonstrate leadership in sustainability. In 2025, we brought together local leaders and advocates to celebrate achievements and inspire further action. Through this program, SSMC continued to elevate the visibility of sustainability efforts across the region and encourage broad community participation. 2025 WINNERS: SUSTAINABILITY: Caltrain, El Concilio of San Mateo, San Mateo County Community College District; YOUTH SUSTAINABILITY: Colin Chu; GREEN BUILDING: Winner - County Office Building 3, Redwood City; Honorable Mention - Belle Haven Community Campus, Menlo Park; RUTH PETERSON AWARD: John Crowell
$66,951 spent27% of program spendingSUSTAINABILITY DASHBOARD: The Sustainability Dashboard is an interactive platform that provides timely insights across more than 100 sustainability metrics. This accessible format allows city officials, policymakers, and community members to track local progress on issues such as energy use, housing, transportation, and climate resilience. By making data more accessible and actionable, the dashboard empowers decision-makers to prioritize and implement effective sustainability policies.
$60,327 spent24% of program spendingOTHER PROGRAMS: Ideas Bank
$43,091 spent17% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $249,810.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2019, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2019, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2023 to 2024, from $402k to $244k (−39%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2021 51% · 2022 23% · 2023 26% · 2024 25% · 2025 14%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
89% of Sustainable San Mateo County’s revenue is contributions — more donation-reliant than the typical peer (88% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 2 of the last 7 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 1 funder to 6 funders, grant income rose $7k → $23k.
3 of 9 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 20% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of Sustainable San Mateo County’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
Sustainable San Mateo County leans on a few funders — its largest provides 68% of grant income and the top three 88%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 100% · 2020 52% · 2021 66% · 2022 93% · 2023 27% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
50% of Sustainable San Mateo County's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 67% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
98% of Sustainable San Mateo County's grant income comes from California funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $45k arriving through sponsors registered in 3 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
Sustainable San Mateo County is better cushioned than half of the 2,433 environment nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 2,433 environment nonprofits $100k–$1M, FY2025
Organizations like Sustainable San Mateo County
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In California
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
66% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
99%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for Sustainable San Mateo County: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds Sustainable San Mateo County?
- Sustainable San Mateo County (California) receives grants from 9 organizations whose IRS filings report $221,991 to it, the largest being SAND HILL FOUNDATION ($150,400). 6 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does Sustainable San Mateo County have?
- IRS filings report 9 organizations giving $221,991 in grants to Sustainable San Mateo County, 6 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of Sustainable San Mateo County?
- SAND HILL FOUNDATION is the largest funder on record, with $150,400 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like Sustainable San Mateo County find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in California. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Sustainable San Mateo County →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2019–2025), and the filings of 9 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing