About the Fund
Gaia Fund is a San Francisco-based family foundation established in 1995. The Gaia Fund board consists of founders, Christine Russell and Mark Schlesinger, along with their sons Charles Russell-Schlesinger and Ben Russell-Schlesinger, and daughter-in-law Nicole Russell–Schlesinger. Together the board sets grantmaking priorities. As of December 31, 2025, Gaia Fund has distributed grants totaling $30,250,587 and has net assets of approximately $44.6 million.
Grants Awarded
Please explore the lists below to learn more about our funding, including grant amounts and descriptions. Grants may be reviewed by funding interest and year awarded.
Need Assistance?
Gaia Fund is staffed and managed by Third Plateau. If you have questions or need to contact us, please reach out to grants@gaiasf.org.
2025 Grants
For the year 2025, Gaia Fund awarded grants totaling $1,816,500 to 82 organizations.
ALL
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
EFFECTIVE DEMOCRACY
JEWISH LIFE
OTHER
Sustainable Agriculture
$50,000
Agriculture And Land Based Training Association (ALBA), Salinas, CA, for general support. (Two-year grant).
$25,000
California Farm Link, Aptos, CA, for general support.
$25,000
Community Alliance With Family Farmers Foundation, Davis, CA, for general support.
$120,000
National Organic Coalition Inc, Arlington, MA, for general support. (Three-year grant).
$25,000
Organic Farmers Association, Spirit Lake, IA, for general support.
$50,000
Real Organic Project, East Thetford, VA, for general support.
$100,000
UCSC Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (a project of Regents of the University of California), Santa Cruz, CA, for Sustainable Farming Workforce Development through the UCSC Farm’s Leadership Development Program (LDP). (Two-year grant).
Effective Democracy
$700,000
American Promise Education Fund Inc, Concord, MA, for general support. (Three year grant).
$225,000
Campaign Legal Center, Washington, DC for general support. (Three year grant).
$100,000
Issue One, Washington, D.C., for general support. (Two year grant).
$50,000
Movement Labs (a project of Southern Vision Alliance (SVA), Durham, NC, for the charitable purposes of Movement Labs. (Two year grant).
$50,000
Movement Voter Fund (a project of Tides Foundation), Los Angeles, CA, for the charitable purposes of Movement Voter Fund.
$350,000
Moxie Fund (a project of New Venture Fund), Baltimore, MD, general support for the Moxie Fund. (Three-year grant)
$150,000
National Redistricting Foundation, Chicago, IL, for general support. (Two year grant).
$100,000
NEO Philanthropy, New York, NY, for general support for the State Infrastructure Fund. (Two year grant).
$25,000
Nonprofit Vote, Sommerville, MA for general support.
$150,000
OpenSecrets, Washington, DC, for general support. (Three year grant).
$50,000
Students Learn Students Vote Coalition (a project of NEO Philanthropy), New York, NY for the charitable purposes of Students Learn Students Vote Coalition.
$225,000
Voting Rights Lab, Washington, DC, for general support. (Three year grant).
Jewish Life
$50,000
Adamah, Reistertown, MD, for Bay Area programming through Adamah SF and Wilderness Torah. (Two year grant).
$50,000
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, for general support. (Five year grant)
$125,000
Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support. (Five year grant).
$30,000
Jewish Film Institute, San Francisco, CA, for general support. (Three year grant)
$50,000
Mem Global, Encinitas, CA, for Bay Area programming. (Two year grant).
$125,000
New Israel Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support. (Five year grant).
$75,000
Reboot, Inc, Longmeadow, MA, general support funds will expand San Francisco programming. (Three year grant).
$120,000
San Francisco Jewish Comm Publications, San Francisco, CA, general operating support. (Three year grant).
$100,000
The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA, for general support. (Two year grant). Crucial San Francisco institution that enriches the Jewish experience through the arts.
$60,000
Urban Adamah, Berkeley, CA, for general support. (Two year grant).
Other
$5,500
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, NY for general support.
$2,500
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$10,000
American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina Foundation, Columbia, SC, for general support.
$3,000
Center for Reproductive Rights, New York, NY, for general support
$3,500
ClimateWorks Foundation, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$2,000
Democracy Forward Foundation, Washington, D.C., for general support.
$7,000
Coastal Conservation League, Charleston, SC, for GrowFood Carolina & Charleston Region Projects.
$3,500
Earth Island Institute, Berkeley, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Earthjustice, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Edisto Island Open Land Trust, Edisto Island, SC, for general support.
$2,000
ExtraFood Org, Kentfield, CA, for support of the Food Runners program.
$2,500
Farm to Pantry, Healdsburg, CA, for general support
$5,000
Fields to Families, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$2,500
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Friends & Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Friends in Sonoma Helping, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Green Heart Project, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$5,000
GreenBelt Alliance, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,500
Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Washington, DC, for general support.
$5,000
KQED, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$2,500
KSVY (a project of Sonoma Valley Community Communications Inc.), Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$6,000
Lowcountry Land Trust, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$5,500
National Network of Abortion Funds, Beaverton, OR, for general support.
$5,000
Natural Resource Defense Council, New York, NY, for clean energy work.
$5,500
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York, NY, for general support.
$4,500
Public Media Company, Boulder, CO, for the Public Media Bridge Fund.
$4,000
Rocky Mountain Institute, Boulder, CO, for general support.
$2,500
San Francisco Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$4,000
Save the Bay, Oakland, CA, for general support.
$2,500
San Francisco Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Sierra Club Foundation, Oakland, CA, $2,000 for the Bay Area Chapter, $3,000 for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation, Santa Rosa, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Ecology Center, Eldridge, CA, for the Sonoma Garden Park.
$2,500
Sonoma Family Meal, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma League for Historic Preservation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$1,000
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Volunteer Firefighters Association Inc, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$1,000
Storyville Center for the Spoken Word, New York, NY, for general operating support.
$1,000
The Brigid Alliance, New York, NY, for general support.
$4,000
The Nature Conservancy, Sacramento, CA, for work in California.
$2,500
Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, MA, for general support.
$2,000
Valley of the Moon Natural History Association, Glen Ellen, CA, for general support.
$1,000
Vintage House, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$7,000
Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network, Columbia, SC, for general support
2024 Grants
For the year 2024, Gaia Fund awarded grants totaling $1,502,500 to 70 organizations.
ALL
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
EFFECTIVE DEMOCRACY
JEWISH LIFE
OTHER
Sustainable Agriculture
$50,000
Agriculture And Land Based Training Association (ALBA), Salinas, CA, for general support. (Two-year grant).
$2,500
Ecological Farming Association, Santa Cruz, CA, for scholarships or highest need.
$2,500
Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Pt. Reyes Station, CA, for general support.
$120,000
National Organic Coalition Inc, Arlington, MA, for general support. (Three-year grant).
$100,000
UCSC Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (a project of Regents of the University of California), Santa Cruz, CA, for Sustainable Farming Workforce Development through the UCSC Farm’s Leadership Development Program (LDP). (Two-year grant).
$2,500
Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA, for general support.
Effective Democracy
$100,000
Accelerate Change, Boston, MA, for general support.
$25,000
Heartland Fund (a project of Windward Fund), Washington, DC for the charitable purposes of the Heartland Fund.
$50,000
Movement Labs (a project of Southern Vision Alliance (SVA), Durham, NC, for the charitable purposes of Movement Labs.
$50,000
Movement Voter Fund (a project of Tides Foundation), Los Angeles, CA, for the charitable purposes of Movement Voter Fund.
$50,000
Nonprofit Vote, Cambridge, MA, for general support.
$50,000
Students Learn Students Vote Coalition (a project of NEO Philanthropy Inc.), New York, NY for the charitable purposes of Students Learn Students Vote Coalition.
$100,000
Voto Latino Foundation, Washington, DC, for general support.
$100,000
Working America Education Fund, Washington, DC, for general support.
Jewish Life
$120,000
J. The Jewish News of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for general support. (Three-year grant).
$10,000
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$50,000
Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Jewish Film Institute, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$25,000
New Israel Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support
$75,000
Reboot, Inc, Longmeadow, MA, (Three-year grant). General support funds will expand San Francisco programming.
$100,000
The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA, for general support. (Two-year grant). Crucial San Francisco institution that enriches the Jewish experience through the arts.
$40,000
Wilderness Torah, Berkeley, CA, for general support.
Other
$5,500
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, NY for general support.
$2,500
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$11,000
American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina Foundation, Columbia, SC, for general support.
$3,000
Center for Reproductive Rights, New York, NY, for general support
$1,000
Classical KDFC (a project of USC Radio), San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$4,500
ClimateWorks Foundation, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$7,000
Coastal Conservation League, Charleston, SC, for GrowFood Carolina & Charleston Region Projects.
$3,500
Earth Island Institute, Berkeley, CA for general support.
$5,000
Earthjustice, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Edisto Island Open Land Trust, Edisto Island, SC for general support.
$2,500
ExtraFood Org, Kentfield, CA, for support of the Food Runners program.
$2,500
Farm to Pantry, Healdsburg, CA, for general support
$5,000
Fields to Families, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$2,000
Fresh Future Farm, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$2,500
Friends & Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Friends in Sonoma Helping, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Green Heart Project, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$5,000
GreenBelt Alliance, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,500
Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Washington, DC, for general support.
$5,000
KQED, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$2,500
KSVY (a project of Sonoma Valley Community Communications Inc.), Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$6,000
Lowcountry Land Trust, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$500
Mission Local SF, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,500
National Network of Abortion Funds, Beaverton, OR, for general support.
$5,000
Natural Resource Defense Council, New York, NY, for clean energy work.
$5,500
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York, NY, for general support.
$4,000
Rocky Mountain Institute, Boulder, CO, for general support.
$2,500
San Francisco Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$4,000
Save the Bay, Oakland, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Sierra Club Foundation, Oakland, CA, $2,000 for the Bay Area Chapter, $3,000 for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation, Santa Rosa, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Ecology Center, Eldridge, CA, for the Sonoma Garden Park.
$2,500
Sonoma League for Historic Preservation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Overnight Support, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$1,000
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Volunteer Firefighters Association Inc, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$5,000
SPUR, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$1,000
The Brigid Alliance, New York, NY, for general support.
$4,000
The Nature Conservancy, Sacramento, CA, for work in California.
$2,500
Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, MA, for general support.
$2,500
Valley of the Moon Natural History Association, Glen Ellen, CA, for general support.
$1,000
Vintage House, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$7,000
Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network, Columbia, SC, for general support
2023 Grants
For the year 2023, Gaia Fund awarded grants totaling $1,269,000 to 69 organizations.
ALL
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
EFFECTIVE DEMOCRACY
JEWISH LIFE
OTHER
Sustainable Agriculture
$5,000
California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, for general support.
$50,000
California Climate and Agriculture Network (a project of Earth Island Institute), Sebastopol, CA, for general support. The CalCAN coalition advances policies to accelerate organic and sustainable farming practices and create a California agriculture system that is climate resilient and just.
$50,000
California FarmLink, Aptos, CA, for general support of the Equity and Conservation on Working Lands Efforts. California FarmLink provides financing and business development services focused on low-income, immigrant and beginning regenerative and organic farmers. (Two-year grant).
$50,000
Center for Food Safety, San Francisco, CA, for general support. Through legal, scientific, and grassroots action works to stop toxic pesticides and GMOs; protect and promote organic food; stop factory farms that are polluting and protect pollinators.
$100,000
Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, CA, for the Ecological Farming: Growing Pathways to Organic program. Conduct on-farm demonstrations of ecologically-integrated organic systems, facilitate farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing for English and Spanish-speaking farmers, and provide technical assistance for ecological farming practices and transition to organic. (Two-year grant).
$100,000
Cornucopia Institute, Viroqua, WI, to support expansion efforts in California. (Two-year grant).
$2,500
Ecological Farming Association, Santa Cruz, CA, for scholarships or highest need.
$50,000
Kitchen Table Advisors (a project of Multiplier), San Francisco, CA, for general support. Supports small organic/sustainable farms and ranches in Northern California. KTA provides practical 1:1 business advising and relationship building to help farmers build viable businesses. KTA is also involved in ecosystem building to increase the economic power of disadvantaged farmers.
$2,500
Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Pt. Reyes Station, CA, for general support.
$50,000
Organic Farmers Association (a project of Rodale Institute), Spirit Lake, IA, for general support. OFA provides a unified national voice for domestic certified organic producers through farmer driven advocacy and education. (Two-year grant).
$150,000
Real Organic Project, East Thetford, VT, for general support. A national, farmer-led organization that promotes and advocates for transparent organic farming practices, certifies organic farms to higher standards, and educates the community on the principles of organic agriculture. (Two-year grant).
$2,500
Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA, for general support.
Effective Democracy
$100,000
National Redistricting Foundation, Chicago, IL, for general support for the NRF’s work to create a national model for diverse participation in the redistricting process and ensure fair maps. (Two-year grant).
$150,000
Trusted Elections Fund (a project of New Venture Fund), Washington, DC, for the charitable purposes of Trusted Elections Fund. (Two-year grant).
Jewish Life
$5,000
J. The Jewish News of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$10,000
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$50,000
Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Jewish Film Institute, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$50,000
Moishe House, Charlotte, NC, for general support for Bay Area programming. Moishe House provides vibrant and fun Jewish community for young adults through home-based Jewish experiences. (Two-year grant).
$25,000
New Israel Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support
$60,000
Urban Adamah, Berkeley, CA, for general support. Urban Adamah is an educational farm and community center that integrates the practice of Jewish tradition, sustainable farming, and social action to build loving communities and strengthen Jewish identities. (Two-year grant).
Other
$5,000
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, NY for general support.
$2,500
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$7,000
American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina Foundation, Charleston, SC for general support.
$1,500
Candid, New York, NY, for general support
$3,000
Center for Reproductive Rights, New York, NY, for general support.
$1,000
Classical KDFC (a project of USC Radio), San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$4,000
ClimateWorks Foundation, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$7,000
Coastal Conservation League, Charleston, SC, for GrowFood Carolina & Charleston Region Projects.
$5,000
Earth Island Institute, Berkeley, CA for general support.
$5,000
Earthjustice, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Edisto Island Open Land Trust, Edisto Island, SC for general support.
$2,500
Farm to Pantry, Healdsburg, CA, for general support
$5,000
Fields to Families, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$2,500
Food Runners, San Francisco, CA, for general support
$5,000
Fresh Future Farm, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$2,500
Friends & Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Friends in Sonoma Helping, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Green Heart Project, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$5,000
GreenBelt Alliance, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Washington, DC, for general support.
$5,000
KQED, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$2,500
KSVY (a project of Sonoma Valley Community Communications Inc.), Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Lowcounty Land Trust, Charleston, SC, for general support.
$4,000
National Network of Abortion Funds, Beaverton, OR, for general support.
$5,000
Natural Resource Defense Council, New York, NY, for clean energy work.
$3,000
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York, NY, for general support.
$4,000
Rocky Mountain Institute, Boulder, CO, for general support.
$2,000
San Francisco Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Save the Bay, Oakland, CA, for general support.
$1,000
Sebastiani Theatre Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$5,000
Sierra Club Foundation, Oakland, CA, $2,000 for the Bay Area Chapter, $3,000 for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation, Santa Rosa, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Ecology Center, Eldridge, CA, for the Sonoma Garden Park.
$5,000
Sonoma Land Trust, Santa Rosa, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma League for Historic Preservation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Overnight Support, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$10,000
Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$1,000
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$2,500
Sonoma Volunteer Firefighters Association Inc, Sonoma, CA, for general support.
$5,000
SPUR, San Francisco, CA, for general support.
$20,000
SPUR, San Francisco, CA, for the Impact Acceleration Campaign.
$1,000
The Brigid Alliance, New York, NY, for general support.
$5,000
The Nature Conservancy, Sacramento, CA, for work in California.
$2,500
Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, MA, for general support.
$2,500
Valley of the Moon Natural History Association, Glen Ellen, CA, for general support.
$7,000
Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network, Columbia, SC, for general support