About the Fund

Gaia Fund is a San Francisco-based family foundation founded in 1995. 
Gaia Fund’s founders, Christine Russell and Mark Schlesinger, serve as its sole trustees and, additionally, set grantmaking priorities. As of December 31, 2020, Gaia Fund has distributed grants totaling $21,678,012  and had net assets of approximately $42 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.

2022 Grants

For the year 2022, Gaia Fund awarded grants totaling $1,599,000 to 74 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 of educational programs about organic growing practices.

$2,500

Ecological Farming Association, Soquel, CA, for scholarships or highest need.

$2,500

Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Pt. Reyes Station, CA, for general support of farmland conservation.

$180,000

Organic Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. (Three-year grant).

$35,000

Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, to support small-scale Northern CA food crop producers to plan and implement sustainable agricultural practices.

$100,000

Real Food Generation, Tucson, AZ, to support and promote sustainable agriculture in CA through building community power. (Two-year grant).

$5,000

Real Organic Project, East Thetford, VT, for 2023 Real Organic Symposium sponsorship.

$25,000

Sustainable Agriculture Program (a project of Santa Rosa Junior College), Santa Rosa, CA, for general support for the Sustainable Agriculture program.

$80,000

University of California, Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems, Santa Cruz, CA, to support the Education & Training in Sustainable, Organic Farming: Leadership Development Program at the UCSC Farm.

$2,500

Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA, for general support.

Effective Democracy

$100,000

Common Cause Education Fund, Washington, DC, for the Money in Politics project in California to encourage campaign finance systems that lift the voices of regular people and counter the influence of special interests in elections across the state. (Two-year grant).

$100,000

Issue One, Washington, DC, for the Count Every Vote media campaign focused on achieving cross-partisan support for one person/one vote democracy at the state and federal level. (Two-year grant).

$100,000

MapLight, Berkeley, CA, for campaign finance work in California that supports local efforts to reduce the influence of special interests through data and other means and informs the voter in the state about candidates and other public interest causes. (Two-year grant).

$100,000

Movement Voter Fund, Los Angeles, CA, to support grassroots voting rights organizations. (Two-year grant).

$200,000

NEO Philanthropy, New York, NY, to support the State Infrastructure Fund to increase voter awareness and protect voting rights in historically underrepresented communities by building a permanent civic engagement and robust voting rights infrastructure in states. (Two-year grant).

$100,000

OpenSecrets, Washington, DC, for general support to investigate, contextualize, and publish state and federal campaign contributions and lobbying information used by media, academia, the general public, and others. (Two-year grant).

$100,000

Trusted Elections Fund (a project of New Venture Fund), Washington, DC, for general support of the Trusted Elections Fund, a pooled fund that regrants to states where election integrity is most threatened by building resilience to political violence, supporting election infrastructure, and countering election sabotage.

Jewish Life

$40,000

Camp Tawonga, San Francisco, CA, for general support of Tawonga’s four‐part mission fostering high self‐esteem, enduring community, tikkun olam (repairing the world), and positive Jewish identity among Bay Area program participants. (Two-year grant).

$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.

$25,000

New Israel Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support

$50,000

Reboot, Inc, Longmeadow, MA, for programs that impact or prioritize the Bay Area. Reboot is an arts and culture non-profit that reimagines and reinforces Jewish thought and traditions. (Two-year grant).

Other

$6,000

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.

$6,000

$2,000

The Brigid Alliance, New York, NY, 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, Los Angeles, CA, for general support.

$3,000

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.

$2,500

Jack London Park Partners, Glen Ellen, CA, for general support.

$5,000

KQED, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

KSVY, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$5,000

Lowcounty Land Trust, Charleston, SC, for general support.

$5,000

National Network of Abortion Funds, Beaverton, OR, for general support.

$5,000

Natural Resource Defense Council, New York, NY, for clean energy work.

$6,000

The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco, CA, for work in California.

$3,000

Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York, NY, for general support.

$3,000

Rocky Mountain Institute, Boulder, CO, for general support.

$2,000

San Francisco Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$6,000

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.

$1,000

Sonoma Arts Live, Sonoma, CA, 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 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.

$5,000

Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Volunteer Firefighters Association Inc, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$4,000

South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, SC, for general support.

$5,000

SPUR, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, MA, for general support.

$3,000

Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network, Columbia, SC, for general support

$2,500

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

2021 Grants

For the year 2021, Gaia Fund awarded grants totaling $1,804,500 to 76 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.

$100,000

California State University, Chico, CA, general support for the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems.
$80,000
Center for Food Safety, San Francisco, CA, for general support. (Two-year grant).
$60,000
Cornucopia Institute, Viroqua, WI, for general support. (Two-year grant).
$2,500
Ecological Farming Association, Soquel, CA, for scholarships or highest need.

$80,000

Kitchen Table Advisors, San Francisco, CA, for general support. (Two-year grant).

$2,500

Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Point Reyes Station, CA, for general support.

$50,000

Organic Farmers Association, Kutztown, PA, supporting organic farmers as informed leaders. (Two-year grant).

$5,000

Organic Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, for general support.

$100,000

Real Organic Project, East Thetford, VT, for general support. (Two-year grant).

$2,500

Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA, for general support.

$100,000

Zero Foodprint, San Francisco, CA, general support for California work.

Effective Democracy

$1,000,000

American Promise Education Fund, Concord, MA, for general support. (Four-year grant).

$150,000

Free Speech for People, Amherst, MA, for general support. (Two-year grant).

$100,000

National Redistricting Foundation, Chicago, IL, for general support.

$100,000

NEO Philanthropy, New York, NY, general support for the State Infrastructure Fund.

$50,000

Piper Fund, Amherst, MA, for general support.

$100,000

Trusted Elections Fund, Washington, DC, for general support.

$100,000

Voto Latino Foundation, Washington, DC, for general support.

Jewish Life

$30,000

Bend the Arc, New York, NY, for general support. (Two-year grant).

$100,000

The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA, for the strategic plan, remainder toward general support.

$10,000

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.

$10,000

Jewish Film Institute, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$60,000

Jewish LearningWorks, San Francisco, CA, for Jewish Community Library public programs. (Two-year grant).

$25,000

New Israel Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support

$50,000

Wilderness Torah, Berkeley, CA, for general support. (Two-year grant).

Other

$6,000

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.

$5,000

$1,500

Candid, Oakland, CA, for general support.

$4,000

Center for Reproductive Rights, New York, NY, for general support.

$50,000

City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA for the Give2SF Covid‐19 Fund.

$1,000

Classical KDFC, San Francisco, CA, for the Classical KDFC radio station.

$7,000

Coastal Conservation League, Charleston, SC, for the GrowFood Carolina and Charleston Region Projects.

$50,000

Community Foundation of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, CA for the Sonoma County Resilience Fund.

$5,000

Earth Island Institute, Berkeley, CA for general support.

$5,000

Earthjustice, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$5,000

East Cooper Land Trust, Mount Pleasant, SC, for general support.

$4,000

East Cooper Meals on Wheels, Mount Pleasant, SC, 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 of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, 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, general support.

$2,500

Jack London Park Partners, Glen Ellen, CA, for general support.

$5,000

KQED, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

KSVY, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$6,000

Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, NY, for Clean Energy Work.

$6,000

Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA for work in California.

$6,000

Planned Parenthood, New York, NY, for general support.

$5,000

Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, for general support.

$2,000

San Francisco Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$6,000

Save the Bay, Oakland, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sebastiani Theater Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$5,000

Sierra Club Foundation, Oakland, CA, $2,000 for 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 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.

$2,500

Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Volunteer Firefighters Association, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$4,000

South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, SC, for general support.

$5,000

SPUR, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, MA, for general support.

$1,000

We the Protesters, New York, NY, for Campaign Zero.

$2,500

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

2020 Grants

For the year 2020, Gaia Fund awarded grants totaling $1,729,200 to 80 organizations.

ALL
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
EFFECTIVE DEMOCRACY
JEWISH LIFE
OTHER

Sustainable Agriculture

$12,000
California Foodshed Funders, Oakland, CA, for general support.

$5,000

CCOF Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, for general support.

$50,000

Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, CA, for the Climate Smart Agriculture program.

$2,500

Ecological Farming Association, Soquel, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Pt Reyes Station, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Organic Consumers Association, Finland, MN, for general support.

$5,000

Organic Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, for general support.

$80,000

Regents of University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, for the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CAFSF) for the UC Organic Extension Agent.

$50,000

Santa Rosa Jr. College Foundation, Santa Rosa, CA, for the Sustainable Agriculture Program for the Compost Program.

$5,500

Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders, Santa Barbara, CA, for general support.

$100,000

The University Foundation, California State University, Chico, CA for general support of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems.

$2,500

Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA, for general support.

Effective Democracy

$100,000

California Common Cause, Oakland, CA for the Bay Area Political Equality Coalition (BAPEC) and general support.

$50,000

Free Speech for People, Amherst, MA, for general support.

$50,000

Issue One, Washington, DC for The Fulcrum.

$50,000

MapLight, Berkeley, CA, for general support.

$3,000

NEO Philanthropy, New York, NY, for the Funders Committee for Civic Participation.

$80,000

NEO Philanthropy, New York, NY, for the State Infrastructure Fund.

$160,000

New Venture Fund, Washington, DC, for the Safe Voting Fund.

$80,000

New Venture Fund, Washington, DC, for the Trusted Elections Fund.

$50,000

Proteus Fund, Amherst, MA, for the Piper Fund.

$180,000

Tides Foundation, San Francisco, CA, for the Voter Action Fund.

$50,000

Voto Latino Foundation, Washington, DC, for non-partisan voter registration and get-out-the vote.

Jewish Life

$10,000

Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$10,000

J., the Jewish Weekly of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$25,000

Jewish Community Center, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$50,000

Jewish Community Federation, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$10,000

Jewish Film Institute, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$25,000

New Israel Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

The Kitchen, San Francisco for general support.

Other

$6,000

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.

$5,000

$1,500

Candid, New York, NY, for general support for Candid West.

$75,000

City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA for the Give2SF Covid‐19 Fund.

$1,000

Classical KDFC, San Francisco, CA, for the Classical KDFC radio station.

$75,000

Community Foundation of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, CA for the Sonoma County Resilience Fund.

$7,000

Coastal Conservation League, Charleston, SC, for the GrowFood Carolina and Charleston Region Projects.

$5,000

Earth Island Institute, Berkeley, CA for general support.

$5,000

Earthjustice, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$5,000

East Cooper Land Trust, Mount Pleasant, SC, for general support.

$4,000

East Cooper Meals on Wheels, Mount Pleasant, SC, for general support.

$5,000

Edisto Island Open Land Trust, Edisto Island, SC for general support.

$6,500

Environmental Grantmakers Association, New York, NY, 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 of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, 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, general support.

$2,500

Jack London Park Partners, Glen Ellen, CA, for general support.

$5,000

KQED, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

KSVY, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$50,000

Latino Community Foundation, San Francisco, CA, for the Norcal Wildfire Relief Fund’s efforts in the North Bay.

$6,000

Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, NY, for Clean Energy Work.

$6,000

Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA for work in California.

$50,000

North Bay Organizing Project, Graton, CA, for UndocuFund’s Sonoma County work.

 $2,500

Northern California Grantmakers, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$6,000

Planned Parenthood, New York, NY, for general support.

$5,000

Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, CA, for general support.

$1,000

San Francisco Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$6,000

Save the Bay, Oakland, CA, 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 Volunteer Firefighters Association, Sonoma, CA for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Land Trust, Santa Rosa, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma League for Historic Preservation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$4,000

South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, SC, for general support.

$5,000

SPUR, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, MA, for general support.

$5,000

We the Protesters, New York, NY, for Campaign Zero.

$2,500

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

2019 Grants

For the year 2019, Gaia Fund paid grants totaling $1,755,700 to 74 organizations. A list of grantees within each category, along with the amount and purpose of each grant, can be viewed by clicking on the highlighted link.

ALL
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
EFFECTIVE DEMOCRACY
JEWISH LIFE
OTHER

Sustainable Agriculture

$40,000
Agriculture And Land Based Training Association (ALBA), Salinas, CA, to continue to create economic opportunity among aspiring limited resource farmers by increasing organizational stability of the organic farming training program through enhance communications, board development, and stronger engagement of alumni and partners.

$80,000

Kitchen Table Advisors, Oakland, CA, for general support of work to provide one-to-one bilingual business advice to farmers and to leverage knowledge and relationships for collaborative long-term systems change work in support of small-scale, sustainable, organic, and regenerative farms. (Two-year grant).

$150,000

Bionutrient Food Association, Barre, MA, for general support of Bionutrient Food Association in 2019-2020 and for the Real Food Campaign to improve food quality through regenerative/biological agricultural methods that prioritize building soil vitality and management of biological systems for better crop nutritional quality, vigor, flavor, and yields. (Two-year grant).

$60,000

National Young Farmers Coalition, Hudson, NY, for continuing development of the California chapter to grow a movement for farmer-led policy in California. (Two-year grant).

$200,000

California Climate and Agriculture Network, Occidental, CA, to advance the powerful climate solutions of sustainable and organic agriculture through state and federal policy. (Four-year grant).

$2,000

Organic Consumers Association, Finland, MN, for general support of programs to protect consumers’ right to safe, healthful food and other consumer products, a just food and farming system and an environment rich in biodiversity and free of pollutants.

$12,000

California Foodshed Funders, Oakland, CA, for general support of this fellowship of funders dedicated to accelerating the transformation toward regenerative organic farming practices; protection and renewal of natural systems; and healthful, locally-sourced, and just food systems.

$5,000

Organic Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, for general support to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policies that bring more farmers and acreage into organic production.

$5,000

CCOF Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, for general support of educational programs about organic growing practices.

$50,000

Rodale Institute/Organic Farmers Association, Kutztown, PA, for the development of the Organic Farmers Association as a strong national voice for organic farmers, and recruitment of California organic farmers as members. (Two-year grant)

$80,000

Center for Food Safety, San Francisco, CA, For legal actions, policy initiatives, scientific reports, market pressure, and public education to reduce the health and environmental impacts of the industrialized food system. (Two-year grant).

$6,000

Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders, Santa Barbara, CA, for general support of their work to amplify the impact of philanthropic and investment communities in support of just and sustainable food and agriculture systems.

$30,000

Cornucopia Institute, Cornucopia, WI, to promote economic justice for the family-scale farming community and to protect the integrity of organic food, farming, and organic products. (Two-year grant).

$20,000

The Regents of the University of California, Davis, CA, to provide technical assistance to a cohort of Hmong,

African-American, and Latino farmers in Fresno and Tulare counties, to implement healty soils practices with grant support from the state of California SWEEP and Healthy Soils programs.

$2,500

Ecological Farming Association, Soquel, CA, for scholarships for farmers to attend 2020 EcoFarm.

$2,500

Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA, for general support to empower farmers, connect consumers, and protect wild nature.

$2,500

Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Pt Reyes Station, CA, orgeneral support of farmland conservation.

Effective Democracy

$75,000

ACLU Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for the Bay Area Political Equality Project to educate community organizations throughout Northern California about the negative impact of money in politics, and to explore the feasibility of small-donor/public finance of campaigns.

$75,000

Issue One, Washington, DC, for a new national digital news service established to provide ongoing coverage of the threats to democracy, and the solutions at the local, state, and national level to the erosion of political equality and democratic institutions.

$75,000

Bay Rising (fiscally sponsored by Movement Strategy Center), Oakland, CA, to integrate solutions to the dominance of big money in local and state elections as a core part of its community organizing work with its 17+ community organizations in the Bay Area.

$2,000

Northern California Grantmakers, San Francisco, CA, for the Bay Area Democracy Funders (BAD Funders), a program sponsored by NCG.

$3,000

Funders Committee for Civic Participation, New York, NY, for general support of a network of grantmakers who are passionate about realizing a collective vision to engage voters, eliminate structural barriers to voting, advance reforms to improve government and electoral systems, and inspire public involvement in civic life.

$20,000

reclaimtheamericandream.org, Washington, DC, for promotion of the documentary DEMOCRACY REBELLION – A Reporter’s Notebook with Hedrick Smith to PBS stations for broadcast in early 2020.

Jewish Life

$1,000,000

Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco, CA, for the capital campaign, Emanu-El Next: Investing for Our Jewish Future, to transform the congregation – both its physical infrastructure, and its capacity to create and serve the community. (Five-year grant).

$10,000

Jewish Community Center, San Francisco, CA, for general operating support.

$10,000

Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco, CA, for general support of a vibrant, sacred Jewish community dedicated to connecting members with their Judaism and history at the highest level and bringing Jewish values to life in meaningful and inspiring ways.

$50,000

Jewish Community Federation, San Francisco, CA, for general support of a vibrant, caring, and enduring Jewish community that is a force for good locally, in Israel, and around the world.

$100,000

Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA, for general support of the Museum’s programs that make the diversity of the Jewish experience relevant for a twenty-first century audience.

$25,000

Wilderness Torah, Berkeley, CA, to continue its programming to awaken and celebrate the earth-based traditions of Judaism to nourish the connections between self, community, earth, and spirit. (Two-year grant).

$50,000

Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA, for support of the exhibit, Levi Straus: A History of American Style opening February 13, 2020.

$25,000

New Israel Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support of programs to help Israelis live up to its founders’ vision of a society that ensures complete equality to all its inhabitants.

$75,000

Institute for Jewish Spirituality, New York, NY, for the development and offering of “Cultivating Character: An Online Course in the Jewish Practice of Tikkun Middot.” This grant is awarded in memory of Rabbi Rachel Cowan, who supported the development of the Institute to help Jews find greater access to the deep wisdom of the Jewish spiritual inheritance and to help them build lives of vital and engaged practice.

Other

$2,500

ACLU Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Sebastiani Theatre Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$1,500

Candid, New York, NY, for general support for Candid West.

$5,000

Sierra Club Foundation, Oakland, CA, for general support for the Sierra Club Foundation and the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter.

$1,000

Classical KDFC, San Francisco, CA, for the Classical KDFC radio station.

$2,500

Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$5,000

Earthjustice, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation, Santa Rosa, CA, for Camp Fire relief.

$4,200

Environmental Grantmakers Association, New York, NY, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Ecology Center, Eldridge, CA, for the Sonoma Garden Park.

$2,500

Food Runners, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Land Trust, Santa Rosa, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Sonoma League for Historic Preservation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$20,000

Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, to Sonoma Hospital, Sonoma, CA, for its capital campaign, Vision 2020 and Beyond, a strategic plan of action for the hospital to become an outstanding regional center for healthcare.

$1,000

Jack London Park Partners, Glen Ellen, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$5,000

KQED, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$1,000

KSVY, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$5,000

SPUR, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$25,000

Latino Community Foundation, San Francisco, CA, for the Wildfire Relief Fund for support of immediate needs those most impacted by the recent wildfires in Sonoma County.

$2,500

The Kitchen, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Northern California Grantmakers, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, MA, for general support.

$1,000

San Francisco Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA, for food collection and distribution to low-income families and individuals.

$2,500

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Schell Vista Fire Protection District, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$4,200

Environmental Grantmakers Association, New York, NY, for general support.

2018 Grants

ALL
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
EFFECTIVE DEMOCRACY
JEWISH LIFE
OTHER

Sustainable Agriculture

$75,000
Bionutrient Food Association, Barre, MA, for general support for work to improve food quality through regenerative/biological agricultural methods that prioritize building soil vitality and management of biological systems for better crop nutritional quality, vigor, flavor, and yields.

$12,000

California Foodshed Funders, Oakland, CA, for general support of this fellowship of funders dedicated to accelerating the transformation toward regenerative organic farming practices; protection and renewal of natural systems; and healthful, locally-sourced, and just food systems.

$5,000

CCOF Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, for general support of educational programs about organic growing practices.

$50,000

Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, Delano, CA, to the Community Alliance for Agroecology (CAFA)/Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment, Delano, CA, for general support of this coalition of six organizations in the San Joaquin Valley working together to address the injustices perpetuated by the industrial food and farming system and to create agricultural solutions that foster ecological balance, public health, and economic vitality for all.

$100,000

Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, CA, for the Climate Smart Agriculture program, which works with California farmers to pioneer climate-smart crop production practices. (Two-year grant).

$2,500

Ecological Farming Association, Soquel, CA, for the Scholarship Program for farmers to attend the annual EcoFarm Conference.

$12,500

Felix Gillet Institute, North San Juan, CA, for general support for their work to discover, appreciate, preserve, and propagate edible and ornamental heirloom perennial plants from the Sierra Nevada Gold Rush era when Felix Gillet introduced a vast variety of edible and ornamental plants from all over the world and helped establish many of the agricultural industries of the West Coast.

$2,500

Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Pt Reyes Station, CA, for general support of farmland conservation.

$25,000

National Young Farmers Coalition, Hudson, NY, for the California program and farmer organizer, Mai Nguyen, to build the California Young Farmer movement to advocate for policies and regulations that support the transition of farms to new young farmers.

$2,000

Organic Consumers Association, Finland, MN, for general support of programs to protect consumers’ right to safe, healthful food and other consumer products, a just food and farming system and an environment rich in biodiversity and free of pollutants.

$10,000

Organic Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, for general support to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policies that bring more farmers and acreage into organic production.

$5,000

The Perenial Farming Initiative, San Francisco, CA, for a public event regarding climate and agriculture.

$5,500

Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders, Santa Barbara, CA, for general support of their work to amplify the impact of philanthropic and investment communities in support of just and sustainable food and agriculture systems.

$100,000

UCSC Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems, Santa Cruz, CA, to hire and house a UC Cooperative Extension Organic Farm Advisor on the UCSC campus to provide a direct resource to organic farmers and other farmers seeking information on ecological growing practices. (Two-year grant).

$2,500

Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA, for general support to empower farmers, connect consumers, and protect wild nature.

Effective Democracy

$75,000

ACLU Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for the Political Equality Project to advance local campaign finance reform in Bay Area communities in a process informed by research that focuses on grassroots organizations and their constituents, who are most egregiously harmed by the influence of big money in politics.

$35,000

Common Cause Education Fund, Los Angeles, CA, for the Every Voice Matters project to get money out of politics, reduce barriers to voting, hold lawmakers accountable, simplify and modernize the state’s voting systems and improve the integrity of our media and democracy.

$35,000

Every Voice Center, Washington, DC, for general support of programs to hold politicians accountable about the need to listen to every voice on the most important issues affecting our nation.

$150,000

Free Speech for People, Amherst, MA, for general support for legal advocacy, policy development, and citizen organizing and education to overturn Citizens United, with the goal to strengthen democracy to assure all people an equal voice and an equal vote. (Two-year grant).

$3,000

Funders Committee for Civic Participation, New York, NY, for general support of a network of grantmakers who are passionate about realizing a collective vision to engage voters, eliminate structural barriers to voting, advance reforms to improve government and electoral systems, and inspire public involvement in civic life.

$100,000

MapLight, Berkeley, CA, for work to assist community organizations, and state and local campaigns to promote policies that reduce the influence of money in politics, improve disclosure of campaign contributions, reasonable limits on campaign contributions, public funding of elections, and other reforms that make government more representative and responsive. (Two-year grant).

$100,000

Piper Fund, Amherst, MA, for educational programs and regranting to state and local community groups working for democratic reforms to increase participation of historically disenfranchised communities and build community power to diminish the influence of corporate and special interest money on the political and judicial systems. (Two-year grant).

Jewish Life

$30,000

Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, New York, NY, to sustain and grow the Bay Area regional organizing and advocacy for equity and justice for all Californians and training of young Jewish leaders in the connections between Jewish values and social justice. (Two-year grant).

$20,000

Camp Tawonga, San Francisco, CA, for the Young Adult Year-Round Engagement Initiative. (Two-year grant).

$10,000

Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco, CA, for general support of a vibrant, sacred Jewish community dedicated to connecting members with their Judaism and history at the highest level and bringing Jewish values to life in meaningful and inspiring ways.

$48,000

Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA, to sponsor the CJM’s Illuminate Gala, celebrating 10 years in its building on Jessie Square.

$50,000

J., the Jewish Weekly of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for General Operating Support for J. The Jewish News of Northern California. (Two-year grant).

$10,000

Jewish Community Center, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$50,000

Jewish Community Federation, San Francisco, CA, for general support of a vibrant, caring, and enduring Jewish community that is a force for good locally, in Israel, and around the world.

$20,000

Jewish Film Institute, San Francisco, CA, to the Jewish Film Institute, San Francisco, for continued support of the Jewish Film Festival. (Two-year grant).

$50,000

Urban Adamah, Berkeley, CA, for general support of the educational farm in Berkeley that integrates the practices of Jewish tradition, mindfulness, sustainable agriculture, and social justice.

$25,000

New Israel Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support of programs to help Israelis live up to its founders’ vision of a society that ensures complete equality to all its inhabitants.

$10,000

The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, Berkeley, CA, for general support of collections about the Jews in the Global Diaspora and the American West.

Other

$5,000

ACLU Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Classical KDFC, Los Angeles, CA, for Classical KDFC radio station.

$5,000

Earthjustice, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$6,000

Environmental Grantmakers Association, New York, NY, for general support.

$2,500

Food Runners, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,500

Foundation Center – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, for general support for Foundation Center West.

$2,500

Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$5,000

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Jack London Park Partners, Glen Ellen, CA, for general support.

$5,000

KQED, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

KSVY, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$50,000

North Valley Community Foundation, Chico, CA, for Camp Fire relief.

$5,000

Northern California Grantmakers, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$250,000

San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco, CA, for San Francisco Ballet’s New Works Festival Orchestral Music.

$2,000

Schell Vista Fire Protection District, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Sebastiani Theatre Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$5,000

Sierra Club Foundation, Oakland, CA, for general support for the Sierra Club Foundation and the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter.

$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 Sonoma Garden Park.

$2,000

Sonoma Land Trust, Santa Rosa, CA, for general support.

$2,000

Sonoma League for Historic Preservation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$5,000

SPUR, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, MA, for general support.

$50,000

United Way of Northern California, Redding, CA, for Camp Fire relief.

$2,500

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

2017 Grants

ALL
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
EFFECTIVE DEMOCRACY
JEWISH LIFE
OTHER

Sustainable Agriculture

$75,000
Bionutrient Food Association, Barre, MA, for general operating support to improve food quality through biological agricultural methods that prioritize soil vitality and development of a hand-held tool to measure nutrient quality of crops.

$3,000

Bionutrient Food Association, Barre, MA, for scholarships for three or more California farm leaders to attend the 2017 Soil and Nutrition Conference.

$25,000

California FarmLink, Aptos, CA, for technical assistance and loans for farmers with a focus on low-income, immigrant, and beginning organic farmers.

$12,000

California Foodshed Funders, San Francisco, CA, for general support of this fellowship of funders dedicated to accelarating the transformation toward regenerative organic farming practices; protection and renewal of natural systems; and healthful, locally-sourced, and just food systems.

$300,000

California State University, Chico, Chico, CA, to establish a Center for Regenerative Agriculture focused on soil health, carbon drawdown, and farm productivity and economic viability. (Three-year grant).

$5,000

CCOF Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, for general support of educational programs about organic growing practices.

$75,000

Civil Eats, New York, NY, for general support of this daily news source for critical thought about the American food system.

$3,000

Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, CA, for scholarships for three or more California farm leaders to attend the 2017 No Till on the Plains meeting.

$1,000

Ecological Farming Association, Soquel, CA, for the Scholarship Program for farmers to attend the annual EcoFarm Conference.

$100,000

Fresno Food Commons Trust, Fresno, CA, for the Food Commons to build a new model for sustainable food and farming serving the Fresno region, one of the poorest areas of California. (Two-year grant).

$1,000

Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Pt Reyes Station, CA, for general support of farmland conservation.

$20,000

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Washington, DC, for general support of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to advocate for federal policy reform for the sustainability of food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. (Two-year grant).

$10,000

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Washington, DC, for the work of the California Caucus on the Farm Bill. (Two-year grant).

$25,000

National Young Farmers Coalition, Hudson, NY, to develop a statewide organization to represent young farmers in California State Policy.

$1,000

Organic Consumers Association, Finland, MN, for general support of programs to protect consumers’ right to safe, healthful food and other consumer products, a just food and farming system and an environment rich in biodiversity and free of pollutants.

$80,000

Real Food Challenge, Boston, MA, for Real Food California. (Two-year grant).

$1,000

Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA, for the development of the Organic Farmers Association.

$2,500
Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA, for general support.

$5,500

Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders, Santa Barbara, CA, for programs focused on increasing and making more effective philanthropy for sustainable agriculture and food systems.

$49,500
Sustainable Agriculture Program – Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA, for development of On-Farm Composting Training and Demonstration by the Shone Farm Organic Program, Santa Rosa Junior College. (Two-year grant).

$40,000

The Perennial Farming Initiative, San Francisco, CA, for the Healthy Soil Guide to enlist restaurants in a program to prioitize purchasing of crops from farms demonstrating healthy soil practices.

$10,000
Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA, for general support to empower farmers, connect consumers, and protect wild nature.

Effective Democracy

$500,000

American Promise, Inc., Concord, MA, to support a national education and organizing effort to overturn court rulings that have unleashed unlimited sources of concentrated wealth on political campaigns and policy making. (Five-year grant).

$100,000

Democracy Initiative Education Fund, Washington, DC, to increase the engagement of conservation and food and farm groups in the coalition to expand the base of support for democracy reforms, such as for small donor match educational campaigns, toward a democracy that works for all. (Two-year grant).

$2,500

Funders Committee for Civic Participation, New York, NY, to improve philanthropy focused on civic engagement, money-in-politics, and the effectiveness of democracy.

$25,000

Issue One, Washington, DC, to build the bipartisan community necessary to drastically reduce the influence of money in our politics and on our policy making.

$50,000

Media Matters for America, Washington, DC, for fighting Fake News and Corporate Takeover of the Press. (Two-year grant).

$50,000

reclaimtheamericandream.org, Washington, DC, for production costs of the documentary film “Can the States Save our Democracy.”

$32,000

reclaimtheamericandream.org, Washington, DC, for distribution of the documentary video renamed “The Politicians versus the People.”

Jewish Life

$10,000

Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, New York, NY, for general support for Bay Area programs to train and activate the Jewish community as leaders in the forefront of struggles for freedom and justice.

$10,000

Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco, CA, for general support of a vibrant, sacred Jewish community dedicated to connecting members with their Judaism and history at the highest level and bringing Jewish values to life in meaningful and inspiring ways.

$100,000

Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA, for general support of the CJM to make the diversity of the Jewish experience relevant for a twenty-first century audience through innovative exhibitions and programs that educate, challenge, and inspire.

$10,000

Jewish Community Center, San Francisco, CA, for general support of programs to enrich Jewish life, build Jewish identity, promote the development of meaningful bonds within our community and facilitate connections with Israel and Jews worldwide.

$50,000

Jewish Community Federation, San Francisco, CA, for general support of a vibrant, caring, and enduring Jewish community that is a force for good locally, in Israel, and around the world.

$25,000

New Israel Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support of programs to help Israelis live up to its founders’ vision of a society that ensures complete equality to all of its inhabitants.

$1,500

Jewish Healing Center, San Francisco, CA, for general support of Jewish spiritual care to those living with illness, to those caring for the ill, and to the bereaved through direct service, education and training, capacity building, and information and referral.

$150,000

Urban Adamah, Berkeley, CA, for Phase II of a capital campaign in support of the educational farm in Berkeley that integrates the practices of Jewish tradition, mindfulness, sustainable agriculture, and social justice.

$50,000

Reboot, New York, NY, for Bay Area programs to rekindle connections and re-imagine Jewish lives full of meaning, creativity, and joy. (Two-year grant).

Other

$2,000

ACLU Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Alliance Francais, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,000

California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Classical KDFC, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$20,000

Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, CA, for the CAFF/Farmer’s Guild fire fund to benefit farmworkers and farmers affected by fires in Northern California.

$2,000

Earthjustice, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$5,692

Environmental Grantmakers Association, New York, NY, for annual membership.

$2,000

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Food Runners, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Foundation Center – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,000

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$20,000

Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, Sebastopol, CA, for Undocufund to provide direct support to undocumented children, families, and communities displaced by the fires.

$1,000

Jack London Park Partners, Glen Ellen, CA, for general support.

$5,000

Jewish Community Federation, San Francisco, CA, for the Northbay Wildfire Emergency Fund.

$2,500

KQED, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

KSVY, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$20,000

Latino Community Foundation, San Francisco, CA, for the NorCal Wildfire Relief Fund.

$25,000

Magic Theatre, San Francisco, CA, for the 2016-2017 season of two world premieres and two legacy revivals.

$25,000

Magic Theatre, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Milo Foundation, Albany, CA, for the Fire Evacuation Fund.

$25,000

Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, NY, for general support.

$2,500

NorCal Livestock Evacuation Fund, Rohnert Park, CA, for the all-volunteer effort to evacuate and provide safe homes for livestock displaced by the wildfires.

$5,000

Northern California Grantmakers, San Francisco, CA, for general support of programs to connect grantmakers and improve philanthropic practices for increased effectiveness.

$92,400

San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

San Francisco Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,000

Schell Vista Fire Protection District, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Sebastiani Theatre Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,000

Sierra Club Foundation, Oakland, CA, for general support.

 $1,000

Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$20,000

Sonoma Community Foundation, Santa Rosa, CA, for the Sonoma County Resilience Fund.

 $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 Humane Society, Santa Rosa, CA, for the Disaster Relief Fund.

$10,000

Sonoma Land Trust, Santa Rosa, CA, for general support.

 $2,000

Sonoma League for Historical Preservation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

 $1,000

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$7,500

SPUR, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

 $5,000

The Jewish Federations of North America, New York, NY, for the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.

$1,000

Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, MA, for general support.

 $10,000

Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, for general support.

$1,000

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

 $1,000

Young Performers Theater, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Zen Hospice Project, San Francisco, CA, for general support.