California · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Education in California

Imperigo has identified 4,020 funders that made 63,223 grants totaling $15.4B to 5,149 education organizations in California, with a median grant of $25K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Education Funding in California

Total granted $15.4B
Funders 4,020
Grants 63,223
Organizations funded 5,149

Top Funders — page 3 of 4

51. Scco College Properties Inc
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.4M · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$6.8M
54. Leonard & Beryl Buck Foundation C/O Wells Fargo Bank
54 grants to 19 organizations · largest $1.9M · through 2024 · 8.0% of their giving
$15.3M
55. The Big Ten Conference Inc
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $78.1M · through 2024 · 1.5% of their giving
$78.1M
64. Charter Fund Inc D/B/a Charter School Growth Fund
36 grants to 29 organizations · largest $5.0M · through 2024 · 4.3% of their giving
$20.6M
69. The Pew Charitable Trusts
64 grants to 9 organizations · largest $7.9M · through 2024 · 2.9% of their giving
$25.0M
74. Charities Aid Foundation America
1,024 grants to 442 organizations · largest $2.3M · through 2024 · 1.8% of their giving
$36.7M
76. Tides Foundation
277 grants to 126 organizations · largest $3.4M · through 2024 · 1.6% of their giving
$41.3M
84. Impactassetsinc
337 grants to 138 organizations · largest $2.6M · through 2024 · 2.1% of their giving
$27.4M
95. Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc
483 grants to 168 organizations · largest $4.8M · through 2024
$73.2M
96. The Bessemer Giving Fund C/O Bessemer Trust Company Trustee
142 grants to 73 organizations · largest $1.6M · through 2024 · 2.8% of their giving
$16.4M
99. The Ayco Charitable Foundation
379 grants to 147 organizations · largest $1.5M · through 2025 · 1.4% of their giving
$32.8M
117. Corporation for Public Broadcasting
72 grants to 9 organizations · largest $3.2M · through 2025 · 1.0% of their giving
$35.9M
118. Donors Trust Inc
76 grants to 25 organizations · largest $5.2M · through 2024 · 1.8% of their giving
$19.3M
127. Anne Ray Foundation
15 grants to 1 organization · largest $2.2M · through 2024 · 2.3% of their giving
$14.2M
135. National Collegiate Athletic Association
102 grants to 28 organizations · largest $2.3M · through 2023 · 1.0% of their giving
$30.0M
140. The Blackbaud Giving Fund
498 grants to 376 organizations · largest $1.0M · through 2024 · 1.3% of their giving
$21.6M
161. Foundation for the Carolinas
47 grants to 21 organizations · largest $7.8M · through 2024 · 1.0% of their giving
$21.2M
166. Paypal Charitable Giving Fund
742 grants to 438 organizations · largest $900K · through 2024 · 1.0% of their giving
$20.9M
167. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc
125 grants to 77 organizations · largest $2.5M · through 2024 · 1.3% of their giving
$16.4M
185. Greater Horizons
118 grants to 107 organizations · largest $10.1M · through 2024
$19.7M
188. Greater Houston Community Foundation
93 grants to 34 organizations · largest $1.5M · through 2024 · 1.3% of their giving
$14.5M
221. Jewish Communal Fund
219 grants to 84 organizations · largest $2.3M · through 2024
$24.3M
1790. Donor Advised Charitable Giving IncDonor-advised
4,888 grants to 1,499 organizations · largest $90.4M · through 2024 · 5.9% of their giving
$1.9B
1791. National Philanthropic TrustDonor-advised
1,824 grants to 668 organizations · largest $83.1M · through 2024 · 4.8% of their giving
$1.4B
1792. Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundDonor-advised
6,035 grants to 2,028 organizations · largest $116.8M · through 2024 · 3.0% of their giving
$2.2B

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to education work in California, not by dollar totals alone — a foundation that concentrates its giving here is usually a better prospect than a larger one for which this is a rounding error. 21 of the funders counted here are donor-advised fund sponsors, which grant on behalf of individual donors and accept no applications; they are marked and ranked last.

Other Causes Funded in California

About This Data

A grant appears here when a funder reported it on its IRS Form 990 and the recipient organization is classified under the NTEE group covering education work, with an address in California. Grants are counted from the 2025 filing year backward.

Some 990 grant schedules list a recipient by name and address without an EIN, and those grants cannot be matched to a classification — so the totals above represent identifiable education funding in California, not every dollar that reached the sector. Figures are a floor, not a ceiling.

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Research California funders in depth

Full grant histories, recipient lists, officer compensation, multi-year financials, and exports for every foundation Imperigo tracks.