California · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Science & Technology in California

Imperigo has identified 409 funders that made 2,655 grants totaling $2.7B to 284 science & technology organizations in California, with a median grant of $35K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Science & Technology Funding in California

Total granted $2.7B
Funders 409
Grants 2,655
Organizations funded 284

Top Funders — page 1 of 4

1. Silicon Valley Community Foundation
90 grants to 50 organizations · largest $1.3B · through 2024 · 10.2% of their giving
$1.4B
2. Future of Life Institute
3 grants to 3 organizations · largest $25.0M · through 2024 · 24.7% of their giving
$26.8M
3. Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc
11 grants to 4 organizations · largest $5.4M · through 2023 · 8.5% of their giving
$18.8M
4. Clayton Medical Research Foundation Inc
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.9M · through 2024 · 60.2% of their giving
$6.6M
5. Kacyra Family Foundation
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.3M · through 2024 · 93.8% of their giving
$3.4M
6. The San Diego Foundation
33 grants to 13 organizations · largest $6.8M · through 2024 · 3.1% of their giving
$19.5M
7. Jewish Communal Fund
15 grants to 4 organizations · largest $18.9M · through 2024
$35.2M
8. ADA Forsyth Institute Inc
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $414K · through 2024 · 20.6% of their giving
$1.4M
9. Hopewell Fund
4 grants to 3 organizations · largest $8.4M · through 2024 · 2.1% of their giving
$9.3M
10. Catalyst4 Inc
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $3.1M · through 2024 · 3.5% of their giving
$4.8M
11. Tides Foundation
30 grants to 15 organizations · largest $5.0M · through 2024
$20.7M
12. Engine Advocacy
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $736K · through 2019 · 26.1% of their giving
$736K
13. The Sobrato Foundation
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $1.8M · through 2022 · 6.8% of their giving
$1.8M
14. Beri Support Fund
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $600K · through 2019 · 55.8% of their giving
$600K
15. Holdfast Trust
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $3.0M · through 2023 · 3.8% of their giving
$3.0M
16. The San Francisco Foundation
25 grants to 9 organizations · largest $3.0M · through 2024
$10.6M
17. Founders Pledge Inc
10 grants to 10 organizations · largest $1.1M · through 2024 · 2.9% of their giving
$3.3M
18. Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego
34 grants to 9 organizations · largest $2.8M · through 2024 · 1.1% of their giving
$8.4M
19. California Institute for Biodiversity
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $493K · through 2024 · 7.8% of their giving
$1.2M
20. Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation
14 grants to 3 organizations · largest $1.0M · through 2024 · 6.4% of their giving
$1.3M
21. Sentinel Bio Inc
2 grants to 2 organizations · largest $330K · through 2024 · 36.9% of their giving
$380K
22. Human Immunome Project Inc
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $374K · through 2022 · 11.3% of their giving
$570K
23. Howard Hughes Medical Institute
4 grants to 2 organizations · largest $3.3M · through 2022 · 1.6% of their giving
$4.0M
24. Dagmar Dolby Fund
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $996K · through 2023 · 4.8% of their giving
$996K
25. Skoll Fund C/O Silicon Valley Community Foundation
2 grants to 2 organizations · largest $2.5M · through 2024 · 1.5% of their giving
$2.6M

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to science & technology 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. 13 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 science & technology 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 science & technology 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.