Foundations that fund organizations in Fairfax, California
Worked out from where the grants went, not where the foundations sit.
Funding landscape for Fairfax nonprofits
40 private foundations gave $1.2M to Fairfax organizations in their latest filings; 8 of the 40 that say either way accept applications.
42 grants in total, with a typical foundation's median grant to Fairfax around $10K. 16 of these funders are based in California; the rest give here from elsewhere.
- Foundations giving here
- 40
- Accept applications
- 8
- of 40 that state a policy
- Dollars to Fairfax
- $1.2M
- latest filings
- Grants
- 42
- Typical median grant
- $10K
- Based in CA
- 40%
- of funders listed
Funders, by dollars given to Fairfax organizations
| Foundation | Based in | Grants here | Dollars here | Median | Accepts applications | Typical purposes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ka Foundation | Wilmington, NC | 1 | $350K | $350K | Yes | In support of another public charity |
| Foundation to Promote Open Society | New York, NY | 1 | $150K | $150K | Preselected only | To support work on psychosocial aid to journalists in a hos… |
| Cowles Family Foundation | Albuquerque, NM | 1 | $120K | $120K | Preselected only | Education of maasai girls including sex education to break… |
| Cactus Tree Foundation | Austin, TX | 1 | $100K | $100K | Preselected only | Charitable |
| The Olseth Foundation | Minnetonka, MN | 1 | $90K | $90K | Preselected only | America, minnesota, mankato |
| Stephen M Silberstein Foundation | Belvedere, CA | 1 | $50K | $50K | Preselected only | Improving our country's roads, multi-use pathways, and off-… |
| The Jm Kaplan Fund Inc | New York, NY | 1 | $50K | $50K | Yes | Empower fish in the fields a project that introduces fish t… |
| Wf Foundation C/O Brian White | Chicago, IL | 1 | $40K | $40K | Preselected only | To further the mission of the donee |
| Germeshausen Foundation Inc | Wayne, PA | 1 | $30K | $30K | Yes | General support |
| The Peterffy Foundation Inc | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 1 | $27K | $27K | Preselected only | To support the conserve. |
| The Children's Trust C/O the Johnson Company | New York, NY | 1 | $25K | $25K | Preselected only | Social welfare |
| The Hayes Foundation | New Haven, CT | 1 | $25K | $25K | Preselected only | Environment |
| Schmidtke Family Foundation Inc | Hudson, WI | 1 | $25K | $25K | Preselected only | Support for general operations |
| The Onda Foundation Inc | Burlington, VT | 1 | $25K | $25K | Yes | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. |
| 5 Ryan Foundation | Tiburon, CA | 1 | $24K | $24K | Preselected only | General support |
| Libbie F Gerry Foundation National Advisors Trust Company | Kansas City, MO | 1 | $13K | $13K | Preselected only | General Operating |
| The Fred Gellert Family Foundation | Mill Valley, CA | 1 | $10K | $10K | Yes | Environment |
| Nature Defense Foundation | Hudson, NY | 1 | $10K | $10K | Preselected only | To support exempt activities |
| Stearns Charitable Trust C/O Jpmorgan | Philadelphia, PA | 1 | $10K | $10K | Preselected only | Program support |
| Trapp Family Foundation Inc | Empire, MI | 1 | $10K | $10K | Yes | General charitable purposes |
| Grigsby Family Foundation | El Dorado Hills, CA | 1 | $9,660 | $9,660 | Yes | Animal care |
| Lennox Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 1 | $7,500 | $7,500 | Preselected only | General & Unrestricted |
| Etc Family Foundation | San Francisco, CA | 2 | $7,000 | $3,500 | Preselected only | For general operating support |
| The Mep Foundation | Cranbury, NJ | 1 | $7,000 | $7,000 | Preselected only | General |
| Kelson Foundation | San Francisco, CA | 2 | $6,000 | $3,000 | Preselected only | General support |
| Morning Glory Family Foundation C/O Kyle Miller | Fairfax, CA | 1 | $5,000 | $5,000 | Preselected only | General cahritable |
| Grace Jones Richardson Testamentary Trust C/O Piedmont Trust Co | Greensboro, NC | 1 | $3,000 | $3,000 | Preselected only | To assist the organization in carrying out its exempt purpo… |
| Dm3 Fund | St Louis, MO | 1 | $2,500 | $2,500 | Preselected only | General purpose |
| Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | 1 | $2,256 | $2,256 | Preselected only | Employee or trustee recommended gift for general operationa… |
| The Lodas Family Charitable Foundation | Chicago, IL | 1 | $2,000 | $2,000 | Preselected only | General operating |
| The Kennenth and Joan Gosliner Foundation | San Rafael, CA | 1 | $2,000 | $2,000 | Preselected only | Charitable |
| Blits Foundation | Mill Valley, CA | 1 | $2,000 | $2,000 | Preselected only | General program support. |
| The Springcreek Foundation C/O Third Plateau Social Impact Strategi | Berkeley, CA | 1 | $1,484 | $1,484 | Preselected only | General operating support |
| Hard Yaka Foundation | Berkeley, CA | 1 | $1,000 | $1,000 | Preselected only | Support |
| Betsy Gordon Foundation C/O Elizabeth Gordon | Phoenix, AZ | 1 | $1,000 | $1,000 | Preselected only | General operations |
| The Thendara Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 1 | $1,000 | $1,000 | Preselected only | General support |
| The Scott Family Fund | Mill Valley, CA | 1 | $500 | $500 | Preselected only | General fund |
| Robert K & Barbara J Straus Family Foundation Inc | Santa Barbara, CA | 1 | $500 | $500 | Preselected only | In furtherance of 501(c)(3) exempt purpose |
| Gag Charitable Corporation | Encinitas, CA | 1 | $500 | $500 | Preselected only | Support operations |
| The Joseph Tse Charitable Works Foundation | Cotati, CA | 1 | $500 | $500 | Yes | To assist in carrying out mission. |
Source: IRS Form 990-PF Part XV, latest electronic return per foundation (2026-10-28). "Accepts applications" reflects the foundation's own checkbox on Part XV line 2. Grants to individuals excluded.
Common questions
Which foundations give to nonprofits in Fairfax, California?
Ka Foundation, Foundation to Promote Open Society, Cowles Family Foundation, Cactus Tree Foundation, The Olseth Foundation and 35 others reported grants to Fairfax organizations on their latest Form 990-PF.
How do I approach a foundation that doesn't accept applications?
A foundation that checks "contributes only to preselected organizations" on its 990-PF won't review a cold proposal. Look at who it funds, find a shared board member, grantee or advisor, and ask for an introduction. Foundations that accept applications usually list a contact and deadlines in Part XV; we show that text on each foundation's page.
Is this list complete?
No. It covers private foundations (Form 990-PF filers) whose latest electronic return lists at least one grant to an organization in Fairfax. Community foundations and corporate giving programs file different forms and are not included yet.