Grant funders / California / Community Improvement
Community Improvement Grant Funders in California
728 foundations with a documented community improvement focus have made grants to California nonprofits in recent years, together directing $1.6B to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 728 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
728
Community improvement funders
$1.6B
Given to California nonprofits
12,275
Grants on record
2025
Most recent giving
Most active community improvement funders in California
| # | Funder | Based in | Total California giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silicon Valley Community Foundation | California | $306.8M | 864 | 2024 |
| 2 | The California Endowment | California | $252.0M | 1888 | 2024 |
| 3 | Orange County Community Foundation | California | $69.8M | 296 | 2024 |
| 4 | The San Francisco Foundation | California | $62.9M | 304 | 2023 |
| 5 | California Community Foundation | California | $59.3M | 422 | 2023 |
| 6 | Jpmorgan Chase Foundation | New York | $49.8M | 122 | 2024 |
| 7 | The Rotary Foundation of Rotary | Illinois | $40.3M | 345 | 2025 |
| 8 | The James Irvine Foundation | California | $32.6M | 73 | 2024 |
| 9 | The California Wellness Foundation | California | $28.6M | 189 | 2024 |
| 10 | The Michael and Lori Milken Family | California | $23.2M | 64 | 2024 |
| 11 | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Washington | $22.0M | 7 | 2024 |
| 12 | John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (consolidated) | Illinois | $18.5M | 40 | 2024 |
| 13 | Wk Kellogg Foundation | Michigan | $18.4M | 69 | 2023 |
| 14 | The Ford Foundation | New York | $18.4M | 84 | 2024 |
| 15 | The Kresge Foundation | Michigan | $17.6M | 99 | 2024 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest community improvement funders in California — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 728 against your nonprofit's actual mission, service area, and budget, and shows you why each one matches. Free, no credit card.
Rank these funders for my nonprofit →Community Improvement funders in other states
Other causes funded in California
How this list is built. Bespoke Grants indexes 13M+ grants from public IRS Form 990 filings. This page shows foundations whose giving carries a documented community improvement focus and that have funded California nonprofits. Giving figures reflect each funder's total recent grants to California recipients. IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag; figures are current through the most recent available filings.