Grant funders / California / Libraries & Literacy
Libraries & Literacy Grant Funders in California
537 foundations with a documented libraries & literacy focus have made grants to California nonprofits in recent years, together directing $345.0M to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 537 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
537
Libraries & literacy funders
$345.0M
Given to California nonprofits
3,054
Grants on record
2025
Most recent giving
Most active libraries & literacy funders in California
| # | Funder | Based in | Total California giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles R Schwab Foundation for Financial | Florida | $22.0M | 5 | 2024 |
| 2 | The San Francisco Foundation | California | $21.7M | 49 | 2023 |
| 3 | San Diego Public Library Foundation | California | $19.5M | 9 | 2025 |
| 4 | The Andrew W Mellon Foundation | New York | $16.7M | 24 | 2024 |
| 5 | Simpson Psb Fund | California | $16.1M | 12 | 2024 |
| 6 | Kenneth Rainin Foundation | California | $12.9M | 58 | 2024 |
| 7 | The Oakland Public Education Fund | California | $9.3M | 2 | 2022 |
| 8 | Newport Beach Public Library Foundation | California | $9.2M | 2 | 2024 |
| 9 | Kipp Foundation | California | $8.9M | 6 | 2023 |
| 10 | Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation | California | $7.4M | 3 | 2025 |
| 11 | The San Bruno Community Foundation | California | $7.3M | 3 | 2025 |
| 12 | The Patrick J Mcgovern Foundation Inc | Massachusetts | $7.1M | 11 | 2024 |
| 13 | National Center for Research in Advanced | District of Columbia | $6.3M | 4 | 2019 |
| 14 | The Rotary Foundation of Rotary | Illinois | $6.2M | 90 | 2025 |
| 15 | Palos Verdes Peninsula Education Fdtn | California | $6.2M | 3 | 2024 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest libraries & literacy funders in California — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 537 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 →Libraries & Literacy 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 libraries & literacy 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.