Philanthropic Ventures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Oakland, California, registered in 1991, with $58,681,026 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 92% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2024)
$58.7M
▼ 17.4% vs prior year
Philanthropy median: $168K
Expenses (FY2024)
$49.1M
Net assets
$89.4M
Employees
7
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Philanthropic Ventures Foundation: 92% to programs · $3 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Philanthropic Ventures Foundation: 22 mo reserves · +16% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Philanthropic Ventures Foundation: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Philanthropic Ventures Foundation: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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To engage donors & community partners in grassroots philanthropy via radical collaboration.
Pvf staff does extensive consulting with other foundations regarding their grantmaking. in total, we have conducted site visits to over 450 foundations nationwide, providing our expertise to thousands of donors and grantees and affecting countless lives in thousands of communities.
Revenue grew from $11.8M (FY2013) to $58.7M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
16.4%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$89.4M
Total liabilities
$55K
Net assets
$89.4M
Salaries & benefits
$6.4M
13% of expenses
Board members
8
8 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $58,681,026▼17.4% | $49,068,184▲96.8% | $89,375,342▲9.6% | $89,430,220▲9.6% | 990 |
| 2023 | $71,022,800▲210% | $24,930,502▲6.7% | $81,559,045▲171% | $81,605,913▲150% | 990 |
| 2022 | $22,915,613▲13.6% | $23,373,623▲33.8% | $30,056,882▼15.1% | $32,597,542▼10.5% | 990 |
| 2021 | $20,169,103▲25.0% | $17,471,267▲28.8% | $35,416,326▲15.0% | $36,414,979▲15.1% | 990 |
| 2020 | $16,137,293▲11.9% | $13,569,821▲29.0% | $30,786,814▲19.5% | $31,645,319▲19.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $14,426,011▲52.7% | $10,519,908▲1.1% | $25,773,309▲33.9% | $26,415,593▲35.3% | 990 |
| 2018 | $9,447,183▲8.9% | $10,403,805▼1.7% | $19,246,573▼8.6% | $19,527,632▼9.7% | 990 |
| 2017 | $8,679,028▼23.0% | $10,580,170▲31.0% | $21,058,746▼4.4% | $21,631,128▼2.0% | 990 |
| 2016 | $11,264,424▲4.0% | $8,074,134▼39.9% | $22,037,529▲19.6% | $22,082,543▲19.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $10,836,268▼11.9% | $13,437,240▲56.1% | $18,432,377▼19.2% | $18,510,733▼20.8% | 990 |
| 2014 | $12,298,855▲4.7% | $8,609,133▼25.6% | $22,820,251▲19.4% | $23,373,360▲12.4% | 990 |
| 2013 | $11,751,483 | $11,578,660▼2.3% | $19,115,479▲3.8% | $20,803,135▲10.3% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $11,851,490▲39.1% | $18,421,044▲13.8% | $18,853,463▲15.8% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $8,517,326▲39.5% | $16,180,431▲18.0% | $16,286,850▲17.9% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $6,106,098 | $13,717,585 | $13,818,643 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Dawn Hawk — $210,000 (0.43% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn Hawk | Coo | 40 | $210,000 |
| Alicia Aguirre | Director | 2 | — |
| Bill Somerville | President/founder | 24 | — |
| Colburn S Wilbur | Director | 2 | — |
| Duncan Beardsley | Director | 2 | — |
| James Higa | Treasurer/executive Director | 32 | — |
| James R Cody | Director | 2 | — |
| Kamba Tshionyi | Director | 2 | — |
| Moira C Walsh | Chairman | 2 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| The Gathery Inc | 15 Percent Pledge Gala Design/production | $1,353,978 |
| The Glen Price Group | Upk Program Quality Improvement Support | $382,145 |
| Garrett Neiman | Perennial Sunflower Project Work | $210,594 |
| Vibrant Strategies | Oakland Thrives Philanthropic Advice/ser | $156,833 |
| Collaborative Communications Group Inc | Upk Program Comm Consulting Services | $146,250 |
226 grants to Philanthropic Ventures Foundation totaling $67.4M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | General nonprofit support | 2024 | $2,926,810 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Community & human services | 2024 | $639,850 |
| Network For Good Inc | Unrestricted | 2024 | $427,558 |
| Philanthropic Ventures Foundation | General support | 2024 | $375,000 |
| Tides Foundation | Healthy individuals and communities | 2024 | $153,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Philanthropy | 2024 | $100,000 |
| New Venture Fund | Youth development and education | 2024 | $91,660 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $54,835 |
| T Rowe Price Program For Charitable Giving Inc | Multiple | 2024 | $42,000 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $40,000 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $30,500 |
| Minneapolis Foundation | Donor advised, public affairs/society benefit | 2024 | $25,000 |
| Santa Barbara Foundation | Public and societal benefit | 2024 | $20,000 |
| The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International | Econ. and community develop.-humanitarian-daf | 2024 | $10,000 |
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc | Project support | 2024 | $10,000 |
136 grants totaling $32.0M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Philanthropic Ventures Foundation →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Black Cultural Zone Community Development Corporation | For your organization's work on certain investment areas of the rise east initiative | $15,740,134 |
| Roots Community Health Center | For your organization's work on certain investment areas of the rise east initiative | $5,043,179 |
| Fifteen Percent | General operating support | $1,731,749 |
| Resilia Academy | To support access to on-demand technical assistance and capacity building support | $1,130,224 |
| Oakstop LLC | Meaningful employment, entrepreneur ecosystems, inclusive arts programs | $1,080,296 |
| Creative Mornings Inc | To launch member and patron programs and to support community and field trips | $740,052 |
| Brotherhood of Elders Network | For your organization's work on certain investment areas of the rise east initiative as described in exhibit a of the grant agreement | $579,000 |
| Actai Global | General support | $468,487 |
| Turimiquire Foundation Inc | Family planning | $462,000 |
| Giving Gap Inc | General operating support | $402,617 |
| Turning Basin Labs | Operational support | $397,619 |
| Philanthropic Ventures Foundation | General support | $375,000 |
| Brigid Alliance Inc | Reproductive health | $275,000 |
| East Oakland Youth Development Center | For your organization's work on certain investment areas of the rise east initiative | $223,600 |
| Time For Better | To support better earths hope house as part of climate week nyc | $134,000 |
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Data for Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (EIN 94-3136771) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.