FUNDER SNAPSHOT: KOSHLAND FOUNDATION

For: Riverside Youth Coding Academy | Date: April 27, 2026

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1. VERDICT: IDEAL FIT (Score: 84/100)

Koshland Foundation is one of the strongest prospects in Riverside Youth Coding Academy's pipeline. Nearly half of all recorded grant dollars ($5.2M of $10.6M) flow specifically to Oakland, and the foundation has directly funded youth entrepreneurship (BUILD), OUSD implementation (Modern Classrooms Project), and college-connected pathways (Oakland Promise) - all close analogs to this program model. The CEO should move forward with an Oakland-centered proposal, prioritizing the East Bay expansion and OUSD district advocacy as the lead narrative, not the broader Bay Area footprint.

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2. KEY STATS

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3. STRONGEST ALIGNMENT POINTS

• Oakland is the bullseye. 26 grants totaling $5.21M went specifically to Oakland - and Riverside Youth Coding Academy's growth plan centers on additional OUSD school sites and district-level CS advocacy. This is place-based alignment, not just thematic.
• Direct program analogs already funded. BUILD (youth entrepreneurship in Oakland), Modern Classrooms Project (OUSD implementation), and Oakland Promise (school-linked college access) are all funded precedents that mirror Riverside's school-linked, career-connected model.
• Paid apprenticeship adds economic mobility. Koshland funds digital equity and youth opportunity pathways. The paid teen apprenticeship pipeline - placing students into mentored tech internships with stipends - goes beyond classroom enrichment and maps to the foundation's interest in economic outcomes for high-need youth.
• Systems-change layer strengthens the case. Advocacy for permanent CS course offerings in OUSD and SFUSD, paired with published cohort outcome data, aligns with Koshland's documented interest in district partnership, data-driven resource targeting, and policy-level education reform.

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4. POTENTIAL DISCONNECTS

• Scale gap is real. Koshland's typical grantee has a median budget of $21.8M and 126 employees. Riverside Youth Coding Academy serves ~120 students/year with an unspecified budget - a significant size mismatch. The organization must present as implementation-ready and operationally credible, not aspirational.
• SFUSD framing dilutes the pitch. Koshland has no documented grant concentration in San Francisco. Leading with a broad Bay Area identity or SFUSD emphasis will weaken the proposal. Oakland and East Bay must be the primary geographic frame.
• No warm relationship or access pathway identified. The foundation appears relationship-driven with no open application process documented. Without a warm introduction through Oakland philanthropy, OUSD-connected intermediaries, or East Bay education networks, outreach will be cold and competitive.

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5. BOTTOM LINE

Pursue this funder with urgency - the mission, geography, and program model alignment are unusually strong for a foundation this selective. Open with a $150K-$200K ask framed entirely around the Oakland/East Bay expansion: two new OUSD school sites, apprenticeship cohort growth from 30 to 60, and district advocacy for permanent CS access. The single most important next step is securing a warm introduction through Oakland education networks or a current Koshland grantee before submitting any written inquiry.

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Data sourced from Form 990 grant history and Deep Dive Intelligence Evaluation v4.1.0. Budget, staffing, and founding details for Riverside Youth Coding Academy were not available and should be confirmed before submission.

DEEP DIVE INTELLIGENCE MEMO

Koshland Foundation x Riverside Youth Coding Academy

Prepared: April 27, 2026 | Verdict: IDEAL FIT (Score: 84/100) | Estimated Likelihood: Medium-High

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1. FUNDER DNA

Mission and Vision Foundations

Koshland Foundation is a family-led private foundation with a concentrated, place-based philanthropic identity rooted in Oakland and the broader Bay Area. Its grantmaking is not broadly distributed across causes or geographies - it is deliberately focused on improving educational equity and youth opportunity in Oakland's public school system. The foundation's portfolio reflects a belief that durable change in K-12 education requires investment at multiple levels simultaneously: direct student services, teacher and instructional leadership capacity, family and community voice, and systems-level policy advocacy.

Values and Priorities

• Educational equity for Oakland's highest-need students, with explicit attention to underserved populations in OUSD
• District-embedded implementation, not standalone enrichment programs
• Career-connected and college-readiness pathways (Kindergarten-to-College, A-G completion, entrepreneurship)
• Digital equity and technology access as a lever for student opportunity
• Family and community agency in shaping education policy
• Data-driven resource targeting and measurable outcomes
• Systems change alongside direct service

Decision-Making Style

Koshland operates as a focused, relationship-driven foundation. With only 51 grants over three years and a median award of $200,000, this is not a broad open-call grantmaker. The portfolio is curated and concentrated, suggesting that program officers and family directors are actively selecting partners rather than responding to unsolicited volume. Access likely depends on warm introductions, local credibility, and demonstrated alignment with Oakland education priorities. The foundation's connection to the San Francisco Foundation's Koshland Program (KYLA awards, Koshland Fellows) suggests deep roots in Bay Area civic and philanthropic networks.

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2. GRANT HISTORY PATTERNS

Typical Grant Sizes and Trends

Grant activity has been consistent across three years: 19 grants ($3.7M) in 2023, 18 grants ($3.6M) in 2024, and 14 grants ($3.3M) in 2025. The slight reduction in grant count in 2025 with sustained dollar volume suggests the foundation may be consolidating around fewer, larger relationships - a signal to pursue a meaningful ask rather than a token entry-level grant.

Geographic Preferences

• California dominates: 72.5% of grants (37 of 51) and 70.5% of dollars ($7.49M)
• Oakland is the epicenter: 26 grants totaling $5.21M, representing approximately 49% of all recorded grant dollars
• New York (11.8% of grants) and DC (3.9%) represent national policy and intermediary investments
• San Francisco is not a documented concentration area in the grant record

Types of Initiatives Funded

• Oakland school system implementation and district partnerships (OUSD-aligned work)
• Teacher professional learning and instructional leadership (New Teacher Center, New Leaders)
• Family-led advocacy and community voice (Oakland Reach, Families in Action for Quality Education)
• College access and economic mobility pathways (Oakland Promise, scholarships)
• Youth entrepreneurship and maker education (BUILD)
• Digital equity and technology access for students
• Needs assessment and data-driven resource targeting

Key Precedent Grants Relevant to Riverside Youth Coding Academy

• BUILD ($565,000 across 2 grants): Youth entrepreneurship education in Oakland - the closest analog to a career-connected youth program model
• Modern Classrooms Project ($810,250 across 2 grants): Oakland implementation of instructional innovation, including digital tools
• Oakland Promise ($750,000 across 3 grants): School-linked college access and economic mobility
• Oakland Public Education Fund ($800,000 across 4 grants): District-aligned capacity and resource support

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3. NTEE CODE ALIGNMENT

Funder's Grantee NTEE Distribution

The foundation's primary inferred NTEE code is B01 (Alliances and Advocacy), which accounts for 14% of grants and 17.3% of dollars - the single largest category. The full portfolio is diverse (HHI: 0.112), spanning education, social services, business/industry, and public foundations.

Alignment with Riverside Youth Coding Academy

Riverside Youth Coding Academy's primary NTEE codes are:

• B25 (Secondary/High School): Direct match confirmed in the funder's grantee base
• B30 (Vocational/Technical Schools): Category-level overlap within the B (Education) family

The B-category dominance in Koshland's portfolio is a strong structural signal. Education-focused organizations across B01, B82, B90, B99, and B40 collectively represent the majority of Koshland's grantmaking. Riverside Youth Coding Academy's work spans multiple relevant sub-categories: secondary education (B25), vocational/technical training (B30), and educational services (B90), with a systems-change component that touches B01 (advocacy for permanent CS offerings in OUSD/SFUSD).

Strategic Framing Recommendations

• Lead with the B90 (Educational Services) and B01 (Alliances and Advocacy) framing to match the foundation's highest-dollar categories
• Position the apprenticeship pipeline as career-connected economic mobility (resonates with S40/Business and Industry precedents like BUILD)
• Frame district advocacy for permanent CS courses as systems change - connecting to the B01 advocacy investments that represent the foundation's largest single category

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4. DECISION-MAKER INSIGHTS

Key Personnel

The foundation is family-governed, with multiple Koshland family members serving as Vice Presidents and Directors alongside President Gail K. Wachtel. This structure suggests that Wachtel likely manages day-to-day program relationships and due diligence, while family directors shape strategic priorities and make final decisions collectively. The family's deep roots in Bay Area civic life (connection to the San Francisco Foundation's Koshland Program dating to 1982) indicate long institutional memory and strong local networks.

Decision-Making Process

• Likely relationship-driven and curated rather than open-call
• No documented public application portal or published eligibility guidelines - access strategy must account for this
• Family governance means proposals may need to resonate with both professional staff (Wachtel) and family directors who hold values-level authority
• The 100% new-grantee rate in the analyzed period suggests the foundation is actively expanding its portfolio, not locked into repeat relationships

What Matters Most to Them

• Oakland specificity: generic Bay Area or regional framing will not land; Oakland/OUSD must be the center of gravity
• District embeddedness: school partnerships, MOUs, principal commitments, and OUSD alignment are differentiators
• Measurable outcomes for high-need students: demographics, completion rates, skill gains, and pathway progression
• Implementation readiness: the foundation funds organizations that can execute, not just plan
• Systems-level thinking: direct service connected to policy change and durable district infrastructure

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5. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Who Else Koshland Funds

Riverside Youth Coding Academy will be evaluated alongside established Oakland education intermediaries with significantly larger budgets and longer track records. Key funded organizations include Oakland Reach, Families in Action for Quality Education, Oakland Public Education Fund, Oakland Promise, New Teacher Center, and New Leaders - organizations with median budgets well above $20M and deep institutional relationships with OUSD.

Differentiation Opportunity

The BUILD precedent ($565,000 across 2 grants for youth entrepreneurship in Oakland) is the most directly comparable funded model. BUILD demonstrates that Koshland will fund career-connected youth programming that is not purely academic. Riverside Youth Coding Academy's paid apprenticeship pipeline is a meaningful differentiator from traditional enrichment programs - it creates economic outcomes, not just educational exposure.

Scale Gap - How to Address It

Koshland's typical grantee has a median budget of $21.8M and 126 employees. Riverside Youth Coding Academy is almost certainly smaller. However:

• The foundation shows a 100% new-grantee rate in the analyzed period, indicating openness to first-time recipients
• The BUILD model shows willingness to fund focused youth opportunity programs, not only large intermediaries
• The ask range ($100,000-$200,000) is calibrated to the foundation's 25th-to-50th percentile, which is appropriate for a first-time relationship
• The proposal should emphasize implementation quality, district relationships, and outcome data rather than organizational size

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6. APPLICATION INTELLIGENCE

Process Realities

• No public application portal or published eligibility guidelines have been identified
• Access is likely relationship-mediated or invitation-based
• The foundation's connection to the San Francisco Foundation's Koshland Program suggests that Bay Area education and philanthropy networks are the most productive entry points
• A concise, well-targeted inquiry letter referencing Koshland's Oakland education investments may be appropriate if no warm introduction is available

Timing Considerations

• Grant activity has been consistent across 2023-2025 with no documented seasonal cycle in the available data
• The slight reduction in grant count in 2025 (14 grants vs. 18-19 in prior years) warrants monitoring - it may indicate a portfolio consolidation phase
• Initiating outreach in Q2-Q3 2026 would allow time to build a relationship before any year-end decision cycle

Documentation to Prepare

• Oakland/OUSD site-specific data: number of students served, school names, district relationships
• Formal partnership documentation: MOUs, principal letters, OUSD staff endorsements if available
• Student outcome data: demographics, completion rates, coding skill assessments, apprenticeship placements
• Employer partner commitments for the apprenticeship pipeline
• A clear expansion plan with specific milestones for the two additional East Bay sites and second summer intensive

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7. POSITIONING STRATEGY

How to Frame the Work

Do not lead with "coding program" or "STEM nonprofit." Lead with Oakland educational equity and youth economic opportunity. The narrative frame should be: Riverside Youth Coding Academy is building a school-linked continuum of computer science access for OUSD's highest-need students - from in-school exposure through paid apprenticeships - that creates both individual opportunity and durable district infrastructure for CS equity.

Key Differentiators to Emphasize

• The paid apprenticeship pipeline: economic mobility, not just enrichment - students earn income and gain industry credentials
• OUSD/East Bay school embeddedness: in-school delivery means the program reaches students who would never self-select into after-school enrichment
• The 600-person alumni and 100+ mentor network: a local Bay Area tech ecosystem asset that most school-based programs cannot replicate
• District advocacy for permanent CS course offerings: this is systems change, not just direct service
• The continuum model: in-school, after-school, summer, and apprenticeship creates a progression that compounds impact

Potential Objections and How to Address Them

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8. OPPORTUNITY FRAMING

The Transformation Story

The most resonant narrative for Koshland is not "we teach kids to code." It is: "We are closing the gap between Oakland's highest-need students and the Bay Area's most economically powerful industry - and we are doing it inside OUSD schools, with paid pathways that create real economic mobility."

This framing connects:

• Educational equity (Koshland's core identity)
• Digital divide/technology access (an explicit focus area)
• Career-connected youth programming (BUILD precedent)
• District partnership and systems change (the foundation's highest-dollar category)
• Oakland specificity (49% of all Koshland grant dollars)

The Specific Expansion Case

Rather than pitching the full organization, build the proposal around one concrete initiative: the addition of two East Bay/Oakland school sites plus the doubling of the apprenticeship cohort from 30 to 60 students per year. This is specific, bounded, and directly tied to OUSD expansion - exactly the kind of implementation investment Koshland funds.

Connecting Direct Service to Systems Change

The district advocacy component - pushing for permanent CS course offerings in OUSD and SFUSD middle and high schools, and publishing anonymized cohort outcomes to inform district STEM funding decisions - elevates this beyond a program grant. It positions Riverside Youth Coding Academy as a contributor to durable district infrastructure, which is the language Koshland uses for its highest-value investments.

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9. ASK STRATEGY

Recommended Ask Range

Grant Structure Recommendation

• Request a two-year grant if possible, framed around the 24-month expansion plan (two additional East Bay sites, apprenticeship growth from 30 to 60 students)
• A two-year structure signals organizational confidence and gives Koshland a longer outcome horizon to evaluate
• If the foundation prefers single-year grants, structure the ask around Year 1 milestones with explicit language about renewal based on outcomes

990-Based Insights

Koshland's total annual grants ($10.6M) significantly exceed its annual revenue ($1.9M) and total assets ($7.3M), indicating the foundation is drawing on an endowment or pass-through structure beyond what the 990 revenue line reflects. This is not a foundation constrained by annual cash flow - it is making deliberate, sustained investments. The consistent grant volume across 2023-2025 confirms this is an active, ongoing grantmaker, not one winding down. The median grant of $200,000 is the most credible anchor for a first-time ask.

Timing

• Initiate relationship-building outreach in Q2 2026 (May-June)
• Target a formal proposal submission in Q3 2026 (August-September) to align with likely year-end decision cycles
• Use Q2 to secure a warm introduction through East Bay education networks, Oakland philanthropy intermediaries, or OUSD-connected contacts

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10. RELATIONSHIP PLAN

Immediate Actions (Next 30 Days)

• Confirm Oakland/OUSD footprint: document exactly which schools, how many students, and what formal agreements exist with OUSD
• Map existing networks for a warm introduction to Gail K. Wachtel or any Koshland family director - check board members, major donors, and employer partners for connections to Bay Area philanthropy
• Review the San Francisco Foundation's Koshland Program (KYLA, Koshland Fellows) for potential network overlap with current or former fellows who may have Koshland Foundation connections
• Prepare a one-page Oakland-centered case statement that can serve as an introduction document

Short-Term Actions (30-90 Days)

• Secure at least one letter of support from an OUSD principal, district administrator, or Oakland education leader
• Identify and approach two or three employer partners willing to provide written commitment to the apprenticeship pipeline
• Draft a concise inquiry letter (one page) referencing Koshland's Oakland education investments and requesting an introductory conversation - use this only if no warm introduction is available
• Compile student outcome data into a clean, visual one-pager: demographics, completion rates, skill gains, apprenticeship placements, and alumni network size

Ongoing Relationship Building

• Monitor Koshland Foundation 990 filings and any public announcements for new grant patterns or focus shifts
• Track KYLA award winners and Koshland Program activities through the San Francisco Foundation for network intelligence
• Engage with Oakland education philanthropy convenings (Oakland Education Funders, East Bay Community Foundation events) where Koshland staff or family directors may be present
• After any initial meeting, follow up with specific outcome data and a clear ask - do not leave the relationship in an ambiguous "we'll be in touch" state

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KEY MESSAGING SUMMARY

The Three Sentences That Must Appear in Every Communication

1. Riverside Youth Coding Academy delivers free, in-school computer science education to OUSD's highest-need students - the students who would never reach a self-selected enrichment program.
2. Our paid apprenticeship pipeline creates real economic mobility, not just academic exposure, by placing teens into mentored tech internships with Bay Area employers.
3. We are not just running a program - we are building the case for permanent CS course offerings in Oakland and East Bay public schools, and publishing the outcome data to make that case stick.

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Memo prepared April 27, 2026. Based on Koshland Foundation 990 data (2023-2025), Deep Dive Intelligence Evaluation v4.1.0, and Riverside Youth Coding Academy organizational profile. Data gaps noted: no confirmed headquarters address, no current budget or 990 data for grantee, no documented open application process for funder. Recommend revisiting this memo after confirming Oakland/OUSD site documentation and securing any warm introduction to foundation leadership.

Conversation Guide: Meeting with Koshland Foundation

Riverside Youth Coding Academy | April 27, 2026 Single Presenter | Estimated Time: 45-60 minutes

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1. Authentic Opening

"Thank you so much for making time today. I want to start with something personal, because it shapes everything we do.

I grew up in the East Bay, and I remember the moment I first saw someone who looked like me writing code. It wasn't in school. It was at a community center, almost by accident. That one exposure changed the trajectory of my life. But I also know how many kids never get that moment, not because they aren't curious or capable, but because the opportunity simply isn't there.

That's the gap Riverside Youth Coding Academy exists to close. And it's happening right here, in Oakland and the East Bay, in the same schools and neighborhoods where that gap is most acute."

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2. High-Level Vision

"Our vision is straightforward but ambitious: every low-income student in Oakland and the East Bay who wants to learn to code should have a free, high-quality path to do it, and a real shot at a paid tech opportunity before they graduate.

Right now, we serve roughly 120 students a year through free in-school and after-school coding cohorts, a summer intensive, and a paid teen apprenticeship pipeline that places students into mentored tech internships. Our alumni network has grown to about 600 students connected to more than 100 Bay Area tech mentors.

But the need is far larger than what we can reach today. And we believe the moment is right to grow, particularly in OUSD, where the demand from schools and students is real and documented."

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3. Discovery Question

"Before I go further, I'd love to hear your perspective. When Koshland thinks about educational equity in Oakland, especially for students who are furthest from opportunity, what does meaningful, durable impact look like to you? What are you most hoping to see more of in the next few years?"

(Listen carefully. Reflect their language back in the conversation that follows.)

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4. Strategic Priorities

"With that in mind, let me share the three areas where we're focused right now.

First, expanding our Oakland and East Bay footprint. We're adding two new school sites in the East Bay and launching a second annual summer intensive. That takes us from 120 cohort students per year to 200-plus within 24 months. These are Title I schools in OUSD where principals have already expressed interest and where students have no existing structured CS instruction. For example, one of our current partner schools saw a 40-percent increase in students requesting CS electives after our first cohort completed.

Second, scaling the apprenticeship pipeline. We're growing our paid teen apprenticeship cohort from 30 to 60 students per year. These are real, stipended placements with Bay Area tech employers, paired with weekly soft-skills coaching. This is where classroom learning becomes economic mobility. A student who completes our apprenticeship track graduates with a portfolio, a professional reference, and income they've earned.

Third, systems-level change in OUSD. We're actively advocating for permanent, credit-bearing CS course offerings in OUSD middle and high schools, and we're publishing anonymized cohort outcome data to inform district decisions on STEM funding. We don't just want to run a great program. We want to help change what's available to every Oakland student, not just the ones we can directly serve."

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5. Permission to Discuss Specific Funding

"I'd love to talk about what a partnership with Koshland could look like, specifically. Would it be helpful if I walked you through what we're looking for and how we'd put it to work?"

(Pause for confirmation before continuing.)

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6. Funding Rationale (Budget and Ask)

"We're seeking $200,000 in support, which would be a one-year investment in our Oakland and East Bay expansion.

Here's how that breaks down in practical terms: the largest portion goes to program delivery, covering instructor costs, curriculum materials, and student stipends for the apprenticeship cohort. A meaningful share supports the two new school-site launches, including onboarding, community outreach, and school-partner coordination. And a portion funds the operations infrastructure we need to scale responsibly, specifically a full-time program operations lead and a part-time apprenticeship coordinator, both of which are critical to maintaining quality as we grow.

We're not asking you to fund an idea. We're asking you to accelerate something that is already working, in the neighborhoods and schools where Koshland has invested deeply for years."

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7. Anticipating Potential Concerns

"I want to be transparent about the questions I'd expect you to have.

You might wonder whether we can scale from 120 to 200-plus students without losing quality. That's a fair question. Our answer is that we're not growing faster than our school partnerships and instructor capacity allow. The two new sites we're adding have principal commitments, and we're hiring operations staff before we expand, not after.

You might also ask how much of our work is actually in Oakland versus the broader Bay Area. Oakland and the East Bay are our primary focus and our growth target. SFUSD is a smaller part of our current footprint, and our expansion plan is centered on OUSD-linked schools.

And you might ask whether our apprenticeship placements are backed by real employer commitments. Yes. We have existing relationships with Bay Area tech employers who have hosted apprentices, and we're formalizing those partnerships as we grow the cohort."

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8. Closing at High-Level Vision

"Here's what I keep coming back to. The Bay Area is one of the most technology-rich places on earth, and yet thousands of Oakland students graduate every year without ever having written a line of code in a structured setting, without a mentor in the industry, and without a paid opportunity to test what they're capable of.

We believe that is a solvable problem. Not eventually, but now, with the right partners. Koshland has a track record of investing in Oakland education in ways that are both deeply local and genuinely systemic. That's exactly the kind of partnership we're looking for, one that helps us serve more students today and helps change what's possible for Oakland students long after this grant cycle ends.

We would be honored to be part of the work you're already doing in this community."

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9. Final Invitation for Next Steps

"Before we close, I want to make sure I've given you what you need.

What else would be helpful for you to see or hear from us as you think about whether this is the right fit?"