About California Institute for Biodiversity
Supports scientists, conservationists, philanthropists, educators, community members, landowners, and policymakers in advancing biodiversity conservation in California through funding, partnerships, and capacity building.
Focus Areas
biodiversity sciencespecies and habitat protectionnatural history collections and museumsDNA barcoding and eDNAworkforce development and educationrestoration and seed bankingconservation policy and land acquisitiontechnology for biodiversity discovery
About California Institute for Biodiversity
California Institute for Biodiversity’s recent grants show a strong pattern of support for California biodiversity science, with some of the largest awards going to museums, universities, and state plant diagnostic capacity. The foundation funded the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco at $401,836 in 2024, and Fungal Diversity Survey in Sebastopol at $308,649 in 2024. It also backed the Museum of Natural History LA in Los Angeles at $294,269 in 2023 and the Regents of the University of California in Berkeley at $205,000 in 2024. That mix points to a funder that supports both specimen-based science and the institutions that preserve, study, and share biodiversity data. Its active programs reinforce that profile: collections infrastructure, seed conservation, CalATBI, biodiversity technology, land protection, and education all appear in the current program list. Across the recent grants provided here, the foundation’s support stays within California and is directed toward scientific collecting, conservation, and the systems that make biodiversity research reproducible.
What California Institute for Biodiversity Funds
Museum infrastructure is a clear theme. In 2024, California Institute for Biodiversity gave $401,836 to California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, and it also supported the San Diego Natural History Museum with $97,029 in 2024; both fit the foundation’s collections and specimen-preservation work. Biodiversity inventory and sequencing are another priority. The Regents of the University of California in Berkeley received $205,000 in 2024, aligning with the foundation’s CalATBI and DNA barcoding initiatives. Plant health and diagnosis also appear in the grant record: CDFA Plant Pest Diag Center in Sacramento received $187,626 in 2024 and $186,664 in 2023. A smaller but related science-oriented grant went to Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in Santa Barbara for $14,940 in 2024.
How California Institute for Biodiversity Gives
Typical awards cluster in the high five to low six figures, with a p25 of $129,778, a median grant of $175,000, and a p75 of $209,867. The recent grants list shows repeated support for several recipients across 2023 and 2024, including California Academy of Sciences, CDFA Plant Pest Diag Center, University of California Davis, and San Diego Natural History Museum, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Its active programs also show a structured grantmaking approach centered on California-based initiatives.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.1M
Total Assets
$18.9M
Total Revenue
$846K
Total Expenses
$6.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $130K and $210K, with a median of $175K.
25th Percentile
$130K
Median
$175K
75th Percentile
$210K
Geographic Reach
Local6 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Daniel Gluesenkamp
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