Open nowRolling / open intakeAward: $3K – $100K
Justice
social justicewomen and girlsLGBTQ+ issues+2 more
Who can apply: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations; foundation generally does not fund individuals.
Deadline: Rolling (most programs)
About Gerbode Foundation
We empower courageous leaders and visionary artists who make a positive impact in their communities and inspire others to change the world.
Focus Areas
Arts (dance, theater, music composition)Media and communications (advancing truth)Policy and advocacy (justice)Environmental conservation and environmental justiceNonprofit capacity building and leadership developmentArtist commissioning and production support
Who They Fund
individual artists (dance, theater, music) — commissions and touringBay Area arts organizations and coalitionsNative Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communitiesFilipinx/Pin@y communities and educational partners
About Gerbode Foundation
Gerbode Foundation’s grantmaking is anchored by commissioned new works in the arts, especially dance, theater, and music created by California artists and produced through Bay Area nonprofit organizations. Its Special Awards in the Arts program is a recurring feature of the foundation’s approach, with fixed-award cycles such as the 2025 Theater Production Awards and 2026 Music Awards, both at $50,000 per grant. The foundation also backs media, justice, and environmental work, combining project support with general operating support and occasional special initiatives. Recent arts grants show the foundation funding both individual creation and organizational infrastructure. Independent Arts Media received $50,000 for El Timpano’s work, while the foundation also supported Bay Area arts organizations through commissioning and production programs. In parallel, Gerbode Foundation funds community-facing policy and civic work, including media and democracy initiatives, and supports environmental efforts tied to conservation and quality of life. The grant list also includes support for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander narrative work, showing that the foundation’s arts and civic interests extend beyond a single discipline or audience. Across its recent awards, Gerbode Foundation uses a mix of general support and named programs to move money to artists, presenters, advocates, and community organizations working in California and Hawaii.
What Gerbode Foundation Funds
In the arts, Gerbode Foundation prioritizes new creation rather than only presentation. Its Special Awards in the Arts program supports dance, theater production, and music composition, with Bay Area nonprofit, artist-centered organizations commissioning California artists. The foundation also backed Bay Area arts media through $50,000 to Independent Arts Media for El Timpano’s work. Justice-oriented grants include $75,000 to Transgender Law Center for general support and $100,000 to Root Rebound for general support, both in Oakland. Gerbode Foundation also supported community and coalition work with $100,000 to Greenbelt Alliance for Solano Together. Media and public-information work appears through a $60,000 grant to Common Cause Education Fund for its Media & Democracy Program in California. On the environmental side, the foundation gave $40,000 to Baykeeper for general support and $40,000 to FoodCorps Inc for its work in San Francisco.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.4M
Total Assets
$37.4M
Total Revenue
$3.9M
Total Expenses
$2.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $25K and $40K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$40K
Geographic Reach
Local5 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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