The Kevin and Nicole Systrom Foundation concentrates its funding on climate and environmental resilience (with a strong Tahoe/forest emphasis), philanthropic innovation, and selective Bay Area education and community needs. They support both place-based organizations (Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, San Francisco Food Bank) and mission-driven intermediaries that accelerate climate solutions or reimagine giving (Prime Coalition, Actuate, TisBest). Grants tend to be sizable and strategic rather than highly distributed, and the foundation shows a willingness to make repeat gifts to core partners.
A defining feature of the Kevin and Nicole Systrom Foundation is its recurring support for climate and forest resilience in the Tahoe region, paired with selective bets on climate innovation and a few Bay Area civic and education institutions. The largest recent grant in the record is $375,000 to Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund for general support, a sign that the foundation uses larger gifts strategically rather than in a broad, high-volume pattern. Among place-based grants, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation appears as a core partner, receiving $300,000 in 2023 and $200,000 in 2024 for the Forest Futures Fund. The foundation also gave $250,000 to Prime Coalition Inc for general support and $200,000 to Activate Global Inc in 2025, reinforcing an interest in climate-focused intermediaries that work on systems change. Education and community needs also surface through support for The Nueva School, San Francisco Food Bank, and Tipping Point Community.
Forest and wildfire resilience is a clear thread. The Kevin and Nicole Systrom Foundation gave $300,000 to Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation in 2023 and another $200,000 in 2024 for the Forest Futures Fund. Climate innovation is another major area: it supported Prime Coalition Inc with $250,000 in 2025 for general support and gave $200,000 to Activate Global Inc in 2025, after earlier gifts of $150,000 in both 2023 and 2024. The foundation also backs philanthropic-giving innovation, including $100,000 to Tisbest Philanthropy for the Redefine Gifting Program. Bay Area community support appears in grants such as $100,000 to San Francisco Food Bank and $50,000 to Tipping Point Community for general support.
Typical grants cluster at a fairly high level: p25 is $75,000, median is $100,000, and p75 is $175,000. The foundation is a Regular Funder rather than a DAF vehicle, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The record also shows repeat support for several recipients across multiple years, including Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Activate Global Inc, Ceres Inc, and The Nueva School, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards. Grants range from unrestricted general support to named programs and events, suggesting a mix of flexible operating support and targeted project funding.
$1.3M
$38.1M
$13.4M
$1.6M
Most grants fall between $75K and $175K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$75K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$175K
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Relatively concentrated, moderately large grants (many in the low- to mid-six-figures) with repeat funding to a handful of core partners; mixes direct place-based grants with investments in intermediaries and catalytic climate/innovation organizations.
Notable grantees: Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Activate Global, The Nueva School, Prime Coalition, Actuate Innovation
Grantmaking is heavily California-centered: 73% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and California is also the top state by grant count. Bay Area recipients include Berkeley, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Hillsborough, while Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation in Truckee anchors the Sierra Nevada side of the portfolio. Outside California, the foundation has funded Boston-based Ceres and Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, plus Seattle’s Tisbest Philanthropy and New York recipients such as Food for Soul Inc and Release Recovery Foundation Inc. All recorded grants in the recent list went to U.S. organizations.
Its recent grants favor environmental and climate-focused nonprofits, forest conservation and restoration work, climate-tech intermediaries, and a smaller set of Bay Area education and community organizations. Examples in the record include Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Prime Coalition Inc, Activate Global Inc, The Nueva School, and San Francisco Food Bank.
Yes. Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation received $300,000 in 2023 and $200,000 in 2024 for the Forest Futures Fund, making Tahoe and forest resilience one of the clearest place-based threads in the portfolio.
Typical grant size is relatively large: the 25th percentile is $75,000, the median is $100,000, and the 75th percentile is $175,000. The recent list includes several awards at or above $200,000.
Yes. California is the top state by grant count, and 73% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. The recent grant list includes recipients in Truckee, Berkeley, Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Hillsborough.
Yes. Several organizations appear across multiple years, including Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Activate Global Inc, Ceres Inc, and The Nueva School. That pattern suggests the foundation often returns to core partners rather than limiting itself to one-time gifts.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | BOSTON, MA | $375,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PRIME COALITION INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACTIVATE GLOBAL INC | BERKELEY, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NUEVA SCHOOL | HILLSBOROUGH, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | NUEVA FUND |
| TIPPING POINT COMMUNITY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOOD FOR SOUL INC | LIVERPOOL, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RELEASE RECOVERY FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GALA |
| THE NUEVA SCHOOL | HILLSBOROUGH, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | 23-24 NUEVA FUND |
| TAHOE TRUCKEE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRUCKEE, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | FOREST FUTURES FUND |
| ACTIVATE GLOBAL INC | BERKELEY, CA | $150,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TISBEST PHILANTHROPY | SEATTLE, WA | $100,000 | 2024 | REDEFINE GIFTING PROGRAM |
| CERES INC | BOSTON, MA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERKELEY MUSIC GROUP | BERKELEY, CA | $35,000 | 2024 | THE ENERGY FOUNDATION BENEFIT |
| TAHOE TRUCKEE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | TRUCKEE, CA | $300,000 | 2023 | FOREST FUTURES FUND |
| ACTIVATE GLOBAL INC | BERKELEY, CA | $150,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACTUATE INNOVATION INC | PALO ALTO, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | ACTUATE CLIMATE PROGRAM |
| CERES INC | BOSTON, MA | $50,000 | 2023 | CAPITAL MARKETS ACCELERATOR |
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND
$375,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOOD FOR SOUL INC
GENERAL SUPPORT
RELEASE RECOVERY FOUNDATION INC
$10,000ANNUAL GALA
BERKELEY MUSIC GROUP
$35,000THE ENERGY FOUNDATION BENEFIT
ACTUATE INNOVATION INC
$100,000ACTUATE CLIMATE PROGRAM