The Miranda Lux Foundation supports innovative and promising pre-vocational and vocational education proposals that prepare young people for the world of work.
The Miranda Lux Foundation centers its giving on pre-vocational and vocational education for young people under age 18 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its recent grants show a strong preference for programs that move students into real work settings, from the $30,000 awarded to City Surf Project for its Alumni Coach program to repeated support for Sprouts Chef Training’s chef training program. The foundation also backs career pathways inside schools and community organizations, including a $25,000 grant to Ica Cristo Rey Academy for its Corporate Work Study Program and another $25,000 grant to Galileo Academy of Science Technolo for its biotechnology pathway. That pattern matches the foundation’s stated mission of supporting innovative and promising proposals that prepare young people for the world of work. Across the recent list, the funding touches several kinds of job preparation: apprenticeships, internships, work-study, and training tied to specific occupations. The grantees range from high schools and youth-serving nonprofits to arts, construction, agriculture, and technical education organizations. The overall picture is a local funder making program support grants to organizations that build early career exposure and practical skills for Bay Area youth.
A clear thread in the foundation’s giving is hands-on career preparation. It awarded $25,000 to Girls Inc of Alameda County for the Eureka! Teen Achievement Program and the Expanded Learning Apprenticeship Initiative, and $20,000 to Waterside Workshops for ten 120-hour paid internships for youth ages 14–24 at Street Level Cycles and the Berkeley Boathouse. Construction training appears as another recurring emphasis: Marin County Office of Education received $25,000 for the Intro to Building and Construction Careers Course at Terra Linda High School, and North Coast Builders Exchange received $20,000 for an afterschool 3-month basic construction training program. The foundation also funds industry-specific pathways in science and technology, including $25,000 to Galileo Academy of Science Technolo for its biotechnology pathway and $20,000 to Olinga Learning for science and technology vocational training programs in Monterey.
Typical grants cluster tightly around the same level: p25 is $15,000, the median is $15,000, and p75 is $20,000. In the recent list, many awards sit at $20,000 or $25,000, with one $30,000 grant at the upper end. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it makes program-related investments false. The grant list shows repeated support for some organizations across years, including Sprouts Chef Training, Girls Garage, North Coast Builders Exchange, Magnolia Project, Mission Graduates, and California Film Institute. It also lists both competitive general grants and fellowship/scholarship activity, with unsolicited applications accepted for some grant programs and not for others.
$570K
$13.1M
$656K
$795K
Most grants fall between $15K and $20K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Grantmaking is fully California-based: 100% of grants go to recipients in CA, and the foundation gives most often in the state overall. Cities that appear repeatedly include San Francisco, Berkeley, Santa Rosa, and San Rafael, with additional awards in Oakland, Novato, Sausalito, Davis, Pescadero, San Anselmo, S. San Francisco, and Huron. The recent-grant map points to a Bay Area footprint that extends across the San Francisco, East Bay, North Bay, and coastal parts of the region, while one grant reaches Monterey through a program run by Olinga Learning.
Its stated focus is pre-vocational education, vocational education, career and technical education, youth development, and workforce development. Recent grants show support for work-study, apprenticeships, internships, and occupation-specific training such as construction, biotechnology, culinary training, arts production, and fire science pathways.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards commonly fall between $20,000 and $25,000, with a $30,000 grant at the top of the list provided.
Its giving is local and entirely California-based in the data provided. Every listed grant goes to a recipient in CA, with Bay Area cities such as San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Santa Rosa, and San Rafael appearing frequently.
Some listed grant programs accept unsolicited applications and others do not. The site entries show both ‘Accepts unsolicited: True’ and ‘Accepts unsolicited: False’ across different program pages, so application access varies by program.
Yes. The recent grants list includes multiple years of support for several recipients, including Sprouts Chef Training, Girls Garage, North Coast Builders Exchange, Magnolia Project, Mission Graduates, and California Film Institute, indicating ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CITY SURF PROJECT | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | to support the Alumni Coach prograM |
| Pie Ranch | PESCADERO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | to support the Youth Education Program |
| SPROUTS CHEF TRAINING | S SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE CHEF TRAINING PROGRAM |
| Conservation Corps of North Bay | NOVATO, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | to support the Career Pathways Program |
| MAGNOLIA PROJECT | SANTA ROSA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | to support the expansion of the Career Explorations program throughout Sonoma County |
| LandPaths | SANTA ROSA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | to support the Youth Stewards Program |
| NORTH COAST BUILDERS EXCHANGE | SANTA ROSA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT AN AFTERSCHOOL 3-MONTH BASIC CONSTRUCTION TRAINING PROGRAM |
| Huckleberry Youth Programs | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | To support the Marin Huckleberry Access to College Equity Academy |
| Spaulding Marine Center | SAUSALITO, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | to support the Boatworks 101 program |
| OLINGA | GONZALES, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | to support stem WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN MONTEREY |
| ICA CRISTO REY ACADEMY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE CORPORATE WORK STUDY PROGRAM |
| Santa Rosa Junior College Foundatio | SANTA ROSA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | to support the Fire Technology Program |
| Santa Rosa Junior College Foundatio | SANTA ROSA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | to support the CARPENTRY FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM |
| Sunset Youth Services | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | to support the Arts & Enterprise Program |
| On Campus Ministries | ROHNERT PARK, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | to support the Barista Training Program |
| Sonoma Valley Education Foundation | SONOMA, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | to support the Healthcare Pathway |
| BREAD PROJECT | BERKELEY, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE FOOD PREP & TRAINING JOB PLACEMENT PROGRAM |
| Tiny Village Spirit Project | BERKELEY, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE Tiny House Village Farm & Garden Youth Community Organizing Team |
| San Francisco Mime Troupe | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | to support the Youth Theatre Project |
| SCRAP | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | to support the Sustainable Fashion Design program |
| Narrative | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | to SUPPORT THE PublishING Pathways and Practicum Program |
| Dusty's Fishing Well | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | To support the First Responders Career Pathways Fair |
| CERES Community Program | SEBASTOPOL, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | to support two Sustainable Ag Workforce Interns |
| SF Made | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | to support the FlexFactor Program in San Francisco high schools |
| BERKELEY REPARATORY THEATER | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | TO support the Skyline High School Technical Theatre Residency and the Teen Council |
| SFJAZZ | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | to support the Richmond Audio Production Series |
| Strategic Energy Innovations | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | to support the green Career Technical Education program |
| OAKLAND PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE STUDENT TECH REPAIR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM |
| Pine Valley Middle School Education | SAN RAMON, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | to support the CLOTHING Design Program |
| Community Youth Center of San Franc | SAN FRACISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | to support the Construction On-Ramp program |
| SPROUTS CHEF TRAINING | S SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE CHEF TRAINING PROGRAM |
| ICA CRISTO REY ACADEMY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE CORPORATE WORK STUDY PROGRAM |
| Galileo Academy of Science Technolo | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE BIOTECHNOLOGY PATHWAY |
| California 4-H Foundation | DAVIS, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | to support youth enrolled in the Marin County 4-H Program |
| MARIN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS FOUNDATION | NOVATO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE CREATIVITY AT WORK INITIATIVE |
| MAGNOLIA PROJECT | SANTA ROSA, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | to support the Externship and Internship Program at Geyserville New Tech Academy |
| GIRLS GARAGE | BERKELEY, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT the Construct + Community programs and Advanced Design/Build Class |
| NORTH COAST BUILDERS EXCHANGE | SANTA ROSA, CA | $22,500 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE NORTH BAY CONSTRUCTION CORPS |
| MISSION HIGH FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE FIRE SCIENCE CERTIFICATION PATHWAY PROGRAM |
| BIG SKILLS TINY HOMES | SAN ANSELMO, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE 2024-25 cohort of transitional aged youth to learn construction skills |
| SUTRO STEWARDS SF PARKS ALLIANCE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE URBAN NATURE YOUTH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM |
| WATERSIDE WORKSHOPS | BERKELEY, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | to support ten 120-hour paid internships for youth ages 14-24 at Street Level Cycles andthe Berkeley Boathouse |
| YOUTH MUSICAL THEATER COMPANY | BERKELEY, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE THEATER ARTS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM |
| HACK FOUNDATION | TIBURON, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE MARINGINEERS ROBOTICS CLUB FIRST TECH CHALLENGE |
| YES Nature to Neighborhoods | RICHMOND, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT the Camp-to-Community and TREES program |
| Rising Sun Center for Opportunity | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT the Externship Program |
| FOODWISE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE FOODWISE TEENS PROGRAM |
| CALIFORNIA FILM INSTITUTE | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE 2024 Summerfilm Cinema Arts Program |
| Enterprise for Youth | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | to support the Enterprise Internship Program |
| GATEWAY PUBLIC SHOOLS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT the Gateway to the Workforce project |
SPROUTS CHEF TRAINING
$25,000TO SUPPORT THE CHEF TRAINING PROGRAM
MAGNOLIA PROJECT
$20,000to support the expansion of the Career Explorations program throughout Sonoma County
to support the Youth Stewards Program
NORTH COAST BUILDERS EXCHANGE
$20,000TO SUPPORT AN AFTERSCHOOL 3-MONTH BASIC CONSTRUCTION TRAINING PROGRAM
To support the Marin Huckleberry Access to College Equity Academy
Spaulding Marine Center
$20,000to support the Boatworks 101 program
OLINGA
$20,000to support stem WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN MONTEREY
ICA CRISTO REY ACADEMY
$20,000TO SUPPORT THE CORPORATE WORK STUDY PROGRAM
to support the CARPENTRY FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM
Sunset Youth Services
$20,000to support the Arts & Enterprise Program
On Campus Ministries
$15,000to support the Barista Training Program
BREAD PROJECT
$15,000TO SUPPORT THE FOOD PREP & TRAINING JOB PLACEMENT PROGRAM
Tiny Village Spirit Project
$15,000TO SUPPORT THE Tiny House Village Farm & Garden Youth Community Organizing Team
San Francisco Mime Troupe
$15,000to support the Youth Theatre Project
SCRAP
$15,000to support the Sustainable Fashion Design program
Narrative
$15,000to SUPPORT THE PublishING Pathways and Practicum Program
Dusty's Fishing Well
$15,000To support the First Responders Career Pathways Fair
CERES Community Program
$15,000to support two Sustainable Ag Workforce Interns
BERKELEY REPARATORY THEATER
$15,000TO support the Skyline High School Technical Theatre Residency and the Teen Council
SFJAZZ
$15,000to support the Richmond Audio Production Series
to support the green Career Technical Education program
TO SUPPORT THE STUDENT TECH REPAIR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Pine Valley Middle School Education
$10,000to support the CLOTHING Design Program
Community Youth Center of San Franc
$10,000to support the Construction On-Ramp program
SPROUTS CHEF TRAINING
$25,000TO SUPPORT THE CHEF TRAINING PROGRAM
ICA CRISTO REY ACADEMY
$25,000TO SUPPORT THE CORPORATE WORK STUDY PROGRAM
Galileo Academy of Science Technolo
$25,000TO SUPPORT THE BIOTECHNOLOGY PATHWAY
to support youth enrolled in the Marin County 4-H Program
MARIN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS FOUNDATION
$25,000TO SUPPORT THE CREATIVITY AT WORK INITIATIVE
MAGNOLIA PROJECT
$25,000to support the Externship and Internship Program at Geyserville New Tech Academy
TO SUPPORT the Construct + Community programs and Advanced Design/Build Class
NORTH COAST BUILDERS EXCHANGE
$22,500TO SUPPORT THE NORTH BAY CONSTRUCTION CORPS
MISSION HIGH FOUNDATION
$20,000TO SUPPORT THE FIRE SCIENCE CERTIFICATION PATHWAY PROGRAM
BIG SKILLS TINY HOMES
$20,000TO SUPPORT THE 2024-25 cohort of transitional aged youth to learn construction skills
SUTRO STEWARDS SF PARKS ALLIANCE
$20,000TO SUPPORT THE URBAN NATURE YOUTH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
to support ten 120-hour paid internships for youth ages 14-24 at Street Level Cycles andthe Berkeley Boathouse
YOUTH MUSICAL THEATER COMPANY
$20,000TO SUPPORT THE THEATER ARTS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
HACK FOUNDATION
$15,000TO SUPPORT THE MARINGINEERS ROBOTICS CLUB FIRST TECH CHALLENGE
TO SUPPORT the Camp-to-Community and TREES program
Rising Sun Center for Opportunity
$15,000TO SUPPORT the Externship Program
FOODWISE
$15,000TO SUPPORT THE FOODWISE TEENS PROGRAM
TO SUPPORT THE 2024 Summerfilm Cinema Arts Program
GATEWAY PUBLIC SHOOLS
$15,000TO SUPPORT the Gateway to the Workforce project