Phyllis C Wattis Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
About Phyllis C Wattis Foundation
To honor the legacy of Phyllis C. Wattis by celebrating the creative spirit of the Bay Area through support for local working artists and the organizations that help to promote and sustain their artistic practice.
Focus Areas
Visual ArtsTheater (including opera)MusicDanceArts festivals (case-by-case)
Who They Fund
individual artists (emerging and mid-career)arts organizations and ensemblesSan Francisco Bay Area / local artistsartists from specific cultural/identity groups (e.g., Indigiqueer, diaspora)nonbinary and gender-diverse performers
Funding Style
general operating support
About Phyllis C Wattis Foundation
Phyllis C Wattis Foundation’s recent grantmaking centers on Bay Area artists and the organizations that sustain them, with a clear emphasis on individual artistic practice as well as the institutions around it. The foundation’s signature support includes pooled relief and artist-adaptability funding, alongside operating support for dance, theater, music, opera, and visual arts organizations across San Francisco and nearby counties. In 2023, it gave $50,000 to The Center for Cultural Innovation for the East Bay Artist Relief Fund, a pooled-funds grant aimed at artist support. It also awarded $45,000 to SOMArts, combining general operating support with support for Artists Adaptability Circles. Other recent grants show the same pattern of backing both artists and the infrastructure around them: Women’s Audio Mission received support for its operating needs, while Kala Institute was funded for artist residencies and exhibitions programs. The foundation’s stated purpose is to honor Phyllis C. Wattis by celebrating the creative spirit of the Bay Area through support for local working artists and the organizations that help promote and sustain their artistic practice.
What Phyllis C Wattis Foundation Funds
The foundation supports a mix of operating grants, project-specific awards, and pooled funds across several arts disciplines. In visual arts, it gave $25,000 to Kala Institute for artist residencies and exhibitions programs, and $20,000 to Southern Exposure for general operating support. In dance, Robert Moses' Kin received $18,500 for ONE Act Dances - Artistic Addition by Robert Moses, while PUSH Dance Company received $17,500 for “Performable Posthumanism.” Theater and opera also appear in the recent record: Ubuntu Theater Project Inc received $20,000 for “Autobiography of Red” by Lisa Ramirez, and Opera Parallle received $20,000 for general operating support. The foundation also funds community-oriented arts infrastructure, including Immersive Arts Alliance for the Oakland Immersive Arts Festival/Local Artist Fees.
How Phyllis C Wattis Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster at a relatively modest size: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $12,500, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. The recent record shows repeated support for the same organizations across years, including SOMArts, Shotgun Players Inc, and Womens Audio Mission, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it funds individuals as well as organizations. It also accepts unsolicited applications for at least some programs, including New Works Grants and General Operating Support.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$484K
Total Assets
$9.3M
Total Revenue
$615K
Total Expenses
$622K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $20K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$20K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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