The Ramsay Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropy almost exclusively on private K–12 independent schools, providing large, targeted gifts for capital projects and tuition-assistance/endowment support. Its giving is highly concentrated: a small number of substantial grants, including multiple awards to the same lead beneficiary, indicate a preference for deep investments in a handful of education institutions rather than broad-based funding across sectors.
The Ramsay Family Foundation’s giving is anchored by repeated seven-figure support for Santa Catalina School in Monterey: $1,000,000 in 2023 and another $1,000,000 in 2024 for the Tuition Assistance Legacy Campaign. That pattern signals a funder willing to make concentrated, multi-year bets on a small set of private K–12 institutions rather than spreading grants broadly across sectors. Beyond Santa Catalina, the foundation has backed The Carey School’s capital campaign with $250,000 in 2025 and added another $250,000 to Santa Catalina School for fundraising consulting tied to an upcoming campaign. The foundation also funds education-related work outside the classroom, including youth programming at KQED, youth education programming at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and civic education through the Public Policy Institute of California. Its recent portfolio includes support for scholarships, public-service leadership, food security, and Bay Area community organizations, but the overall pattern remains tightly focused and institution-specific. The Ramsay Family Foundation uses grantmaking to support tuition assistance, capital needs, and programmatic projects at selected schools and mission-aligned nonprofits, with California organizations appearing most often in the recent record.
In K–12 education, the foundation’s largest recent commitments went to Santa Catalina School for tuition assistance and to The Carey School for a capital campaign, showing a preference for school infrastructure and affordability. It also supported Leland Stanford Junior University with $20,000 for the Graduate School of Business, extending its education funding beyond the K–12 sector. In youth learning and enrichment, KQED received $100,000 for youth programming, while Berkeley Repertory Theatre received $100,000 for youth education programming and the San Francisco Ballet Association received $100,000 for the Dance in Schools & Communities program. Civic and public-policy education is another clear thread: the Public Policy Institute of California received $100,000 for civic education, and the Commonwealth Club of California received $50,000 for democracy and civic education oriented programming.
Typical grants are modest relative to the foundation’s largest awards, with a p25 of $5,000, a median of $10,000, and a p75 of $20,000. The recent record shows a very different upper tail, including multiple $100,000 and $250,000 grants and two $1,000,000 awards to the same school across consecutive years. That concentration suggests a blend of ongoing institutional support and larger campaign gifts. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, and it funds individuals. The data also show repeat recipients across years, especially Santa Catalina School, KQED, the Public Policy Institute of California, and Alameda County Community Food Bank.
$2M
$48.6M
$7.4M
$2.1M
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Concentrated, large-dollar grants to a very small set of grantees with repeat funding toward capital and financial aid priorities rather than many small awards or diverse causes.
Notable grantees: Santa Catalina School, The Carey School
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with 85 grants listed to U.S. organizations. California is the dominant giving state, accounting for 73% of grants, and the recent grants cluster in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Monterey, San Mateo, San Rafael, Menlo Park, Piedmont, and Stanford. Outside California, the recent record includes Washington, DC, with grants to Partnership for Public Service and Reproductive Freedom for All Foundation. Recipient location patterns point to a regional Bay Area and Central Coast focus rather than national dispersion.
The foundation funds private K–12 independent schools most heavily, especially for tuition assistance, endowment support, and capital campaigns. Recent examples include Santa Catalina School, The Carey School, and Leland Stanford Junior University, along with education-related nonprofits such as KQED, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and the Public Policy Institute of California.
The typical grant size is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include much larger awards, such as $250,000 and $1,000,000, which are concentrated in a small number of school-based commitments.
Yes. Santa Catalina School appears repeatedly across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including two $1,000,000 grants for the Tuition Assistance Legacy Campaign and additional awards for campaign and annual fund support. KQED and the Public Policy Institute of California also received multiple grants across different years.
Its giving is regional and concentrated in California. The top state by grant count is California, and 73% of grants went to recipients in California. Recent grantees are clustered in Monterey, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Mateo, San Rafael, Menlo Park, Piedmont, and Stanford.
Yes. Recent grants also support civic education, public service leadership, youth programming, food security, and arts education. Examples include Alameda County Community Food Bank, Partnership for Public Service, San Francisco Opera Association, San Francisco Ballet Association, and 826 Valencia.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL | MONTEREY, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT FOR THE UPCOMING FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN |
| THE CAREY SCHOOL | SAN MATEO, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | FOR THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| THE ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK INC | OAKLAND, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ASSOCIATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE DANCE IN SCHOOLS & COMMUNITIES PROGRAM |
| 10000 DEGREES | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR BAY AREA PROGRAMMING |
| 826 VALENCIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR CIVIC EDUCATION |
| SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ASSOCIATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT BOHEME OUT OF THE BOX |
| CORPORATION OF THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE EQUITY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | FOR THE CENTER FOR SOCIAL SECTOR LEADERSHIP'S IMPACT CFO PROGRAM |
| KQED INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT YOUTH PROGRAMMING |
| BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE | BERKELEY, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMING |
| PIEDMONT COMMUNITY CHURCH | PIEDMONT, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | FOR GENERAL SUPPORT |
| REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM FOR ALL FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| IGNITE | OAKLAND, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | FOR BAY AREA PROGRAMMING |
| ACHIEVEMENT REWARDS FOR COLLEGE SCIENTISTS FOUNDATION INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS' SCIENCE RESEARCH |
| COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY AND CIVIC EDUCATION ORIENTED PROGRAMMING |
| PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | FOR THE FUTURE LEADERS IN PUBLIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM |
| SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL | MONTEREY, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | FOR THE ANNUAL FUND |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE PENINSULA | MENLO PARK, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | FOR THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS |
| THE CAREY SCHOOL | SAN MATEO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR THE ANNUAL FUND |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $12,000 | 2025 | FOR THE ANNUAL FUND AND COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT |
| ATHENIAN SCHOOL | DANVILLE, CA | $12,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE ADVENTURE PILLAR: ATHENIAN WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE (AWE) & OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND THE LEADERSHIP PILLAR: STUDENT SUPPORT & WELLNESS |
| NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL | LANDER, WY | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BRIDGING BIONICS FOUNDATION | BASALT, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SACRED HEART SCHOOLS ATHERTON | ATHERTON, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | FOR THE ANNUAL FUND |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $5,000 | 2025 | FOR THE ALUMNI FUND |
| TOGETHERSF | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| RUSSIAN HILL NEIGHBORS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | FOR THE ANGEL FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | FOR THE PENN FUND |
| CRYSTAL SPRINGS UPLANDS SCHOOL | HILLSBOROUGH, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | FOR THE ANNUAL FUND |
| GROTON SCHOOL | GROTON, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | FOR THE GROTON FUND |
| SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL | MONTEREY, CA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE TUITION ASSISTANCE LEGACY CAMPAIGN. |
| ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK | OAKLAND, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION IN ITS MISSION TO END HUNGER. |
| KQED INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | TO PROVIDE GENERAL SUPPORT. |
| PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION IN ITS MISSION TO IMPROVE CIVIC EDUCATION. |
| SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL | MONTEREY, CA | $30,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL'S ANNUAL FUND. |
| BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE | BERKELEY, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ARTS EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATION INNOVATION FUND. |
| SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL | MONTEREY, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE HEAD OF SCHOOL'S DISCRETIONARY FUND. |
| ARCS FOUNDATION INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ARCS SCHOLAR AWARD FUND. |
| SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL | MONTEREY, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT UPGRADES TO THE THEATRE IN THE SISTER CARLOTTA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $12,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND AND THE COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT. |
| THE ATHENIAN SCHOOL | DANVILLE, CA | $12,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND FOR ADVENTURE AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS. |
| REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM FOR ALL FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS IN CALIFORNIA AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. |
| THE CAREY SCHOOL | SAN MATEO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND. |
| OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT LEARNING INITIATIVES PROGRAMS. |
| THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION IN ITS MISSION TO BE THE LEADING NATIONAL FORUM OPEN TO ALL FOR THE IMPARTIAL DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THE MEMBERSHIP, COMMUNITY AND NATION. |
| BRIDGING BIONICS FOUNDATION | BASALT, CO | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S NEURO-REHABILITATION PROGRAM. |
SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL
$250,000SUPPORT FOR FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT FOR THE UPCOMING FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ASSOCIATION
$100,000TO SUPPORT THE DANCE IN SCHOOLS & COMMUNITIES PROGRAM
FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA
$100,000SUPPORT FOR CIVIC EDUCATION
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ASSOCIATION
$100,000TO SUPPORT BOHEME OUT OF THE BOX
SUPPORT THE EQUITY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY
$100,000FOR THE CENTER FOR SOCIAL SECTOR LEADERSHIP'S IMPACT CFO PROGRAM
BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE
$100,000SUPPORT YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMING
PIEDMONT COMMUNITY CHURCH
$50,000FOR GENERAL SUPPORT
FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS' SCIENCE RESEARCH
SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY AND CIVIC EDUCATION ORIENTED PROGRAMMING
FOR THE FUTURE LEADERS IN PUBLIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL
$30,000FOR THE ANNUAL FUND
LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY
$20,000FOR THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
SUPPORT THE ADVENTURE PILLAR: ATHENIAN WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE (AWE) & OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND THE LEADERSHIP PILLAR: STUDENT SUPPORT & WELLNESS
NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL
$10,000FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
SACRED HEART SCHOOLS ATHERTON
$5,000FOR THE ANNUAL FUND
RUSSIAN HILL NEIGHBORS
$5,000FOR THE ANGEL FUND
GROTON SCHOOL
$2,000FOR THE GROTON FUND
SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL
$1,000,000TO SUPPORT THE TUITION ASSISTANCE LEGACY CAMPAIGN.
TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION IN ITS MISSION TO END HUNGER.
PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA
$50,000TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION IN ITS MISSION TO IMPROVE CIVIC EDUCATION.
SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL
$30,000TO SUPPORT THE SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL'S ANNUAL FUND.
BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE
$20,000TO SUPPORT THE ARTS EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS.
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$20,000TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATION INNOVATION FUND.
SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL
$20,000TO SUPPORT THE HEAD OF SCHOOL'S DISCRETIONARY FUND.
SANTA CATALINA SCHOOL
$20,000TO SUPPORT UPGRADES TO THE THEATRE IN THE SISTER CARLOTTA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.
TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND AND THE COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT.
TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND FOR ADVENTURE AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS.
TO SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS IN CALIFORNIA AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
$10,000TO SUPPORT LEARNING INITIATIVES PROGRAMS.
TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION IN ITS MISSION TO BE THE LEADING NATIONAL FORUM OPEN TO ALL FOR THE IMPARTIAL DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THE MEMBERSHIP, COMMUNITY AND NATION.
TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S NEURO-REHABILITATION PROGRAM.