The Robert and Ruth Halperin Foundation concentrates its giving on education and nonprofit capacity-building, with the bulk of dollars going to a small number of repeat grantees. Most funding supports California-focused education initiatives and major academic partners, while a smaller stream goes to philanthropic intermediaries and targeted health-related work (notably long COVID). The foundation prefers to make sizable, multi-grant commitments to organizations it trusts rather than many one-off awards.
The Robert and Ruth Halperin Foundation’s recent giving is defined by repeated seven-figure support for California Education Partners, including a $2,000,000 grant in 2023 and another $1,745,000 grant in 2025. That pattern points to a funder that favors long-running relationships and large commitments over broad, scattered grantmaking. Education dominates the portfolio, especially California K–12 improvement, teacher effectiveness, and school-system change, with Stanford University also receiving multiple large awards for education programs and facilities. Beyond education, the foundation has supported a smaller set of targeted efforts tied to health recovery and intermediary philanthropy, including long COVID programming through Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc. and project support through New Venture Fund. The recent grants list also shows direct support for public-school work in San Francisco and Los Angeles, alongside efforts connected to bilingual education, minority-serving institutions, and educator development. Across those awards, the foundation appears to back organizations that can operate at systems level and carry multi-year work.
Education system improvement is the clearest thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2025, it gave $1,745,000 to California Education Partners to support education programs, and it has made similar awards in prior years. Higher education is another major lane: Stanford University received $1,200,000 in 2025 for education programs and facilities, following earlier education-program grants. The foundation also supports school-based and district-facing work in San Francisco and Los Angeles, including a $500,000 grant to Spark SF Public Schools for SFUSD’s educational programs and two 2023 grants of $250,000 each to Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. A separate strand reaches bilingual-education collaboration and safer-future work through Global Impact, which received $250,000 in 2025 for the Fund for a Safer Future & Emerging Bilingual Collaborative.
The typical grant size is $50,000 at the 25th percentile, $75,000 at the median, and $121,250 at the 75th percentile, but the distribution also includes a small number of much larger awards. The foundation’s recent record shows recurring support to the same organizations across multiple years, especially in education, rather than one-off grants. It is classified as a regular funder, not a funder of individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. The pattern suggests time-limited or project-based support used in repeated commitments to organizations already in its network.
$7.8M
$151.4M
$9M
$9.3M
Most grants fall between $50K and $121K, with a median of $75K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$75K
75th Percentile
$121K
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Concentrated, high-dollar support to a few repeat grantees (multiple large gifts to the same organizations), with a secondary, smaller portfolio of grants to intermediaries and targeted programmatic work.
Notable grantees: California Education Partners, Stanford University, New Venture Fund, Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc.
Grant activity is highly concentrated in California, which accounts for 74% of grants and is also the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities include San Francisco, Redwood City, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Modesto, showing a strong Bay Area and statewide footprint. Outside California, the foundation has also made grants to organizations in Washington, DC; Alexandria, VA; and New York, NY. All recorded recipient countries are in the US.
Education is the dominant theme, especially California K–12 improvement, teacher professional learning, school-system transformation, and university-based education work. The recent grants list also includes targeted support for bilingual-education collaboration and a smaller health-related stream tied to long COVID programming.
Yes. California Education Partners, Stanford University, New Venture Fund, Edvance, and Teaching Lab all appear more than once in the recent grants list, often across multiple years. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards.
The typical grant size is $50,000 at the 25th percentile, $75,000 at the median, and $121,250 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes several awards in the hundreds of thousands and multiple seven-figure grants.
Its giving is regional and strongly California-centered. California is the top state by grant count, and 74% of grants go to recipients in California. Recent awards also went to organizations in Washington, DC; Alexandria, VA; and New York, NY.
No. The foundation is listed as not funding individuals and not making program-related investments. Its recent activity instead shows grants to nonprofits, universities, intermediaries, and school-support organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALIFORNIA EDUCATION PARTNERS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,745,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $1,200,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND FACILTIES |
| SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENTREPRENEURS INC | CALABASAS, CA | $575,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT LONG COVID PROGRAMS |
| SPARK SF PUBLIC SCHOOLS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $375,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| GLOBAL IMPACT | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $250,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT FUND FOR A SAFER FUTURE & EMERGING BILINGUAL COLLABORATIVE |
| EDVANCE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| TEACH PLUS INC | BOSTON, MA | $200,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| JUMPSTART | BOSTON, MA | $150,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| SOBRATO EARLY ACADEMIC LANGUAGE | OAKLAND, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| GROUNDSWELL FUND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $125,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT IVEP |
| ALLIANCE FOR YOUTH ORGANIZING | WASHINGTON, DC | $125,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ORGANIZING |
| POLYBIO RESEARCH FOUNDATION | MEDFORD, MA | $125,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT LONG COVID PROGRAMS |
| PARENT TEACHER HOME VISITS | SACRAMENTO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| SAFE & SOUND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| SAN FRANCISCO CASA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| ENSEMBLE LEARNING | OAKLAND, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| CALIFORNIANS TOGETHER | LONG BEACH, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| COMPASS FAMILY SERVICES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT LONG COVID PROGRAMS |
| BRANCH ALLIANCE FOR EDUCATOR DVERSITY | AUSTIN, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| NATIONAL CENTER FOR TEACHER RESIDENCIES | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| THE EDUCATION TRUST-WEST | OAKLAND, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| PARTNERSHIP FOR LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| ALDER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| LATINOS FOR EDUCATION | BELMONT, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| BANK STREET COLLEGE OF EDUCATION | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT BILINGUAL GENERATION |
| UNITED WE DREAM NETWORK | WASHINGTON, DC | $75,000 | 2025 | TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS |
| ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS |
| BEND THE ARC A JEWISH PARTNERSHIP FOR JUSTICE | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE FOR YOUTH ORGANIZING |
| JAMESTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| AIM HIGH FOR HIGH SCHOOL | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| CHINESE FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| COMMUNITY INITIATIVES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT CALIFORNIA POLICY COLLABORATIVE |
| EASTSIDE COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL | EAST PALO ALTO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LAW CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS |
| NEW TEACHER CENTER | SANTA CRUZ, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| PARTNERS IN SCHOOL INNOVATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| MARCH FOR OUR LIVES FOUNDATION | CORAL SPRINGS, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS |
| HOMELESS PRENATAL PROGRAM | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| CORNELL UNIVERSITY | ITHACA, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS |
| SAN FRANCISCO PARENT COALITION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| PFLAG INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS |
| INSTITUTO FAMILIAR DE LA RAZA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| HAMILTON FAMILIES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| TEN STRANDS | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| MAKING WAVES ACADEMY | RICHMOND, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
| FAMILY CONNECTIONS CENTERS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
| OAKLAND PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND | OAKLAND, CA | $6,192 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
CALIFORNIA EDUCATION PARTNERS
$1,745,000TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$1,200,000TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND FACILTIES
GLOBAL IMPACT
$250,000TO SUPPORT FUND FOR A SAFER FUTURE & EMERGING BILINGUAL COLLABORATIVE
TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
JUMPSTART
$150,000TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
SOBRATO EARLY ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
$150,000TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
POLYBIO RESEARCH FOUNDATION
$125,000TO SUPPORT LONG COVID PROGRAMS
SAN FRANCISCO CASA
$100,000TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
ENSEMBLE LEARNING
$100,000TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
TO SUPPORT LONG COVID PROGRAMS
BRANCH ALLIANCE FOR EDUCATOR DVERSITY
$100,000TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
TO SUPPORT FUNDERS COLLABORATIVE FOR YOUTH ORGANIZING
NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LAW CENTER
$50,000TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES FOUNDATION
$50,000TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS
SAN FRANCISCO PARENT COALITION
$50,000TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS
PFLAG INC
$50,000TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE CIVIL RIGHTS
OAKLAND PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND
$6,192TO SUPPORT EDUCATION PROGRAMS