The Adam J Weissman Foundation appears to concentrate its philanthropy exclusively on international peace and security, using substantial, unrestricted funding to support policy and advocacy organizations. Its sole recorded grant is a large gift to Ploughshares Fund, indicating a strategic interest in arms control, nonproliferation, and related global security initiatives rather than broad, local, or multiple-issue giving.
Highly concentrated: a single large, unrestricted grant to one international security organization — suggesting targeted, high-impact support rather than many small or geographically dispersed gifts.
A single $400,000 unrestricted grant to Ploughshares Fund Inc. anchors the Adam J Weissman Foundation’s recent record and points to a clear interest in peace and security policy. Across the grants list, the foundation backs organizations working on nuclear nonproliferation, arms control, and international security rather than a broad mix of local causes. The same pattern shows up in repeat support for partners such as Ploughshares Fund, Partners Asia, and Heifer Project International, each receiving multiple grants across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That repetition suggests a relationship-based approach, with the foundation returning to a small set of organizations over time. The grantmaking also reaches into adjacent areas that align with long-horizon social change: scholarship support through Tessellations, policy and research through Agora Partnerships and the Mind & Life Institute, and program support for the Weissman Neurobiology Lab at Lewis and Clark College. Several awards are labeled general and unrestricted, indicating flexibility in how recipients use the funds. The overall pattern is compact and selective, with a limited roster of grantees and a strong tilt toward organizations engaged in advocacy, research, and field-building work.
In peace and security work, the foundation gave $400,000 to Ploughshares Fund Inc for general and unrestricted support, followed by additional grants of $75,000 in 2023 and repeated support in the record. That lines up with its focus on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament advocacy, as well as arms control and international security policy research. The foundation also supports education-related and institutional projects. Tessellations received several gifts, including $50,000 for the Next Gen Scholarship Fund and $50,000 for a Scholarship Fund, plus a $50,000 Capital Campaign grant. In higher education and research, Lewis and Clark College received $50,000 for the Weissman Neurobiology Lab, currently led by Dr. Tamily Weissman, in both 2023 and 2024. Other grants point to broader social and policy interests. The foundation gave $50,000 to Agora Partnerships for general and unrestricted support and $30,000 to the Mind & Life Institute for general and unrestricted support.
$358K
$12.4M
$1.2M
$502K
Most grants fall between $3K and $25K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$25K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Adam J Weissman Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 92 | $2M | 97.9% |
| 2 | France |
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Notable grantees: Ploughshares Fund
The typical grant size is $3,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $25,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent record includes much larger awards, including a $400,000 grant. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF, and it makes grants nationally. Recipients recur across multiple years, with several organizations appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts. The portfolio also includes individuals and scholarship-style support among its recent grants.
Grant recipients are heavily concentrated in the United States, which accounts for 92 grants, or 97.9% of the recent record. The most frequent recipient state is DC, while Delaware receives 0% of grants. Recent grants also cluster in California, with recipients in San Francisco, Oakland, Cupertino, San Mateo, and Pasadena, plus awards in New York, Maryland, Virginia, and Arkansas. Outside the U.S., the only recipient-country count shown is France, with 2 grants.
The recent grants point to peace and security policy, education and scholarship support, neurobiology research, and related advocacy or field-building work. Named recipients include Ploughshares Fund Inc, Tessellations, Lewis and Clark College, and the Mind & Life Institute.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is $3,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $25,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger grants such as $400,000 and several $50,000 gifts.
Yes. Multiple recipients appear across more than one year, including Ploughshares Fund Inc, Partners Asia, Heifer Project International, Tessellations, Lewis and Clark College, Peninsula Bridge Program, and the Mind & Life Institute.
The top state by grant count is DC. California also appears prominently in the recent grants list, with recipients in San Francisco, Oakland, Cupertino, San Mateo, and Pasadena.
Recent grantees include Ploughshares Fund Inc, Tessellations, Partners Asia, Heifer Project International, Lewis and Clark College, Agora Partnerships, Peninsula Bridge Program, Women Make Movies Inc, Impactassets Inc, and Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc - Doctors Without.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 2 |
| $25K |
2.1% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PARTNERS ASIA | OAKLAND, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| TESSELLATIONS | CUPERTINO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| HEIFER PROJECT INTERNATIONAL | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MIND & LIFE INSTITUTE | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $30,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MCE SOCIAL CAPITAL | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PENINSULA BRIDGE PROGRAM | SAN MATEO, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WOMEN MAKE MOVIES INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Das Bombe, LLC Fund |
| BODHI TREE ECODHARMA SANCTUARY | SEATTLE, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SILICON VALLEY SOCIAL VENTURE FUND | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $16,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| GRASSROOTS ECOLOGY | PALO ALTO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| LIFEMOVES | SANTA CLARA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PLOUGHSHARES FUND INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| THE ARKANSAS SINGLE PARENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ARKANSAS FOODBANK | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| INSIGHT MEDITATION SOUTH BAY | MENLO PARK, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | PASADENA, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| INTERNET ARCHIVE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $1,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PLOUGHSHARES FUND INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $400,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| LEWIS AND CLARK COLLEGE | PORTLAND, OR | $50,000 | 2024 | Weissman Neurobiology Lab, currently led by Dr. Tamily Weissman |
| TESSELLATIONS | CUPERTINO, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | Next Gen Scholarship Fund |
| HEIFER PROJECT INTERNATIONAL | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| AGORA PARTNERSHIPS | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| PARTNERS ASIA | OAKLAND, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| PENINSULA BRIDGE PROGRAM | SAN MATEO, CA | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| MIND & LIFE INSTITUTE | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| WOMEN MAKE MOVIES INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE OJAI FOUNDATION | OJAI, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | Topa Institute |
| THE PHILANTHROPY WORKSHOP INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| IMPACTASSETS INC | BETHESDA, MD | $20,000 | 2024 | 1 to 4 GiftVest Fund |
| SILICON VALLEY SOCIAL VENTURE FUND | KANSAS CITY, MO | $16,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN FOUNDATION | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | Center for Healthy Mindy |
| HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | Voices for Justice Silicon Valley |
| GRASSROOTS ECOLOGY | PALO ALTO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE ARKANSAS SINGLE PARENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND | SPRINGDALE, AR | $10,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| LIFEMOVES | SANTA CLARA, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| LOS ALTOS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | LOS ALTOS, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| HAWAII COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $5,000 | 2024 | Lahaina fire relief |
| TESSELLATIONS | CUPERTINO, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | Tessellations Arborist Association |
| INSIGHT MEDITATION SOUTH BAY | MENLO PARK, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | PASADENA, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | Undergraduate Scholarship Fund |
| CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| INTERNET ARCHIVE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| WARREN J PLAUT CHARITABLE TR | GRANBY, MA | $1,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $1,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
BODHI TREE ECODHARMA SANCTUARY
$20,000General & Unrestricted
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
$15,000Charitable Event
THE ARKANSAS SINGLE PARENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$5,000General & Unrestricted
INSIGHT MEDITATION SOUTH BAY
$5,000General & Unrestricted
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
$1,000General & Unrestricted
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO INC
$1,000General & Unrestricted
Weissman Neurobiology Lab, currently led by Dr. Tamily Weissman
AGORA PARTNERSHIPS
$50,000General & Unrestricted
THE OJAI FOUNDATION
$20,000Topa Institute
SILICON VALLEY SOCIAL VENTURE FUND
$16,000General & Unrestricted
WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
$15,000General & Unrestricted
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
$10,000Voices for Justice Silicon Valley
THE ARKANSAS SINGLE PARENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$10,000General & Unrestricted
INSIGHT MEDITATION SOUTH BAY
$2,000General & Unrestricted
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
$1,000General & Unrestricted
WARREN J PLAUT CHARITABLE TR
$1,000General & Unrestricted