The Patterson Foundation concentrates its giving in a mix of youth opportunity, environmental and science engagement, and place-based community equity in California, with a willingness to fund national intermediaries that scale solutions. Grants are large and strategic, often multi-year or repeated, supporting program growth (e.g., Summer Search), community-driven regenerative agriculture in Richmond, climate and science education, tribal capacity-building, and nonprofit scaling capital.
The Elizabeth R & William J Patterson Foundation has made Summer Search its largest repeated recipient, giving $1,000,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for the Summer Search No Ceilings Campaign. That three-year pattern sits alongside other large grants in California-focused work, including support for Urban Tilth’s North Richmond Farm Project and land preservation at the historic Nabeta farm. The foundation’s giving blends youth opportunity, environmental education, tribal capacity, and working-lands climate work, with some grants reaching national intermediaries that support scaling. Its recent grant record shows a preference for substantial awards to organizations with clear program or capital goals. Community Initiatives received $400,000 for the Sierra Valley Preserve as a center for ecological learning in the Northern Sierra, while First Nations Development Institute received $517,167 for the California Tribal Fund. The foundation also backed PBS Foundation’s PBS Climate Initiative with $1,000,000, showing support for climate and science engagement beyond California when the intermediary reach is national. Across the recent list, the foundation often supports projects that combine direct community benefit with organizational expansion, preservation, or field-building.
In youth access and mentoring, the foundation gave $1,000,000 to Summer Search in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025 for the Summer Search No Ceilings Campaign. In place-based food and agriculture work, it awarded $850,000 to Urban Tilth for The North Richmond Farm Project: Creating a hub for community driven regenerative agriculture, education, health and empowerment in Richmond, and another $500,000 to Urban Tilth for acquisition and preservation of the historic Nabeta farm. Its climate and science education support includes $1,000,000 to PBS Foundation for the PBS Climate Initiative and $700,000 to California Academy of Sciences for Academy's Vision for a New Membership Framework. The foundation also funded environmental learning and conservation through $400,000 to Community Initiatives for the Sierra Valley Preserve and $400,000 to Point Blue Conservation Science to unlock public/private partnerships to increase conservation impact.
$6.7M
$49M
$6.9M
$7.5M
Most grants fall between $125K and $300K, with a median of $238K.
25th Percentile
$125K
Median
$238K
75th Percentile
$300K
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Concentrated, large-dollar gifts (8 grants totaling ~$6.6M) with repeat support for flagship grantees; a mix of place-based Bay Area investments and selective national intermediaries, emphasizing scaling, capacity-building, and program expansion rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Summer Search, Urban Tilth, PBS Foundation, California Academy of Sciences, First Nations Development Institute
Typical grants are large: the p25 is $125,000, the median is $237,500, and the p75 is $300,000. The recent grant list also shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including Summer Search, Urban Tilth, The Climate Center, California Assoc of Resource Conservation District, Carbon Cycle Institute, Daily Acts Organization, and The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
Giving is heavily California-centered: 78% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and California is also the top state by grant count. Recent California recipients include Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sacramento, Folsom, San Rafael, and Longmont-based First Nations Development Institute for California Tribal Fund work. Outside California, the foundation has also funded Arlington, Virginia; Menlo Park, California; and Bozeman, Montana. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
The foundation’s recent grants cluster at relatively high levels. The p25 is $125,000, the median is $237,500, and the p75 is $300,000. Several awards also reach $500,000 or more, including multiple seven-figure grants.
The grants most often center on youth opportunity, environmental and science education, tribal capacity, regenerative agriculture, and climate resilience on working lands. Specific examples include Summer Search, PBS Foundation, Urban Tilth, First Nations Development Institute, and The Climate Center.
Yes. The recent grant list includes repeated awards to Summer Search in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Urban Tilth in 2023 and 2025; The Climate Center in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and several other organizations across more than one year.
Most grants go to California recipients. The foundation gives 78% of grants to organizations in its HQ state, and California is the top state by grant count. Recent California cities include Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sacramento, Folsom, and San Rafael.
Yes. Recent non-California grants include $1,000,000 to PBS Foundation in Arlington, Virginia; $517,167 to First Nations Development Institute in Longmont, Colorado; $500,000 to The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation in Menlo Park, California; and $300,000 to Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation in Bozeman, Montana.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PBS FOUNDATION | ARLINGTON, VA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | PBS Climate Initiative |
| SUMMER SEARCH | OAKLAND, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Summer Search No Ceilings Campaign |
| THE DRAPER RICHARDS KAPLAN FOUNDATION | MENLO PARK, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Fund IV |
| SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | Stewarding Soils and Watersheds Toward Water Resilience |
| POINT BLUE CONSERVATION SCIENCE | PETALUMA, CA | $400,000 | 2025 | Unlocking Point Blue's Public/Private Partnerships to Dramatically Increase Conservation Impact |
| THE CLIMATE CENTER | SANTA ROSA, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Up Natural Sequestration on Working Lands |
| ADVENTURERS AND SCIENTISTS FOR CONSERVATION | BOZEMAN, MT | $300,000 | 2025 | Adventure Scientists Project Seed Fund |
| CARBON CYCLE INSTITUTE | PETALUMA, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resilience on Working Lands |
| CALIFORNIA ASSOC OF RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT | SACRAMENTO, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling carbon SEQUESTRATION AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE ON WORKING LANDS |
| KITCHEN TABLE ADVISORS | BERKELEY, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | Kitchen Table Advisors: Investing in the Next Generation of Regenerative Farms & Ranches |
| FOUNDATION FOR NATIONAL PROGRESS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC INTEGRATED LIVELIHOODS | MOUNT PLEASANT, TX | $200,000 | 2025 | EkoLakay: A Global Model for Safely Managed Sanitation in Fragile States |
| MAD AGRICULTURE | BOULDER, CO | $200,000 | 2025 | LAUNCHING AND ESTABLISHING THE REGENERATIVE CATALYST FUND (RCF) |
| DAILY ACTS ORGANIZATION | PETALUMA, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | Build water and climate resilient communities through three connected strategies: implementing practical, holistic landscape solutions; influencing climate and water policy; and spreading Daily Acts' message, model and approach to more communities |
| FIRST NATIONS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE | LONGMONT, CO | $175,206 | 2025 | California Tribal Fund |
| PEER HEALTH EXCHANGE INC | OAKLAND, CA | $166,667 | 2025 | PEER HEALTH EXCHANGE: BUILDING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES WITH YOUNG PEOPLE |
| ACCOUNTABILITY COUNSEL | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| OCCIDENTAL ARTS AND ECOLOGY CENTER | OCCIDENTAL, CA | $125,000 | 2025 | Beaver Coexistence and Restoration in California |
| CENTER ON RURAL INNOVATION INC | HARTLAND, VT | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CAREMESSAGE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORTING CAREMESSAGE'S EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE SELF-SUSTAINABILITY |
| FOODCORPS INC | PORTLAND, OR | $100,000 | 2025 | Connecting Kids to the Joy and Power of Food |
| EXTRAFOOD ORG | KENTFIELD, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PROTECT OUR WINTERS | BOULDER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WILD FARM ALLIANCE | AROMAS, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| REAL ORGANIC PROJECT INC | EAST THETFORD, VT | $100 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| FIRST LOOK INSTITUTE INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $15 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SUMMER SEARCH | OAKLAND, CA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | Summer Search No Ceilings Campaign |
| FIRST NATIONS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE | LONGMONT, CO | $517,167 | 2024 | California Tribal Fund |
| THE DRAPER RICHARDS KAPLAN FOUNDATION | MENLO PARK, CA | $500,000 | 2024 | Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Fund IV |
| COMMUNITY INITIATIVES | OAKLAND, CA | $400,000 | 2024 | The Sierra Valley Preserve - Creating a Center for Ecological Learning in the Northern Sierra |
| CALIFORNIA ASSOC OF RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT | FOLSOM, CA | $300,000 | 2024 | Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resilience on Working Lands |
| CARBON CYCLE INSTITUTE | PETALUMA, CA | $300,000 | 2024 | Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resilience on Working Lands |
| ADVENTURERS AND SCIENTISTS FOR CONSERVATION | BOZEMAN, MT | $300,000 | 2024 | Adventure Scientists Project Seed Fund |
| THE CLIMATE CENTER | SANTA ROSA, CA | $300,000 | 2024 | Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Up Natural Sequestration on Working Lands |
| THE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING INC | EMERYVILLE, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| DAILY ACTS ORGANIZATION | PETALUMA, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| MULTIPLIER | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | Kitchen Table Advisors: Investing in the Next Generation of Regenerative Farms & Ranches |
| MARIN AGRICULTURAL LAND TRUST | POINT REYES STATION, CA | $225,000 | 2024 | Supporting MALT's Work Through Our Core Conservation and Stewardship Programs to be a More Strategic Partner in the West Marin Community |
| MAD AGRICULTURE | BOULDER, CO | $200,000 | 2024 | Launching and Establishing the Regenerative Catalyst Fund (RCF) |
| SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC INTEGRATED LIVELIHOODS | SHERBURNE, NY | $200,000 | 2024 | EkoLakay: A Global Model for Safely Managed Sanitation in Fragile States |
| SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | Advancing Regenerative Outcomes in California Agriculture |
| PEER HEALTH EXCHANGE INC | OAKLAND, CA | $166,667 | 2024 | Peer Health Exchange: Building Healthier Communities with Young People |
| TEN STRANDS | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $125,000 | 2024 | California Environmental Literacy Initiative and National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative |
| ACCOUNTABILITY COUNSEL | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $125,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CIVIL EATS | COTATI, CA | $100,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CAREMESSAGE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2024 | Supporting CareMessage's efforts to achieve self-sustainability |
| FOODCORPS INC | PORTLAND, OR | $100,000 | 2024 | Connecting Kids to the Joy and Power of Food |
| CENTER ON RURAL INNOVATION INC | HARTLAND, VT | $100,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| EXTRAFOOD ORG | KENTFIELD, CA | $75,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| URBAN TILTH | RICHMOND, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | The North Richmond Farm Project: Creating a hub for community driven regenerative agriculture, education, health and empowerment in Richmond, programming and capital campaign fund |
Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Fund IV
Stewarding Soils and Watersheds Toward Water Resilience
POINT BLUE CONSERVATION SCIENCE
$400,000Unlocking Point Blue's Public/Private Partnerships to Dramatically Increase Conservation Impact
Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Up Natural Sequestration on Working Lands
Adventure Scientists Project Seed Fund
Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resilience on Working Lands
Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling carbon SEQUESTRATION AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE ON WORKING LANDS
KITCHEN TABLE ADVISORS
$250,000Kitchen Table Advisors: Investing in the Next Generation of Regenerative Farms & Ranches
FOUNDATION FOR NATIONAL PROGRESS
$250,000General & Unrestricted
SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC INTEGRATED LIVELIHOODS
$200,000EkoLakay: A Global Model for Safely Managed Sanitation in Fragile States
LAUNCHING AND ESTABLISHING THE REGENERATIVE CATALYST FUND (RCF)
Build water and climate resilient communities through three connected strategies: implementing practical, holistic landscape solutions; influencing climate and water policy; and spreading Daily Acts' message, model and approach to more communities
PEER HEALTH EXCHANGE: BUILDING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
Beaver Coexistence and Restoration in California
SUPPORTING CAREMESSAGE'S EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE SELF-SUSTAINABILITY
FIRST LOOK INSTITUTE INC
$15General & Unrestricted
Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Fund IV
The Sierra Valley Preserve - Creating a Center for Ecological Learning in the Northern Sierra
Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resilience on Working Lands
Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resilience on Working Lands
Adventure Scientists Project Seed Fund
Accelerating Climate Action in California: Scaling Up Natural Sequestration on Working Lands
Kitchen Table Advisors: Investing in the Next Generation of Regenerative Farms & Ranches
Supporting MALT's Work Through Our Core Conservation and Stewardship Programs to be a More Strategic Partner in the West Marin Community
Launching and Establishing the Regenerative Catalyst Fund (RCF)
SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC INTEGRATED LIVELIHOODS
$200,000EkoLakay: A Global Model for Safely Managed Sanitation in Fragile States
Advancing Regenerative Outcomes in California Agriculture
Peer Health Exchange: Building Healthier Communities with Young People
California Environmental Literacy Initiative and National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative
Supporting CareMessage's efforts to achieve self-sustainability
The North Richmond Farm Project: Creating a hub for community driven regenerative agriculture, education, health and empowerment in Richmond, programming and capital campaign fund