About Marisla Foundation
The Marisla Foundation channels its entire giving through a single intermediary — the Orange County Community Foundation — establishing and funding the Marisla Fund for place-based philanthropy. Rather than making direct program grants, the foundation prefers to support community philanthropy infrastructure that can deploy discretionary or donor-advised awards on its behalf in Orange County/Laguna Beach. This indicates a strategy focused on local, flexible, community-directed impact rather than issue-specific direct grants.
Focus Areas
Donor-advised / field-of-interest fund (Marisla Fund) at Orange County Community FoundationPlace-based community philanthropy in Orange County / Laguna BeachCapacity-building for local grantmaking and community investment (via community foundation)
Who They Fund
marine and coastal ecosystems (California, Indo-Pacific, Latin America)regional/state agencies and policy bodies (e.g., Ocean Protection Council)environmental and conservation nonprofitscoastal communities and stakeholders impacted by climate and pollution
About Marisla Foundation
The Marisla Foundation channels its grantmaking through the Orange County Community Foundation, and that intermediary relationship is one of the clearest markers of how the funder works. A single grant to the community foundation reached $9,890,000 in 2025, followed by $7,525,000 in 2024 and $5,330,750 in 2023, showing a repeated commitment to that platform rather than a one-off award. Beyond the community foundation vehicle, the foundation has backed large environmental intermediaries and policy organizations such as Global Greengrants Fund, Oceana Inc, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and The Nature Conservancy. The pattern points to a funder that prefers to move substantial resources through established organizations with reach into marine and coastal conservation, plastics reduction, coastal resilience, and related policy work. It also maintains a human services program for women in crisis in Orange County and Los Angeles, which broadens the portfolio beyond environmental priorities. Across the latest grants, Marisla’s approach is not limited to direct operating support; it also uses named funds and program-specific awards, including the Marisla Fund and issue-specific initiatives, to route capital into its chosen fields.
What Marisla Foundation Funds
In marine and coastal conservation, The Marisla Foundation gave $3,250,000 in 2025 to Global Greengrants Fund and $2,300,000 in 2025 to Oceana Inc, reinforcing a major environmental portfolio. Its climate and coastal resilience work appears in a $1,166,500 grant in 2023 to The Nature Conservancy for marine resources and coastal resilience in California and the Indo-Pacific. The foundation also supports plastics work through a $2,000,000 grant in 2023 to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors for the Plastics Solutions Fund. Geographic conservation initiatives show up in a $1,106,700 grant in 2023 to Hawaii Community Foundation for the 30x30 Initiative. These awards align with its stated environment program emphasis on marine and coastal biodiversity conservation, sustainable ecosystem management, and toxic chemical environmental health solutions.
How Marisla Foundation Gives
The Marisla Foundation’s typical grant size sits at $30,000 at the 25th percentile, $65,000 at the median, and $125,000 at the 75th percentile, though its recent portfolio also includes multi-million-dollar awards through intermediary partners. Recipients recur across years: Orange County Community Foundation, Global Greengrants Fund, Oceana Inc, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Hawaii Community Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Resources Legacy Fund, Center for American Progress, and King Baudouin Foundation US all appear more than once. It is classified as a regular funder and makes grants through a community foundation intermediary, with some awards tied to named funds or program areas. The foundation also accepts unsolicited applications in at least two program areas: Environment and Human Services.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$122.4M
Total Assets
$21.1M
Total Revenue
$52M
Total Expenses
$37.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $30K and $125K, with a median of $65K.
25th Percentile
$30K
Median
$65K
75th Percentile
$125K
Geographic Reach
National28 states funded
About 42% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Marisla Foundation Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Marisla Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 610 | $122.3M | 99.7% |
| 2 | U.S. Virgin Islands | 2 | $100K |
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