About Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment
We amplify community voices by making grants, building capacity, and fostering the next generation of environmental leaders.
Focus Areas
Environmental protectionEnvironmental justiceWatershed and water quality protectionHabitat and wildlands conservationConsumer privacy and consumer rightsFinancial education and consumer financial literacyGrassroots leadership and capacity buildingYouth leadership development
Who They Fund
grassroots community organizationslocal community membersconsumers seeking protection/educationcommunity-based public health advocates
About Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment
The Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment has a clear pattern of large institutional grantmaking: its three largest recent grants to organizations were $9,341,169 in 2025, $7,935,059 in 2024, and $5,459,949 in 2023. That scale sits alongside a program mix that combines environmental protection, environmental justice, watershed and water quality protection, consumer privacy, financial education, and grassroots leadership support. The foundation’s work is tied to community-based organizations and local residents, with programs that range from Bay Area youth leadership to California watershed protection and consumer rights education.
Two flagship examples show how that approach works in practice. New Voices is a youth fellowship and summer academy for Bay Area high-school youth ages 14–18, built around climate justice learning, civic engagement, and community action, with stipends and school-year fellowship support. The California Watershed Protection Fund supports projects that improve water quality and protect watersheds across California, including work connected to public health, restoration, and environmental justice. Alongside those place-based efforts, the foundation also funds consumer privacy and consumer financial education, extending its grantmaking beyond environmental work while still keeping a community and public-interest focus.
What Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment Funds
Environmental justice is a central theme in the foundation’s portfolio. The Environmental Justice for California’s Environment and Communities Fund (EJ-CEC) supports projects addressing hazardous waste-related issues in California communities affected by environmental protection violations, linking advocacy and public health.
Water quality and watershed protection are another major thread. Through the California Watershed Protection Fund, the foundation supports projects designed to improve water quality and protect watersheds across California, with eligibility varying by cycle and funding source. The Puget Sound Stewardship and Mitigation Fund extends that work to Washington, backing community-based stewardship, conservation, outreach, education, restoration, and watershed protection.
The foundation also funds consumer-facing work. The Consumer Privacy Rights Fund supports projects dedicated to protecting Americans’ rights to privacy, while the Consumer Financial Education Fund emphasizes just and equitable banking, basic banking, financial literacy, and access to financial services for underbanked and vulnerable populations.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$9.3M
Total Assets
$27.3M
Total Revenue
$12.6M
Total Expenses
$12M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $6.1M and $7.3M, with a median of $6.7M.
25th Percentile
$6.1M
Median
$6.7M
75th Percentile
$7.3M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ANGELA AIKO PANDORF
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Deep Analysis
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grassroots/community-led supportcommunity organizing and engagementcapacity building for local initiativesadvocacy and public-interest grantmaking
Topics
community-based environmental protectionconsumer protection and rights educationpublic health promotion and pollution preventiontoxic exposure reduction and preventionlocal mobilization for regulatory change
How Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment Gives
The foundation’s recent grant size distribution is substantial: p25 is $6,078,726, the median is $6,697,504, and p75 is $7,316,282. The recent grant record also shows repeat giving at the organizational level, with three consecutive years of large grants to organizations in Oakland. It is classified as a regular funder rather than a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including West Oakland Community Fund, New Voices, the Consumer Privacy Rights Fund, the Puget Sound Stewardship and Mitigation Fund, the Consumer Financial Education Fund, the California Watershed Protection Fund, and EJ-CEC.
Where Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment Makes Grants
The foundation gives locally, and all recorded grants in the country distribution went to US recipients. California is the top state by grant count, with 100% of grants to recipients in the HQ state. Recent grants were concentrated in Oakland, including three large grants to organizations there. Program geography is otherwise place-specific: West Oakland, the Bay Area, Madera County, and California appear repeatedly, with one active fund serving Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment
What kinds of work does The Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment fund?
Its active programs cover environmental justice, watershed and water quality protection, habitat and wildlands conservation, consumer privacy, consumer financial education, grassroots leadership, and youth leadership development. The portfolio also includes community-based public-interest work such as advocacy, outreach, and capacity building.
Does The Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment accept unsolicited applications?
Yes. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including West Oakland Community Fund, New Voices, the Consumer Privacy Rights Fund, the Puget Sound Stewardship and Mitigation Fund, the Consumer Financial Education Fund, the California Watershed Protection Fund, and the Environmental Justice for California’s Environment and Communities Fund.
What is the typical grant size?
The foundation’s recent grant size distribution is large: p25 is $6,078,726, the median is $6,697,504, and p75 is $7,316,282. Some active programs have much smaller award ranges, such as $1,500 for New Voices and $1,000 for the Anthony Grassroots Prize.
Where does the foundation give?
It gives locally, with 100% of grants going to recipients in California. Recent grants went to organizations in Oakland, and active programs also focus on West Oakland, the Bay Area, Madera County, and statewide California work.
Does the foundation support youth leadership?
Yes. New Voices is a Bay Area program for high-school youth ages 14–18 that includes a Summer Climate Justice Leadership Academy and an Advanced School-Year Environmental Justice Fellowship Program. Participants receive tools, training, and a completion stipend.
Latest 990 Filing
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Recent Grants
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
Recipient
Location
Amount
Year
Purpose
GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS
OAKLAND, CA
$9,341,169
2025
—
GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS
OAKLAND, CA
$7,935,059
2024
—
GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS
OAKLAND, CA
$5,459,949
2023
—
GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS
$9,341,169
OAKLAND, CA2025
GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS
$7,935,059
OAKLAND, CA2024
GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS
$5,459,949
OAKLAND, CA2023
Open Grant Opportunities
Current and upcoming funding from Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Open nowCloses in 2 days (Sep 29, 2026)Award: $10K – $40K
Puget Sound Stewardship and Mitigation Fund
Water qualityWater stewardshipConservation+4 more
Who can apply: Applicants must be a 501(c)(3), fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3), governmental entity, or tribal entity, and demonstrate capacity to complete the proposed project. Projects must benefit eligible Puget Sound watersheds. General operating support, grants to individuals or for-profit businesses, and projects outside the listed geography are not eligible.
Deadline: Applications due September 29, 2026, by 5 PM PT; awards announced December 2026.
Open nowCloses in 11 days (Oct 8, 2026)Award: $50K – $150K
West Oakland Community Fund
Workforce developmentBusiness developmentJob training+3 more
Who can apply: Applicants must be a 501(c)(3), fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3), local governmental entity, or tribal entity, and demonstrate relevant experience. Projects must benefit West Oakland residents or businesses and show substantial community support and involvement. Lobbying and litigation are ineligible.
Deadline: Applications due October 8, 2026, by 5 PM PT.
Open nowCloses in 18 days (Oct 15, 2026)Award: $10K – $40K
California Watershed Protection Fund
Water qualityWatershed protectionWater stewardship+5 more
Who can apply: Applicants must be a 501(c)(3), fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3), governmental or tribal entity, or eligible nonprofit university entity. Applicants must demonstrate capacity and a strong track record of community-based water-quality stewardship. Projects must benefit surface water quality in an eligible watershed; general operating support, grants to individuals or for-profit businesses, and projects outside listed watersheds are ineligible.
Deadline: Application opens August 13, 2026; applications due October 15, 2026; decisions in December 2026.
California Wildlands Grassroots Fund (Cal Wildlands)
Wildlands protectionHabitat protectionConservation+6 more
Who can apply: Applicants must be nonprofits or individuals/organizations fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit, with annual actual expenses and income of $200,000 or less. Project impact must be within California. Lobbying, beach cleanups, and film or video production/completion are not eligible.
Deadline: Quarterly deadlines: February 17, May 15, August 17, and October 28, 2026.
Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.