What kinds of organizations does The Sharks Foundation fund?

The foundation funds Bay Area nonprofits working in youth education, youth wellness, access to hockey, education equity, healthy living, mental health, and related community needs. Recent grants also include support for food, shelter, counseling, playgrounds, and youth patient care.

Can organizations apply directly?

Yes for some programs. Community Assist Grants accept unsolicited applications, and the Tealtop Street Hockey Courts and KaBOOM! playground-build partnerships also accept unsolicited interest through their respective processes. Other strategic pillars shown here are not open for unsolicited applications.

Where does the foundation give most often?

Its giving is local and heavily concentrated in California. Ninety-five percent of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top state by grant count is California. Recent recipients are clustered across the Bay Area, especially San Jose and Oakland.

Are grants mostly one-time or recurring?

The profile shows one-time or unspecified grants as the dominant pattern. The recent grants list includes many separate awards in the same year, but it does not show repeat grant amounts to the same recipient across multiple years.

Sharks Foundation

Name: Sharks Foundation — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActiveYouth Development

SAN JOSE, CAWebsite4089995757

About Sharks Foundation

The Sharks Foundation empowers youth through education and wellness programs while advancing equitable access to hockey for all. We envision a future where every young person in the Bay Area has access to quality education, essential wellness resources, and opportunities to engage with and grow through the game of hockey.

Focus Areas

youth educationyouth wellnessaccess to hockeyHockey Fights Cancer / cancer-related youth patient careHoliday Assist (food, clothing, shelter for youth)Environmental educationHealthy living / fitness and mental health

Who They Fund

general public/communitiesnonprofit organizations

Funding Style

unrestricted/general operating support

About Sharks Foundation

A 2023 general charitable purpose grant of $906,327 anchors The Sharks Foundation’s recent record and shows the scale of its support for Bay Area youth causes. The foundation’s giving centers on education, wellness, and access to hockey, with grants also reaching food, shelter, counseling, and youth-serving community infrastructure. In 2024, its largest named gifts included $175,700 to Vmc Foundation Turningwheels for Kids and $140,000 to Cityteam, both in San Jose. Other substantial support went to organizations such as Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa and Habitat for Humanity East Baysilicon Valley in Oakland, reflecting a pattern of broad youth and community support within its local footprint. The foundation’s strategic pillars include Youth Education, Youth Wellness, and Access to Hockey, and its programs connect those priorities to Bay Area nonprofits and youth-focused projects. It also funds seasonal and partnership-based efforts, including community grants tied to on-ice performance and playground builds with KaBOOM!

What Sharks Foundation Funds

Youth education is one of the foundation’s clearest funding pillars. Through its Community Assist Grants, it supported Self E-stem in Oakland with $33,429 for a general charitable contribution, while Science Is Elementary in Mountain View received $25,000 and Scientific Adventures for Girls in Oakland received $30,000. Those awards align with the foundation’s TK-12, STEAM, and literacy priorities. Youth wellness appears in grants such as $20,000 to Teen Kitchen Project in Soquel and $20,000 to One Life Counseling Center in San Carlos, both tied to youth needs. The foundation also supports access to hockey and related recreation, including $12,000 to Uss Hornet - Sea Air and Space Museum in Alameda and $10,000 to San Jose Parks Foundation. Cancer-related youth support is also present through $12,960 to Cancer Carepoint in San Jose.

How Sharks Foundation Gives

Typical grant size sits in a narrow middle range: the 25th percentile is $8,712, the median is $13,230, and the 75th percentile is $33,429. That pattern matches a portfolio of many mid-sized community grants, alongside a few larger awards. The recent grants list shows repeated support to Bay Area organizations across the same calendar year, but the data does not indicate multi-year renewals for individual grantees. The Sharks Foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or program-related investments. Community Assist Grants are competitive, and unsolicited applications are accepted for that program and for some partner efforts such as Tealtop Street Hockey Courts and KaBOOM! playground builds.

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$870K

Total Assets

$848K

Total Revenue

$1.7M

Total Expenses

$1.7M

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $9K and $33K, with a median of $13K.

25th Percentile

$9K

Median

$13K

75th Percentile

$33K

Geographic Reach

Local3 states funded

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

Leadership

GREG MATTHEWS

Accepts unsolicited proposals

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
THE PENINSULA COLLEGE FUND	MILPITAS, CA	$115,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
BRAVEN	SAN JOSE, CA	$115,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
NPOWER	SAN JOSE, CA	$115,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SHARKS ALUMNI FOUNDATION	SAN JOSE, CA	$63,433	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
KIDS & ART FOUNDATION	BURLINGAME, CA	$30,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SPECIAL OLYMPICS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA	PLEASANT HILL, CA	$30,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
WALDEN WEST FOUNDATION	SARATOGA, CA	$30,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SF EARTHQUAKES LGBTQ ICE HOCKEY CLUB	SACRAMENTO, CA	$30,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB SILICON VALLEY	SAN JOSE, CA	$30,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
LOCAL COLOR	SAN JOSE, CA	$30,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
REBUILDING TOGETHER SILICON VALLEY	SAN JOSE, CA	$30,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
NARIKA	FREMONT, CA	$30,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
BILL WILSON CENTER	SANTA CLARA, CA	$30,000	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
ACCESS BOOKS BAY AREA	SAN FRANCISCO, CA	$29,715	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
GEORGE MARK CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL	SAN LEANDRO, CA	$29,715	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SAVE THE BAY	OAKLAND, CA	$29,715	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
OKIZU	NOVATO, CA	$29,715	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
HACK THE HOOD	OAKLAND, CA	$29,715	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SCIENTIFIC ADVENTURES FOR GIRLS	BERKELEY, CA	$29,715	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
BREAKTHROUGH T1D (FORMERLY JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION JDRF)	HAGERSTOWN, MD	$7,787	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MEMORIAL FUND INC	WASHINGTON, DC	$5,200	2026	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
BILL WILSON CENTER	SANTA CLARA, CA	$100,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
NPOWER	SAN JOSE, CA	$100,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
LATINO EDUCATION ADVANCEMENT FOUNDATION	SAN JOSE, CA	$85,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SECOND HARVEST	SAN JOSE, CA	$56,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
LOVED TWICE	OAKLAND, CA	$50,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SAVE THE BAY	OAKLAND, CA	$50,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
ADOLESCENT COUNSELING SERVICES	REDWOOD CITY, CA	$25,715	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES	LOS ANGELES, CA	$25,715	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
ELEVATE TUTORING	SAN JOSE, CA	$25,715	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
NARIKA	FREMONT, CA	$25,715	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
MACLA	SAN JOSE, CA	$25,715	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY	PASADENA, CA	$25,715	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR HUMAN VALUES	WASHINGTON DC, DC	$25,710	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
10000 DEGREES	SAN RAFAEL, CA	$25,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
ONE STEP BEYOND INC	SAN CARLOS, CA	$25,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION FOR CHINESE COMMUNITIES (MHACC)	CASTRO VALLEY, CA	$25,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE	PALO ALTO, CA	$20,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
JESSIE REES FOUNDATION	IRVINE, CA	$20,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
TEEN KITCHEN PROJECT	SOQUEL, CA	$20,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SOUTH BAY CLEAN CREEKS COALITION	—	$20,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
JASPER RIDGE FARM	WOODSIDE, CA	$15,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
TURNINGWHEELS FOR KIDS - CO VALLEY HEALTH FOUNDATION	SAN JOSE, CA	$10,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SAVE OUR SHORES	SANTA CRUZ, CA	$10,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
RUNNING FOR A BETTER OAKLAND	OAKLAND, CA	$10,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SHARKS ALUMNI FOUNDATION	SAN JOSE, CA	$9,000	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
ONE LIFE COUNSELING CENTER	SAN CARLOS, CA	$8,700	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
HISPANIC FOUNDATION OF SILICON VALLEY	SAN JOSE, CA	$8,200	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
SIDE BY SIDE	SAN ANSELMO, CA	$7,400	2025	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
VMC FOUNDATION TURNINGWHEELS FOR KIDS	SAN JOSE, CA	$175,700	2024	GENERAL CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION

Recipient

Location

Amount

Year

Purpose

THE PENINSULA COLLEGE FUND

MILPITAS, CA

$115,000

2026