About Silver Lining Foundation
The Silver Lining Foundation concentrates almost all of its philanthropic resources on K–12 education in California, with a particular emphasis on supporting organizations that improve instructional capacity and outcomes for underserved students. Their funding is heavily focused on a small set of education intermediaries and early‑learning/English-learner programs, favoring large, programmatic grants to scale proven approaches. The foundation appears outcome- and system-oriented, investing in partners that provide technical assistance, curriculum/teacher support, and early academic language development.
Focus Areas
Statewide education capacity-building in California (education intermediaries/technical assistance)Early childhood and preschool-to-elementary language development for English learnersScaling evidence-based K–12 instructional programs and supports
Who They Fund
children from low-income familiesEnglish learner students (preschool–elementary)parents and families (parent engagement programs)youth of color and young voters of colorimmigrant communities and people impacted by the criminal justice system
About Silver Lining Foundation
The Silver Lining Foundation’s recent giving is defined by a repeated, six- and seven-figure commitment to California education intermediaries, especially California Education Partners. That pattern points to a funder that favors organizations working at the systems level rather than one-off projects. Across the grant list, the foundation backs educator preparation, instructional capacity, multilingual learner supports, and early academic language development, with additional support for research, parent engagement, and school-district partnerships. A recurring recipient, Children Now, shows another part of the portfolio: grants tied to children’s health, education, well-being, and outcome improvement. The foundation also funds organizations that operate as technical-assistance and evidence partners, such as Sobrato Early Academic Language Program and the American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences. Its giving reaches public school districts, colleges, and intermediary organizations, but the throughline is consistent: strengthen the conditions that shape student learning, particularly for multilingual learners and children from low-income families. The scale is substantial as well as concentrated. One recent award exceeded $1 million, and several others sit in the mid-six-figure range, indicating a preference for large programmatic grants alongside a smaller set of recurring relationships.
What Silver Lining Foundation Funds
In California P-12 education, the foundation backed Sobrato Early Academic Language Program with $200,000 to provide professional development, curriculum support, and technical assistance. A separate $250,000 grant to Sobrato Early Academic Language supported high-quality education for English learners in preschool through elementary school. Research and evidence are another clear theme. The American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences received $150,000 for behavioral and social science research, and another $150,000 to support education outcome improvement. Those grants fit a broader pattern of funding partners that generate or translate evidence for practice. Parent engagement also appears in the portfolio. Parent Teacher Home Visits received $150,000 to support programs involving parents in the education of their children. The foundation further supported Educare California at Silicon Valley with $100,000 for an early learning center serving children in low-income families, linking early childhood services to its education agenda.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.8M
Total Assets
$40.5M
Total Revenue
$4M
Total Expenses
$3.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5K and $100K, with a median of $19K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$19K
75th Percentile
$100K
Geographic Reach
Regional14 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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