The Violich Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on supporting women's collegiate athletics at elite Northern California universities, with large, targeted gifts for team support, coaching endowments, facilities or scholarships. Most of its funding goes to Stanford athletics programs and a scholarship fund at UC Berkeley, indicating a strong regional and gender-specific focus on advancing women's sports at the college level. The foundation appears to prefer few, high-impact awards rather than many small grants.
The Violich Family Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a $1,000,000 grant to Stanford Univ Women's Waterpolo in 2024, followed by another major award of $750,000 to Stanford Univ Women's Softball in 2025. Those gifts show a clear pattern of large, targeted support for women’s collegiate athletics, especially at Stanford. The foundation also backed Stanford athletics more broadly with a $500,000 contribution in 2023, reinforcing that its largest commitments are concentrated in Bay Area university sports. Beyond Stanford, the foundation has funded a $250,000 scholarship at UC Berkeley for women’s field hockey, indicating interest in athlete support as well as team and program support. Its recent awards also extend into related campus athletics infrastructure and discretionary athletics funding, including gifts to Marin Catholic High School for lacrosse and capital needs. The overall profile suggests a donor that favors a small number of high-impact awards rather than broad dispersal, with women’s athletics at elite Northern California institutions at the center of its grantmaking.
Women’s collegiate sports are the foundation’s clearest focus. In 2025, it gave $750,000 to Stanford Univ Women's Softball for PAV'S WOMEN'S SOFTBALL HEAD COACHFUND, and in 2024 it gave $1,000,000 to Stanford Univ Women's Waterpolo as a contribution. Scholarships are another visible thread. The Violich Family Foundation awarded $250,000 to Uc Berkeley Foundation in 2025 for The Carla Soracco and Donna Fong Field Hockey Scholarship, linking its athletics support to student aid. The foundation also supports athletics infrastructure and program capacity. It gave $40,000 to Marin Catholic High School in 2025 for MC LACROSSE WALLPRESIDENT'S DISCRETIONARY FUND and $18,000 in 2024 for ATHLETIC CAPITALNEEDS CAMPAIGN. Outside athletics, it has made smaller gifts to San Francisco Ballet for artistic, education, and training programs and to forest conservation and health-related organizations.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $32,500 at the 75th percentile, but its recent awards range much higher at the top. The pattern points to a mix of large anchor gifts and smaller supporting grants. Recipients appear across multiple years, including Stanford-related entities, Fine Arts Museum Sf, Marin Catholic High School, Navy Seal Foundation, and American River Conservancy, which suggests repeat relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation is a family foundation, makes grants to individuals, and does not make program-related investments.
$1.5M
$11.8M
$3M
$1.5M
Most grants fall between $5K and $33K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$33K
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Concentrated, large-dollar grants to a small set of repeat beneficiaries—primarily multi-hundred-thousand-dollar gifts to Stanford athletics and a single scholarship gift to UC Berkeley.
Notable grantees: Stanford University — Women's Water Polo, Stanford University — Women's Softball (Pav's Women's Softball Head Coach Fund), Stanford University Athletics — Women's programs, UC Berkeley Foundation — Carla Soracco & Donna Fong Field Hockey Scholarship
The Violich Family Foundation gives overwhelmingly in California: 89% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and California is also its top state by grant count. Stanford in Stanford and Uc Berkeley Foundation in Berkeley are among the clearest Bay Area recipients, with additional gifts in San Francisco, Kentfield, Greenbrae, Larkspur, Coloma, and Tahoe City. Outside California, recent grants also reached Colorado Springs, Virginia Beach, and Lawrenceville, each with a single grant in the recent sample.
Its recent giving centers on women’s collegiate athletics, especially Stanford programs, plus a UC Berkeley field hockey scholarship. The foundation also supports athletics capital projects, ballet, forest conservation, health organizations, and a few public-interest and policy groups.
The typical grant size is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $32,500 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include much larger awards, including $1,000,000 and $750,000 to Stanford athletics programs.
Yes, but its giving is heavily California-focused. 89% of grants go to recipients in California, while recent out-of-state grants in the sample went to Colorado Springs, Virginia Beach, and Lawrenceville.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Stanford Univ athletics entities, Fine Arts Museum Sf, Marin Catholic High School, Navy Seal Foundation, and American River Conservancy. That pattern suggests recurring relationships rather than only one-off awards.
Recent non-athletics grants include $50,000 and later $8,250 gifts to San Francisco Ballet for artistic, education, and training programs, a $10,000 grant to Leslie J Nickels Trust for forest conservation, and a $10,000 grant to Marin General Hospital Capital Camp for a capital campaign.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STANFORD UNIV WOMEN'S SOFTBALL | STANFORD, CA | $550,000 | 2026 | PAV'S WOMEN'S SOFTBALL HEAD COACHFUND |
| MARIN HEALTH FOUNDATION | GREENBRAE, CA | $310,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $250,000 | 2026 | THE CARLA SORACCO AND DONNA FONG FIELD HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP |
| SAN FRANCISCO BALLET | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| COFAM | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| MARIN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATI | KENTFIELD, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | MC LACROSSE WALLPRESIDENT'S DISCRETIONARY FUND |
| USA CYCLING FOUNDATION | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $25,000 | 2026 | WYATT WEISEL HIGH PERFORMANCE GRANT FUND |
| SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| THE MEMORY PROJECT | MIDDLETON, WI | $11,600 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| HOOVER INSTITUTE AT STANFORD | STANFORD, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| ENLOE FOUNDATION | CHICO, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| COALITION OF SENSIBLE TAXPAYERS | KENTFIELD, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| PACIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE | PASADENA, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| LESLIE J NICKELS TRUST | COLUSA, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | FOREST CONSERVATION |
| EUTHERA FOUNDATION | KENTFIELD, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| THE LAWRENCEVILLE SCHOOL | LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ | $5,000 | 2026 | GETZ SPORTS CENTER |
| ASIAN ART MUSEUM | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,200 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| THE DAWN REDWOODS CHARITABLE TRUST | TIBURON, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | CONTRIBUTION |
| STANFORD UNIV WOMEN'S SOFTBALL | STANFORD, CA | $750,000 | 2025 | PAV'S WOMEN'S SOFTBALL HEAD COACHFUND |
| UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | THE CARLA SORACCO AND DONNA FONG FIELD HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP |
| MARIN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | KENTFIELD, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | MC LACROSSE WALLPRESIDENT'S DISCRETIONARY FUND |
| SAN FRANCISCO BALLET | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION |
| USA CYCLING FOUNDATION | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | WYATT WEISEL HIGH PERFORMANCE GRANT FUND |
| HOOVER INSTITUTION AT STANFORD | STANFORD, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION |
| NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| FINE ARTS MUSEUM SF | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $8,250 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION |
| BY THE BAY HEALTH UCSF | LARKSPUR, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | FUND-A-NEED OF THE 2024 GALA |
| PACIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE | PASADENA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION |
| AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY | COLOMA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL | STANFORD, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION |
| THE DAWN REDWOODS CHARITABLE TRUST | TIBURON, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION |
| ASIAN ART MUSEUM | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION |
| STANFORD UNIV WOMEN'S WATERPOLO | STANFORD, CA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION |
| MARIN HEALTH FOUNDATION | GREENBRAE, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION |
| MARIN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | KENTFIELD, CA | $18,000 | 2024 | ATHLETIC CAPITALNEEDS CAMPAIGN |
| MARIN GENERAL HOSPITAL CAPITAL CAMP | GREENBRAE, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| KENNEDY GOLD MINE | JACKSON, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION |
| ENLOE FOUNDATION | CHICO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION |
| LESLIE J NICKELS TRUST | COLUSA, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | FOREST CONSERVATION |
| FINE ARTS MUSEUM SF | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $8,250 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION |
| NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION |
| COALITION OF SENSIBLE TAXPAYERS | KENTFIELD, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION |
| THE LAWRENCEVILLE SCHOOL | LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | GETZ SPORTS CENTER |
| AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY | COLOMA, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION |
| STANFORD UNIV ATHLETICS' WOMENS | STANFORD, CA | $500,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION |
| FINE ARTS MUSEUM SF | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION |
| SAN FRANCISCO BALLET | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | THE BALLET'S ARTISTIC, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING PROGRAMS. |
STANFORD UNIV WOMEN'S SOFTBALL
$550,000PAV'S WOMEN'S SOFTBALL HEAD COACHFUND
UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION
$250,000THE CARLA SORACCO AND DONNA FONG FIELD HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP
SAN FRANCISCO BALLET
$100,000CONTRIBUTION
COFAM
$100,000CONTRIBUTION
MARIN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATI
$30,000MC LACROSSE WALLPRESIDENT'S DISCRETIONARY FUND
USA CYCLING FOUNDATION
$25,000WYATT WEISEL HIGH PERFORMANCE GRANT FUND
THE MEMORY PROJECT
$11,600CONTRIBUTION
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$10,000CONTRIBUTION
HOOVER INSTITUTE AT STANFORD
$10,000CONTRIBUTION
ENLOE FOUNDATION
$10,000CONTRIBUTION
COALITION OF SENSIBLE TAXPAYERS
$5,000CONTRIBUTION
PACIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE
$5,000CONTRIBUTION
LESLIE J NICKELS TRUST
$5,000FOREST CONSERVATION
EUTHERA FOUNDATION
$5,000CONTRIBUTION
ASIAN ART MUSEUM
$1,200CONTRIBUTION
STANFORD UNIV WOMEN'S SOFTBALL
$750,000PAV'S WOMEN'S SOFTBALL HEAD COACHFUND
UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION
$250,000THE CARLA SORACCO AND DONNA FONG FIELD HOCKEY SCHOLARSHIP
MARIN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$40,000MC LACROSSE WALLPRESIDENT'S DISCRETIONARY FUND
SAN FRANCISCO BALLET
$25,000CONTRIBUTION
USA CYCLING FOUNDATION
$25,000WYATT WEISEL HIGH PERFORMANCE GRANT FUND
HOOVER INSTITUTION AT STANFORD
$10,000CONTRIBUTION
BY THE BAY HEALTH UCSF
$7,500FUND-A-NEED OF THE 2024 GALA
PACIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE
$5,000CONTRIBUTION
STANFORD UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL
$5,000CONTRIBUTION
ASIAN ART MUSEUM
$1,000CONTRIBUTION
STANFORD UNIV WOMEN'S WATERPOLO
$1,000,000CONTRIBUTION
MARIN HEALTH FOUNDATION
$50,000CONTRIBUTION
MARIN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$18,000ATHLETIC CAPITALNEEDS CAMPAIGN
MARIN GENERAL HOSPITAL CAPITAL CAMP
$10,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
KENNEDY GOLD MINE
$10,000CONTRIBUTION
LESLIE J NICKELS TRUST
$10,000FOREST CONSERVATION
FINE ARTS MUSEUM SF
$8,250CONTRIBUTION
COALITION OF SENSIBLE TAXPAYERS
$5,000CONTRIBUTION
STANFORD UNIV ATHLETICS' WOMENS
$500,000CONTRIBUTION
SAN FRANCISCO BALLET
$50,000THE BALLET'S ARTISTIC, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING PROGRAMS.