The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation concentrates its giving on legal access, civil rights and rule-of-law work, particularly supporting community legal services, impact litigation, and law-related public interest organizations in the Bay Area and nationally. While the portfolio is anchored in access-to-justice grantees, the foundation also funds humanitarian relief and basic needs (food/housing), a small set of law‑school and scholarship initiatives, and occasional cultural and Jewish/Israel-linked charities. Many grantees receive multiple grants, indicating sustained, relationship-driven support rather than one-off gifts.
The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation repeatedly backs legal access organizations with sustained general operating support, including multi-year awards to Bay Area Legal Aid, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, and Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. That pattern makes the foundation easy to read: it favors established legal-services providers and public-interest legal work rather than one-off project funding. Its recent grants also extend beyond direct legal aid to impact litigation, rule-of-law work, and select scholarship activity tied to the legal field. The foundation’s giving is not limited to one corner of the legal sector. It has supported the UC Law SF Foundation, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, Center for Justice & Accountability, World Justice Project, and Legal Aid at Work, showing a mix of local access-to-justice work and broader civil-rights and governance efforts. Humanitarian and basic-needs organizations also appear in the recent grant list, alongside occasional support for Jewish community and Israel-related charities. Across the portfolio, the recurring emphasis is on core support for organizations with ongoing legal, advocacy, or service roles.
Community legal services are the clearest theme in the recent grants. The foundation gave $135,000 in 2025 to Bay Area Legal Aid and $132,820 in 2025 to the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, both for general operating support. It also awarded $60,000 to Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto in 2025, again on an operating basis. Civil rights and impact litigation are another consistent area. In 2025, the foundation gave $69,050 to the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area and $55,000 to the Center for Justice & Accountability. Rule-of-law work appears through a $40,000 grant to the World Justice Project in 2025. The portfolio also includes legal education and scholarship support: California Change Lawyers received $40,000 in 2025 for scholarship activities. Basic-needs organizations such as Second Harvest of Silicon Valley and Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area also appear in the recent grant list.
Typical grants are sized in a fairly tight band: p25 is $10,000, the median is $13,500, and p75 is $20,000. The recent list shows a strong recurring pattern rather than isolated gifts, with several organizations appearing across multiple years, including Bay Area Legal Aid, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, World Justice Project, Legal Aid at Work, and Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. Most awards are general operating support, which points to flexible, ongoing institutional support. The foundation is a regular funder and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$3.1M
$3.2M
$2.5M
$2.4M
Most grants fall between $10K and $20K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Concentrated, mid-sized awards (typically repeated grants) focused on legal services and civil rights; mix of local Bay Area core grantees and select national/international partners, with multi‑year or recurring support rather than many one-time small donations.
Notable grantees: Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Bay Area Legal Aid, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, World Justice Project, Legal Aid at Work
Grants are national in scope, but California is the center of gravity: 52% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Bay Area recipients appear frequently, especially in Oakland, San Jose, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and East Palo Alto. Outside California, recent grants include organizations in New York, Connecticut, Washington, DC, and other US locations. The recipient country distribution is entirely US-based, with 217 grants going to US organizations.
The recent grants show a strong emphasis on legal access and public-interest law, especially community legal services, civil rights and impact litigation, rule-of-law work, and legal advocacy for workers. The foundation also supports some humanitarian relief, basic-needs organizations, and occasional scholarship-related work in the legal field.
Recurring grants are a clear pattern. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Bay Area Legal Aid, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, World Justice Project, Legal Aid at Work, and Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto. Most of those awards are general operating support rather than one-off project funding.
The typical grant size is modest and concentrated around core support: p25 is $10,000, the median is $13,500, and p75 is $20,000. The recent grant list includes both smaller operating awards and larger support grants, such as $135,000, $132,820, and $105,000.
The foundation gives nationally, but California receives the largest share of grants, with 52% going to recipients in the HQ state. Bay Area cities recur often, including Oakland, San Jose, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and East Palo Alto. The recipient country distribution is entirely US-based.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Area Legal Aid | Oakland, CA | $135,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Law Foundation of Silicon Valley | San Jose, CA | $133,820 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto | East Palo Alto, CA | $101,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area | San Francisco, CA | $98,100 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area | San Francisco, CA | $98,100 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area | San Francisco, CA | $98,100 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| California Community Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $68,233 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Center for Justice & Accountability | San Francisco, CA | $61,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles | Glendale, CA | $60,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| World Central Kitchen | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $42,500 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums | San Francisco, CA | $39,070 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County | Redwood City, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Combined Campaign for Justice | Wilmington, DE | $35,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Legal Aid at Work | San Francisco, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Tahirih Justice Center | Falls Church, VA | $35,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| World Justice Project | Washington, DC | $30,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network | San Jose, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| World Justice Project | Washington, DC | $30,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| The Center for Justice and Accountability | San Francisco, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| World Justice Project | Washington, DC | $30,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| World Central Kitchen | Washington, DC | $27,438 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Anti-Defamation League | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Blue Nevus Melanoma Foundation | Atherton, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| University of California San Francisco Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| University of California San Francisco Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| University of California San Francisco Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program | Washington, DC | $23,075 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Museum of the African Diaspora | San Francisco, CA | $21,500 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| National Women s Law Center | Washington, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Human Rights First | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| World Central Kitchen | Washington, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Bet Tzedek | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Inc | San Diego, CA | $19,600 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Inc | San Diego, CA | $19,600 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Inc | San Diego, CA | $19,600 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Sanctuary for Families | New York, NY | $17,150 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area | Palo Alto, CA | $16,200 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| And Justice for All | Salt Lake City, UT | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Capital Area Food Bank | Washington, DC | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Center for Medicare Advocacy | Willimantic, CT | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Second Harvest of Silicon Valley | San Jose, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Louisiana | New Orleans, LA | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| The Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| SMUIN Ballets SF | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| SMUIN Ballets SF | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| Lawyers for Good Government | Washington, DC | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| And Justice for All | Salt Lake City, UT | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| SMUIN Ballets SF | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| American India Foundation | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
General Operating Support
General Operating Support
General Operating Support
Combined Campaign for Justice
$35,000General Operating Support
Blue Nevus Melanoma Foundation
$25,000General Operating Support
General Operating Support
General Operating Support
General Operating Support
San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Inc
$19,600General Operating Support
San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Inc
$19,600General Operating Support
San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Inc
$19,600General Operating Support
Center for Medicare Advocacy
$15,000General Operating Support
General Operating Support
General Operating Support