The Travers Family Foundation concentrates its giving on a very small set of large, unrestricted gifts, primarily to a flagship public university and to services for people with visual impairments. Its support is focused and recurrent — multiple grants to the same institutions for general operating purposes — suggesting long‑term partnerships rather than one‑off project funding. The foundation appears Bay Area–oriented and prioritizes higher education (postsecondary) and disability/assistive services.
Highly concentrated: few large grants, repeat multi-grant relationships with core institutions, primarily unrestricted/general purpose funding rather than many small or geographically dispersed awards.
A defining feature of Travers Family Foundation’s grantmaking is its repeated support for UC Berkeley Foundation at six-figure levels across multiple years, including $1,126,756 in 2023, $1,033,914 in 2024, and $1,102,500 in 2025. That pattern points to a foundation that favors sustained, general-purpose backing rather than one-time project grants. The same approach appears in its support for disability and guide-dog services, where Guide Dogs for the Blind received $157,500 in 2023 and $200,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Across the recent grants listed, the foundation gives general-purpose support to a small set of California nonprofits, with awards that range from five figures into seven figures. Its portfolio also includes support for animal welfare, civic and public affairs organizations, and independent living services, all funded on an unrestricted basis. The recurring awards and concentrated recipient list suggest long-term relationships with institutions in the Bay Area and beyond within California.
Higher education is a central theme. The Travers Family Foundation gave $1,102,500 in 2025 to UC Berkeley Foundation for general purpose support, following similarly large grants in 2024 and 2023. In disability services, it funded Guide Dogs for the Blind with $200,000 in 2024 and another $200,000 in 2025 for general purpose support, after a $157,500 grant in 2023. Animal welfare also appears in the record: East Bay Spca received $105,000 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2023, both for general purpose support. Civic and public affairs support shows up through Commonwealth Club of California, which received $82,334 in 2025 and $66,182 in 2024.
The recent grants cluster around a median size of $56,451, with a lower quartile of $10,000 and an upper quartile of $103,750. That spread reflects a mix of very large institutional grants and a smaller set of mid-sized awards. Recipients reappear across multiple years, especially UC Berkeley Foundation, Guide Dogs for the Blind, The Semper Fi Fund, Commonwealth Club of California, East Bay Spca, Humane Society of Silicon Valley, and Marin Center for Independent Living. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grant record shows repeated general-purpose support rather than tightly specified project funding.
$1.6M
$63.4M
$1.5M
$4M
Most grants fall between $10K and $104K, with a median of $56K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$56K
75th Percentile
$104K
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Notable grantees: UC Berkeley Foundation, Guide Dogs for the Blind
Grantmaking is entirely within California: 100% of grants in the recent record go to recipients in the HQ state, which is also the top giving state. Berkeley and San Rafael appear repeatedly, alongside San Francisco, Milpitas, and Oceanside. Berkeley is the most visible recipient city because of the large UC Berkeley Foundation and East Bay SPCA awards. San Rafael appears through Guide Dogs for the Blind and Marin Center for Independent Living, while San Francisco shows up in support for Commonwealth Club of California, Lighthouse for the Blind, and Golden Gate Labrador.
The foundation supports a concentrated set of California nonprofits, including a public university foundation, guide-dog and low-vision services, animal welfare groups, a civic organization, a veterans-related fund, and an independent living center. The grants in the recent record are all listed as general purpose support.
In the recent grants listed, no. All 26 grants go to recipients in California, and the recipient country distribution is 100% US.
The grant-size distribution is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $56,451 at the median, and $103,750 at the 75th percentile. That indicates a mix of smaller awards and several much larger institutional grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including UC Berkeley Foundation, Guide Dogs for the Blind, The Semper Fi Fund, Commonwealth Club of California, East Bay Spca, Humane Society of Silicon Valley, and Marin Center for Independent Living. The repeated general-purpose grants point to ongoing relationships.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $1,102,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| EAST BAY SPCA | BERKELEY, CA | $105,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $82,334 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE SEMPER FI FUND | OCEANSIDE, CA | $76,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HUMANE SOCIETY OF SILICON VALLEY | MILPITAS, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MARIN CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GOLDEN GATE LABRADOR | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $1,033,914 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE SEMPER FI FUND | OCEANSIDE, CA | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $66,182 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| EAST BAY SPCA | BERKELEY, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HUMANE SOCIETY OF SILICON VALLEY | MILPITAS, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MARIN CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GOLDEN GATE LABRADOR | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $3,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $1,126,756 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $157,500 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| EAST BAY SPCA | BERKELEY, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE SEMPER FI FUND | OCEANSIDE, CA | $75,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $46,720 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HUMANE SOCIETY OF SILICON VALLEY | MILPITAS, CA | $12,974 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MARIN CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GOLDEN GATE LABRADOR | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION
$1,102,500GENERAL PURPOSE
THE SEMPER FI FUND
$76,500GENERAL PURPOSE
GENERAL PURPOSE
GOLDEN GATE LABRADOR
$3,000GENERAL PURPOSE
UC BERKELEY FOUNDATION
$1,033,914GENERAL PURPOSE
THE SEMPER FI FUND
$75,000GENERAL PURPOSE
COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA
$66,182GENERAL PURPOSE
GOLDEN GATE LABRADOR
$3,000GENERAL PURPOSE
THE SEMPER FI FUND
$75,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GOLDEN GATE LABRADOR
$3,000GENERAL PURPOSE