Warsh-Mott Legacy directs most of its funding toward progressive public-interest advocacy with a strong emphasis on environmental health, precaution around emerging technologies (especially nanomaterials), food and agroecology systems, and civil liberties/government accountability. They fund both national and international policy and grassroots organizations, with repeated multi-year support for advocacy groups and intermediary vehicles that channel donor-directed grants. The foundation’s portfolio blends science‑policy work (regulation and precaution), Indigenous and community-led agroecology, and protections for dissent and transparency.
Warsh-mott Legacy’s recent grantmaking is anchored by large, repeated support for intermediary vehicles that move money into advocacy networks. The biggest recent grant listed is $2.49 million to Tides Foundation for general support, followed by a $1.707 million donor-advised fund grant to the same intermediary in 2025. That pattern fits a portfolio built around public-interest advocacy rather than direct service delivery: environmental health, precaution around emerging technologies, food and agroecology systems, and civil liberties and government accountability. The foundation also backs organizations working at the intersection of science policy and movement defense. Government Accountability Project received multiple grants across 2023 and 2024, including $200,000 in 2024, while Defending Rights & Dissent appears repeatedly as well, with grants of $70,000 in both 2023 and 2024. On the environmental side, Warsh-mott Legacy supports groups addressing nanomaterials and emerging technologies, including Center for International Environmental Law and Center for Food Safety. Native-led advocacy also appears in the portfolio through Illuminative, Native Movement, and Indigenous Environmental Network.
One clear theme is precautionary regulation of emerging technologies. Warsh-mott Legacy gave $60,000 to Center for International Environmental Law for “Advancing a Precautionary Approach to Nanomaterials in the EU and Global Policy Arenas,” and $60,000 to Center for Food Safety for “NanoAction: Ensuring Strong Regulations on Emerging Technologies.” A second strand is agroecology and food-system change. The foundation awarded $60,000 to Apoyo Legal Al Emprendimiento Comunitario Inc (aleci) for “Instituto para la Investigacion y Accion en Agroecologia,” pairing that with additional general support. Native environmental advocacy is another recurring area. Illuminative received $100,000 in 2025 for general support, and Native Movement received $80,000 in 2024 for general support. Indigenous Environmental Network also appears with grants tied to “Emerging Technologies in Food and Agriculture,” showing how the foundation links Indigenous advocacy with environmental and technology policy.
Warsh-mott Legacy’s typical grant size sits in a fairly tight midrange: p25 is $20,000, the median is $30,000, and p75 is $45,000. That said, the recent record includes a few much larger grants to intermediary organizations, including multi-million-dollar and seven-figure awards to Tides Foundation. The portfolio shows clear repetition across years: Government Accountability Project, Defending Rights & Dissent, Global Exchange, Sierra Club, and Center for International Environmental Law each appear more than once. The foundation does not fund individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. The recent grants list shows a mix of general support, donor-advised fund grants, and clearly specified program grants.
$2.7M
$51.1M
$3.7M
$3.8M
Most grants fall between $20K and $45K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$45K
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Concentrated, strategic giving: a few very large grants (including a major donor-advised/intermediary allocation) plus multiple repeat grants to policy advocacy and environmental groups; funds lean toward multi-year programmatic and policy work rather than many small one-off gifts.
Notable grantees: Tides Foundation, Center for International Environmental Law, Center for Food Safety, Government Accountability Project, Indigenous Environmental Network
Grantmaking is national, and all recent grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients. California appears frequently, including San Francisco, Oakland, Novato, Lafayette, and Petaluma-area intermediaries, with 21% of grants going to recipients in California. Outside California, Washington, DC is a repeated recipient city for advocacy and policy organizations, while Caguas, Puerto Rico and Fairbanks, Alaska also appear among recent grantees. The top state by grant count is Massachusetts, even though the headquarters are in Petaluma, California.
The portfolio centers on progressive public-interest advocacy. Recent grants show support for organizations working on environmental health, precaution around emerging technologies and nanomaterials, agroecology and food systems, Native environmental advocacy, and civil liberties or government accountability.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Government Accountability Project, Defending Rights & Dissent, Global Exchange, Sierra Club, and Center for International Environmental Law. The repeated pattern suggests ongoing support rather than one-time awards only.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is centered in the tens of thousands: p25 is $20,000, the median is $30,000, and p75 is $45,000. Recent grants also include much larger transfers to intermediary organizations such as Tides Foundation.
The grant recipient country distribution in the data is entirely U.S.-based: 191 grants, or 100.0%, went to recipients in the United States.
It uses a mix of general support, donor-advised fund grants, and program-specific grants. Recent examples include donor-advised fund grants to Tides Foundation and Marin Foundation, alongside named program grants such as work on nanomaterials, agroecology, and emerging technologies in food and agriculture.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Warsh-Mott Legacy that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations whose work aligns with CS Fund/WML strategy and approach. The foundation is a small foundation and supports a limited number of initiatives; it is not accepting unsolicited proposals at this time.
Deadline: Reviewed periodically; no fixed deadline stated.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIDES FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,707,000 | 2026 | DONOR ADVISED FUND |
| MARIN FOUNDATION | NOVATO, CA | $375,000 | 2026 | DONOR ADVISED FUND |
| NEW VENTURE FUND | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ILLUMINATIVE | LAFAYETTE, CO | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| APOYO LEGAL AL EMPRENDIMIENTO COMUNITARIO INC (ALECI) | CAGUAS, PR | $60,000 | 2026 | INSTITUTO PARA LA INVESTIGACION Y ACCION EN AGROECOLOGIA |
| TIDES FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $60,000 | 2026 | CENTER FOR WORKING FAMILIES FUND |
| SOMOS SIEMBRA | GREENSBORO, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GRANTMAKERS CONCERNED WITH IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES | PETALUMA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | STATE AND LOCAL DEMOCRACY PROJECT |
| BLACK VOTERS MATTER CAPACITY BUILDING INSTITUTE INC | ATLANTA, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GEORGIA LATINO ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS | CHAMBLEE, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KO'IHONUA | PEARL CITY, HI | $40,000 | 2026 | HAWAII UNITY AND LIBERATION INSTITUTE |
| ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE - ATLANTA | NORCROSS, GA | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RURAL COMMUNITY WORKERS ALLIANCE | MILAN, MO | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAKE THE ROAD PA | BROOKLYN, NY | $35,000 | 2026 | DEMOCRACY PROGRAM |
| ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY FUND OF PENNSYLVANIA | NOVATO, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER POLITICAL ALLIANCE GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GLOBAL EXCHANGE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | OUR WORLD IS NOT FOR SALE |
| GEORGIA ALLIANCE EDUCATION FUND | ATLANTA, GA | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOVEMENT 4 BLACK LIVES INC | CAROL STREAM, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | THE BLACK HIVE |
| ILLINOIS WORKERS IN ACTION | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MIIGWECH INC | HARBOR SPRINGS, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMEDORES SOCIALES DE PUERTO RICO INC | CAGUAS, PR | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KAHEA THE HAWAIIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ONE FAIR WAGE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | MIDWEST ORGANIZING |
| SOCIAL GOOD FUND | RICHMOND, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | FIREWEED COLLECTIVE |
| PARCELERAS AFROCARIBENAS POR LA TRANSFORMACION BARRIAL INC | SAINT JUST, PR | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALIANZA AMERICAS | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AINA MOMONA | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HAWAI'I PEACE AND JUSTICE | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUI MALAMA I KE ALA 'ULILI | PAAUILO, HI | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOVEMENT GENERATION | BERKELEY, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CULTURAL SURVIVAL INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHISHOLM LEGACY PROJECT | BURTONSVILLE, MD | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW ECONOMY COALITION | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALLIED MEDIA PROJECTS | DETROIT, MI | $15,000 | 2026 | ALGORITHMIC JUSTICE LEAGUE |
| GRASSROOTS GLOBAL JUSTICE | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2026 | POLITICAL FORMATION SCHOOL |
| TWIN CITIES INNOVATION ALLIANCE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| REWILD | AUSTIN, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | MESOAMERICAN ALLIANCE OF PEOPLES AND FORESTS |
| SOLIDARITY STL INC | ST LOUIS, MO | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIVE CONSERVANCY | CORDOVA, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIVE MOVEMENT | FAIRBANKS, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | GIRINKHII |
| ALASKANS TAKE A STAND | ANCHORAGE, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIVE MOVEMENT | FAIRBANKS, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | TLAA DENELDEL |
| NATIVE MOVEMENT | FAIRBANKS, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | JUST TRANSITION COLLECTIVE |
| NATIVE MOVEMENT | FAIRBANKS, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | MOTHER KUSKOKWIM TRIBAL COALITION |
| NATIVE MOVEMENT | FAIRBANKS, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | GRANDMOTHERS GROWING GOODNESS |
| NATIVE MOVEMENT | FAIRBANKS, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | YAAKWDAAT LATINX'I COALITION |
| DATA FOR INDIGENOUS JUSTICE | ANCHORAGE, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNITED TRIBES OF BRISTOL BAY | DILLINGHAM, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NDN COLLECTIVE | RAPID CITY, SD | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIVE MOVEMENT | FAIRBANKS, AK | $10,000 | 2026 | FAIRBANKS CLIMATE ACTION COALITION |
ILLUMINATIVE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
APOYO LEGAL AL EMPRENDIMIENTO COMUNITARIO INC (ALECI)
$60,000INSTITUTO PARA LA INVESTIGACION Y ACCION EN AGROECOLOGIA
CENTER FOR WORKING FAMILIES FUND
STATE AND LOCAL DEMOCRACY PROJECT
RURAL COMMUNITY WORKERS ALLIANCE
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY FUND OF PENNSYLVANIA
$35,000ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER POLITICAL ALLIANCE GENERAL SUPPORT
MOVEMENT 4 BLACK LIVES INC
$20,000THE BLACK HIVE
ILLINOIS WORKERS IN ACTION
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MIIGWECH INC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
KAHEA THE HAWAIIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ALLIANCE
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SOLIDARITY STL INC
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DATA FOR INDIGENOUS JUSTICE
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNITED TRIBES OF BRISTOL BAY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT