
The Altman Foundation makes a small number of large, targeted grants to university foundations to support applied research on soil and pollinator health. Their giving is focused on West Coast land‑grant and research universities, funding science-driven projects (honeybee health, healthy soils) that bridge agriculture and environmental resilience. The foundation prefers institutional partners (university foundations) rather than grassroots groups or service providers.
Jonathan & Kathleen Altman Fndtn C/o Avalon Trust has made a distinctive pattern of large, project-specific grants to university foundations for applied environmental research. The largest recent award in the data is $1,000,000 to Ucsd Foundation for the Healthy Soils Project, paired with repeated support for Washington State University Foundation for honeybee work and a Bee Program. That combination points to a funder that backs science tied to agriculture, pollination, and land stewardship rather than broad institutional support. The foundation’s recent giving also shows a preference for research universities and science-centered partners. University foundations appear alongside conservation and policy organizations, but the university grants stand out for their scale and for the way they cluster around soil health and pollinator health. Across the record, the foundation gives nationally and the grants are concentrated in the United States, with recipients appearing in places such as La Jolla, Pullman, and San Francisco. The donor-advised-fund classification is Regular Funder, and the grant record suggests a deliberate, targeted approach to a relatively small number of recipients.
Two themes appear repeatedly in the grant list: land restoration and pollinator research. In soil work, the foundation gave $1,000,000 to Ucsd Foundation for the Healthy Soils Project and $500,000 to Ucsf Foundation for the Healthy Soils Project, both tied to applied research rather than general operating support. Pollinator health is another clear line of giving. Washington State University Foundation received $850,000 for a Honeybee Grant, $625,000 for a Bee Program, and $520,000 in a separate donation, showing repeated support for bee-related science. The foundation also funds conservation and ecological restoration outside the university setting. Examples include $250,000 to Archangel Ancient Tree Archive for the EC Champion Tree Project and $100,000 to The Cultural Conservancy for Heron Shadow, indicating interest in place-based land and cultural stewardship.
Typical grants are mid-sized to large, with p25 at $10,000, a median of $25,000, and p75 at $50,000. The recent record also includes several much larger targeted awards, so the distribution is uneven and project-driven. The same recipients appear across multiple years, including Washington State University Foundation, International Rescue Committee, Natural Resources Defense Council, Doctors Without Borders, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, The Merwin Conservancy, Buddhist Global Relief, Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, and The Cultural Conservancy. The foundation is a Regular Funder, funds individuals, and does not make program-related investments. General grantmaking is listed as competitive and unsolicited applications are not accepted.
$4.1M
$26.4M
$4.9M
$5M
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Concentrated, large gifts to a few institutional grantees with repeat support (three grants to Washington State University); funding is project-specific and research-oriented rather than broadly distributed.
Notable grantees: Washington State University Foundation, UC San Diego Foundation, UCSF Foundation
Grants are national, with all listed recipient grants in the United States. The highest concentration of grants goes to DC, while 47% of grants are to recipients in New Mexico. Among named recipient cities, New York appears repeatedly through multiple organizations, and the West Coast is also prominent with La Jolla, Pullman, San Francisco, Occidental, and Haiku. The pattern is U.S.-only in the recipient country distribution.
The clearest pattern is support for applied environmental work: healthy soils research, honeybee and pollinator projects, land restoration, reforestation, and regenerative farming. The recent grants list also includes cultural and ecological stewardship projects, plus some humanitarian and resettlement support.
The grant-size distribution is p25 $10,000, median $25,000, and p75 $50,000. The record also contains several much larger awards, including $1,000,000 to Ucsd Foundation and $850,000 to Washington State University Foundation.
The general grantmaking program is described as competitive, and unsolicited applications are marked false. That points to invitation-based or otherwise selected grantmaking rather than open submissions.
Yes. Multiple recipients appear in more than one year, including Washington State University Foundation, International Rescue Committee, Natural Resources Defense Council, Doctors Without Borders, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, The Merwin Conservancy, Buddhist Global Relief, Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, and The Cultural Conservancy.
The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the provided data. Within the U.S., the top state by grant count is DC, and 47% of grants go to recipients in New Mexico.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCSD FOUNDATION | LA JOLLA, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | HEALTHY SOILS PROJECT |
| WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | PULLMAN, WA | $625,000 | 2025 | BEE PROGRAM |
| OCCIDENTAL ARTS & ECOLOGY CENTER | OCCIDENTAL, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ARCHANGEL ANCIENT TREE ARCHIVE | COPEMISH, MI | $150,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE TIBET FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $103,600 | 2025 | DONATION |
| KINDLE PROJECT | SANTA FE, NM | $100,000 | 2025 | REGENERATIVE ARTS FUND |
| WORLD CONNECT | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE CULTURAL CONSERVANCY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| BUDDHIST GLOBAL RELIEF | CARMEL, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE MERWIN CONSERVANCY | HAIKU, HI | $100,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| NATIONAL TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN | KALAHEO, HI | $75,000 | 2025 | KAHUNA |
| NATIONAL TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN | KALAHEO, HI | $75,000 | 2025 | LIMAHULI |
| NEW MEXICO FOUNDATION | SANTA FE, NM | $51,500 | 2025 | YAKANAL AT LAGUNA PUEBLO |
| ATTACH YOUR HEART FOUNDATION CO FIRST NATIONS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE | LONGMONT, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | SANTA FE, NM | $50,000 | 2025 | RIO GRANDE WATER FUND |
| HEALTH IN HARMONY | PORTLAND, OR | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| KINDLE PROJECT | SANTA FE, NM | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| FLOWERING TREE PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE | ESPANOLA, NM | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY | TUCSON, AZ | $50,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| SANTA FE CONSERVATION TRUST | SANTA FE, NM | $30,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND - NEW MEXICO | SANTA FE, NM | $30,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND - USA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CONSERVATION LEGACY | DURANGO, CO | $28,000 | 2025 | ANCESTRAL LANDS CONSERVATION CORPS |
| ST VINCENT'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | SANTA FE, NM | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| FOUR CORNERS INSTITUTE | SANTA FE, NM | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE WARMTH INITIATIVE CO SOURCE STUDIO | BURNSVILLE, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE FOOD DEPOT | SANTA FE, NM | $20,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| SAN FRANCISCO ZEN CENTER | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CANTICLE FARM | OAKLAND, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | JOANNA MACY PROJECT |
| KITCHEN ANGELS | SANTA FE, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ROCKY MOUNTAIN POLLINATOR INSTITUTE | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| DILGO KHYENTSE FELLOWSHIP | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| AMIGO BRAVOS | TAOS, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE STORYDANCER PROJECT | SANTA FE, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| PUNCHING OUT PARKINSON'S SANTA FE | SANTA FE, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| NEW MEXICO WILDERNESS ALLIANCE | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ALLIANCE FOR THE EARTH | SANTA FE, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| LAMA FOUNDATION | SAN CRISTOBAL, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| GLAS FOUNDATION | SANTA FE, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| GRAND CANYON TRUST | FLAGSTAFF, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| NEW MEXICO APPLESEED | SANTA FE, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| NATIONAL TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN | KALAHEO, HI | $8,000 | 2025 | TRAVEL GRANT |
| SANTA FE FARMER'S MARKET INSTITUTE | SANTA FE, NM | $7,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ST ELIZABETH'S SHELTER | SANTA FE, NM | $7,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| SITE SANTA FE | SANTA FE, NM | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
UCSD FOUNDATION
$1,000,000HEALTHY SOILS PROJECT
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$150,000DONATION
DONATION
ARCHANGEL ANCIENT TREE ARCHIVE
$150,000DONATION
KINDLE PROJECT
$100,000REGENERATIVE ARTS FUND
BUDDHIST GLOBAL RELIEF
$100,000DONATION
THE MERWIN CONSERVANCY
$100,000DONATION
NEW MEXICO FOUNDATION
$51,500YAKANAL AT LAGUNA PUEBLO
ATTACH YOUR HEART FOUNDATION CO FIRST NATIONS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
$50,000DONATION
KINDLE PROJECT
$50,000DONATION
FLOWERING TREE PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE
$50,000DONATION
TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND - NEW MEXICO
$30,000DONATION
TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND - USA
$30,000DONATION
CONSERVATION LEGACY
$28,000ANCESTRAL LANDS CONSERVATION CORPS
FOUR CORNERS INSTITUTE
$25,000DONATION
THE WARMTH INITIATIVE CO SOURCE STUDIO
$25,000DONATION
SAN FRANCISCO ZEN CENTER
$20,000DONATION
KITCHEN ANGELS
$10,000DONATION
ROCKY MOUNTAIN POLLINATOR INSTITUTE
$10,000DONATION
DILGO KHYENTSE FELLOWSHIP
$10,000DONATION
THE STORYDANCER PROJECT
$10,000DONATION
PUNCHING OUT PARKINSON'S SANTA FE
$10,000DONATION
ALLIANCE FOR THE EARTH
$10,000DONATION
LAMA FOUNDATION
$10,000DONATION
GLAS FOUNDATION
$10,000DONATION
NEW MEXICO APPLESEED
$10,000DONATION
SANTA FE FARMER'S MARKET INSTITUTE
$7,000DONATION
ST ELIZABETH'S SHELTER
$7,000DONATION