The Banks Family Foundation appears to be a hyper-local funder focused on youth development in Oakland, using athletics as a vehicle for academic support and lifelong learning. Their sole recorded grant supports a community-based lacrosse program that explicitly combines sport with educational and developmental programming.
The Banks Family Foundation centers youth programs in Oakland, with grants consistently tied to education, welfare, and enrichment for children and adolescents. One of the clearest signals in the recent record is support for Oakland Lacrosse Club, which received $29,500 in 2023 for "support and development of academic excellence and lifelong learning program." That grant sits alongside repeated support for programs that blend school support, arts, leadership, and after-school services. The foundation’s recent giving shows a practical preference for direct program support rather than capital or events. It has backed organizations such as Girls' Inc, which received $20,000 in 2024 for the K-3 Girl Start literacy after-school program in ten schools, and St Vincents Day Home, which received $20,000 in 2023 for a comprehensive learning program. Other grants point to a broad view of youth development that includes arts education, mindfulness, and access to organized sports. Most recipients are Oakland-based, and the pattern is shaped by local youth-serving nonprofits that work in schools, neighborhoods, and community settings. The foundation’s grantmaking reads as steady, program-focused support for organizations serving children and youth across the city.
A clear theme is academic support through youth programming. Girls' Inc received $20,000 in 2024 for the K-3 Girl Start literacy after-school program in ten schools, and St Vincents Day Home received $20,000 in 2023 for a comprehensive learning program. Arts and cultural enrichment is another consistent lane. Luna Dance Institute received $18,000 in 2023 for the MPACT program, while East Oakland Youth Development Center received $15,000 in 2023 for the year-round Kuumbaa arts program. The foundation also supported Mocha - Museum of Children's Art for library-based art programming in Oakland. Its youth-development priorities also include leadership, safety, and access. Youth Alive received $15,000 in 2025 for youth leadership and violence prevention programs, and Oakland Soccer Club received $15,000 in 2025 to help disadvantaged Oakland youth access competitive soccer opportunities.
Typical awards are small to mid-sized: the p25, median, and p75 are $10,000, $10,000, and $15,000. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including Girls' Inc, Youth Alive, Oakland Lacrosse Club, Oakland Leaf Foundation, Prescott Circus Theatre, Mocha - Museum of Children's Art, Creative Growth Art Center, Maps Arts, and Destiny Arts Center. That repetition suggests ongoing support rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is a regular funder and its active grant programs are described as annual program grants for Oakland youth-serving nonprofits. Applications are not accepted unsolicited.
$155K
$1.1M
$23K
$158K
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
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Highly concentrated, single local grant—one moderate-sized, one-off award to a community sports/education organization rather than distributed or multi-year commitments.
Notable grantees: Oakland Lacrosse Club
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local and concentrated in California: 84% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Oakland is the main recipient city, with additional grants in Berkeley, Alameda, and New York City. Named non-Oakland recipients include Luna Dance Institute in Berkeley, Niroga Institute in Alameda, and Maps Arts in New York, which received support for Brooklyn and citywide programming. All recorded grants in the recent set went to U.S. organizations.
It funds nonprofit organizations that directly serve the health, education, and welfare of children and youth, especially in Oakland. The active grant programs specify programmatic support for children and adolescents and exclude individuals, capital campaigns, special events, and fundraising.
Typical awards are modest. The foundation’s grant-size distribution shows a p25 of $10,000, a median of $10,000, and a p75 of $15,000. Recent grants also include amounts from $10,000 up to $29,500.
No. The active grant programs listed for the foundation all indicate that unsolicited applications are not accepted.
Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Girls' Inc, Youth Alive, Oakland Lacrosse Club, Oakland Leaf Foundation, Prescott Circus Theatre, Mocha - Museum of Children's Art, Creative Growth Art Center, Maps Arts, and Destiny Arts Center. That pattern indicates repeat support rather than only one-time grants.
Oakland is the main recipient city, and 84% of grants go to organizations in California. The recorded set also includes grants to Berkeley, Alameda, and New York City, but the overall emphasis is strongly local.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA | OAKLAND, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT CALIFORNIA SCHOOL PROGRAMS |
| OAKLAND SOCCER CLUB | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT DISADVANTAGED OAKLAND YOUTH TO ACCESS COMPETITIVE SOCCER OPPORTUNITIES. |
| LUNA DANCE & CREATIVITY | BERKELEY, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT AND BUILD DANCE PROGRAMS AS EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS |
| PRESCOTT CIRCUS THEATRE | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN AND AFTER SCHOOL |
| NIROGA INSTITUTE | ALAMEDA, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE DYNAMIC MINDFULNESS PROGRAM AS PART OF OUSD SUMMER CREDIT RECOVERY PROGRAM |
| YOUTH ALIVE | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS |
| CREATIVE GROWTH ART CENTER | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT YEAR ROUND SATURDAY ART PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES |
| DESTINY ARTS CENTER | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN THREE WEST OAKLAND SCHOOLS |
| MAPS ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | TO BE USED TO ACQUIRE AN ART MOBILE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER CLASSES AROUND NEW YORK CITY |
| MOCHA - MUSEUM OF CHILDREN'S ART | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY AND ART PROGRAM (LEAP) OFFERED IN AFTERSCHOOL IN 11 OAKLAND LIBRARIES. |
| PARK DAY SCHOOL | OAKLAND, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND |
| ST ANN'S SCHOOL | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND |
| GIRLS' INC | OAKLAND, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT K-3 GIRL START LITERACY AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM IN TEN SCHOOLS |
| ST MARY'S CENTER PRESCHOOL | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT A NEW LITERACY PROGRAM |
| CREATIVE GROWTH ART CENTER | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT YEAR ROUND SATURDAY ART PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES |
| YOUTH ALIVE | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMSPROGRAMS |
| MOCHA - MUSEUM OF CHILDREN'S ART | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING INTERACTIVE SPACES WHERE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES CREATE, SHARE AND CONNECT THROUGH ART. |
| OAKLAND LEAF FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATION OF PROGRAM AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, CULTIVATIONSCHOOLYARDS PROGRAM AND PEACE CAMPS |
| PRESCOTT CIRCUS THEATRE | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT SATELLITE PROGRAMS OF PCT AT 6 OAKLAND SCHOOLS |
| MAPS ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT ARTS PROGRAMS WITH MIGRANT AND REFUGE YOUTH IN BROOKLYN, NY |
| OAKLAND LACROSSE CLUB | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAM |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF OAKLAND | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR YEAR ROUND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM |
| NIROGA INSTITUTE | ALAMEDA, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE DYNAMIC MINDFULNESS PROGRAM AT TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS |
| OAKLAND SOCCER CLUB | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT DISADVANTAGED OAKLAND YOUTH TO ACCESS COMPETITIVE SOCCER OPPORTUNITIES. |
| PARK DAY SCHOOL | OAKLAND, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND |
| ST ANN'S SCHOOL | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND |
| OAKLAND LACROSSE CLUB | OAKLAND, CA | $29,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAM |
| ST VINCENTS DAY HOME | OAKLAND, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR COMPREHENSIVE LEARNINGPROGRAM |
| LUNA DANCE INSTITUTE | BERKELEY, CA | $18,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF MPACT PROGRAM |
| LOTUS BLOOM | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT NETWORK OF FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS. |
| EAST OAKLAND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTER | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT YEAR ROUND KUUMBAA ARTS PROGRAM |
| DESTINY ARTS CENTER | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN THREE WEST OAKLAND SCHOOLS |
| GIRLS' INC | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT K-3 GIRL START LITERACY AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM IN TEN SCHOOLS |
| CREATIVE GROWTH ART CENTER | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT YEAR ROUND SATURDAY ART PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES |
| OAKLAND LEAF FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATION OF PROGRAM AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, CULTIVATIONSCHOOLYARDS PROGRAM AND PEACE CAMPS |
| MAPS ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT ARTS PROGRAMS WITH MIGRANT AND REFUGE YOUTH IN BROOKLYN, NY |
| CYCLES OF CHANGE | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE BIKE CLUB PROGRAM AT FOUR EAST OAKLAND SCHOOLS |
| ST MARY'S CENTER PRESCHOOL | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT A NEW LITERACY PROGRAM |
| CHAPTER 510 | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAMS IN OAKLAND SCHOOLS |
| ST ANN'S SCHOOL | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND |
| PARK DAY SCHOOL | OAKLAND, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND |
| CHIPS-COMMUNITY HELP IN PARK SLOPE | BROOKLYM, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE CHIPS SOUP KITCHEN |
| OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA | OAKLAND, CA | $1,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT ANNUAL OPERATIONS |
OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
$20,000TO SUPPORT CALIFORNIA SCHOOL PROGRAMS
OAKLAND SOCCER CLUB
$15,000TO SUPPORT DISADVANTAGED OAKLAND YOUTH TO ACCESS COMPETITIVE SOCCER OPPORTUNITIES.
LUNA DANCE & CREATIVITY
$15,000TO SUPPORT AND BUILD DANCE PROGRAMS AS EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS
PRESCOTT CIRCUS THEATRE
$15,000TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN AND AFTER SCHOOL
NIROGA INSTITUTE
$15,000TO SUPPORT THE DYNAMIC MINDFULNESS PROGRAM AS PART OF OUSD SUMMER CREDIT RECOVERY PROGRAM
YOUTH ALIVE
$15,000YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS
CREATIVE GROWTH ART CENTER
$15,000SUPPORT YEAR ROUND SATURDAY ART PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES
DESTINY ARTS CENTER
$15,000SUPPORT AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN THREE WEST OAKLAND SCHOOLS
MAPS ARTS
$10,000TO BE USED TO ACQUIRE AN ART MOBILE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER CLASSES AROUND NEW YORK CITY
MOCHA - MUSEUM OF CHILDREN'S ART
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY AND ART PROGRAM (LEAP) OFFERED IN AFTERSCHOOL IN 11 OAKLAND LIBRARIES.
PARK DAY SCHOOL
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND
ST ANN'S SCHOOL
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND
GIRLS' INC
$20,000SUPPORT K-3 GIRL START LITERACY AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM IN TEN SCHOOLS
ST MARY'S CENTER PRESCHOOL
$15,000TO SUPPORT A NEW LITERACY PROGRAM
CREATIVE GROWTH ART CENTER
$15,000SUPPORT YEAR ROUND SATURDAY ART PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES
YOUTH ALIVE
$15,000YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMSPROGRAMS
MOCHA - MUSEUM OF CHILDREN'S ART
$10,000TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING INTERACTIVE SPACES WHERE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES CREATE, SHARE AND CONNECT THROUGH ART.
OAKLAND LEAF FOUNDATION
$10,000SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATION OF PROGRAM AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, CULTIVATIONSCHOOLYARDS PROGRAM AND PEACE CAMPS
PRESCOTT CIRCUS THEATRE
$10,000TO SUPPORT SATELLITE PROGRAMS OF PCT AT 6 OAKLAND SCHOOLS
MAPS ARTS
$10,000TO SUPPORT ARTS PROGRAMS WITH MIGRANT AND REFUGE YOUTH IN BROOKLYN, NY
OAKLAND LACROSSE CLUB
$10,000SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAM
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF OAKLAND
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR YEAR ROUND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
NIROGA INSTITUTE
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE DYNAMIC MINDFULNESS PROGRAM AT TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS
OAKLAND SOCCER CLUB
$10,000TO SUPPORT DISADVANTAGED OAKLAND YOUTH TO ACCESS COMPETITIVE SOCCER OPPORTUNITIES.
PARK DAY SCHOOL
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND
ST ANN'S SCHOOL
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND
OAKLAND LACROSSE CLUB
$29,500SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAM
ST VINCENTS DAY HOME
$20,000SUPPORT FOR COMPREHENSIVE LEARNINGPROGRAM
LUNA DANCE INSTITUTE
$18,000SUPPORT OF MPACT PROGRAM
LOTUS BLOOM
$15,000TO SUPPORT NETWORK OF FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS.
EAST OAKLAND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$15,000SUPPORT YEAR ROUND KUUMBAA ARTS PROGRAM
DESTINY ARTS CENTER
$15,000SUPPORT AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN THREE WEST OAKLAND SCHOOLS
GIRLS' INC
$15,000SUPPORT K-3 GIRL START LITERACY AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM IN TEN SCHOOLS
CREATIVE GROWTH ART CENTER
$10,000SUPPORT YEAR ROUND SATURDAY ART PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES
OAKLAND LEAF FOUNDATION
$10,000SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATION OF PROGRAM AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, CULTIVATIONSCHOOLYARDS PROGRAM AND PEACE CAMPS
MAPS ARTS
$10,000TO SUPPORT ARTS PROGRAMS WITH MIGRANT AND REFUGE YOUTH IN BROOKLYN, NY
CYCLES OF CHANGE
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE BIKE CLUB PROGRAM AT FOUR EAST OAKLAND SCHOOLS
ST MARY'S CENTER PRESCHOOL
$10,000TO SUPPORT A NEW LITERACY PROGRAM
CHAPTER 510
$10,000SUPPORT CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAMS IN OAKLAND SCHOOLS
ST ANN'S SCHOOL
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND
PARK DAY SCHOOL
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND
CHIPS-COMMUNITY HELP IN PARK SLOPE
$2,500TO SUPPORT THE CHIPS SOUP KITCHEN
OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA
$1,000TO SUPPORT ANNUAL OPERATIONS