Kimball Foundation Grant

The Kimball Foundation is a private philanthropic organization based in San Francisco, California. Managed by Pacific Foundation Services, LLC, the foundation has a long-standing commitment to improving the lives of residents in the San Francisco Bay Area through grantmaking in four key focus areas: college access and persistence, cultural enrichment, environmental education, and workplace success. With a particular emphasis on low-income and underserved youth, the foundation’s grant programs seek to ensure equitable access to educational and career opportunities, while also fostering cultural and environmental awareness. The foundation’s College Access and Persistence initiative targets students between the ages of 10 and 24, particularly those from low-income backgrounds or who face significant barriers such as being first-generation college students or English language learners. Programs supported in this area must offer high-quality academic and college-bound services, ideally through sequential and multi-year support that bridges key transition phases like middle school to high school or high school to college. The foundation emphasizes the importance of academic programs that align with A-G course requirements and does not support standalone scholarship programs unless they are integrated with a robust academic support component. Through its Cultural Enrichment and Environmental Education priorities, the foundation invests in programs that expose youth to the arts and to nature, fostering lifelong appreciation and engagement. Cultural programs may include performing or visual arts that are grounded in community and cultural relevance. Environmental education initiatives, such as the Y Rangers program supported at the YMCA Point Bonita, provide youth with outdoor learning experiences and hands-on environmental stewardship activities. Meanwhile, the Workplace Success category supports job training and employment readiness programs, particularly those focused on the tech sector and underserved youth populations, as seen in grants made to organizations like Year Up Bay Area. Eligibility for Kimball Foundation grants is restricted to public charities with IRS 501(c)(3) status or those operating under a fiscal sponsor. Eligible applicants must serve residents of San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, and Sonoma counties, with limited eligibility in Santa Clara County (only as far south as Palo Alto). Applicants must demonstrate culturally competent leadership and individualized student support. Faith-based organizations are eligible only if they provide non-sectarian services. The foundation does not fund individuals, endowments, medical research, religious proselytization, political activity, or general annual appeals. Applications are submitted through an online grants management portal. The next application window is scheduled for January 8–22, 2026, closing at 5:00 p.m. PST on January 22. Applicants are encouraged to download the application outline in advance and prepare responses in a collaborative document before inputting them online. No letters of intent or pre-application steps are required. Decisions are expected by April 2026. Returning grantees do not need to submit final reports; instead, additional report-oriented questions are included in subsequent applications. Multi-year grant recipients are required to submit a progress report after the first year, as outlined in their grant agreement. The foundation employs a “rest year” policy: organizations that have received four consecutive years of funding must observe a one-year pause before reapplying. For technical support with the application system, applicants should contact Aja Walter, Grants Manager, at [email protected] or 415-561-6540 ext. 286. For questions regarding guidelines or program fit, applicants should reach out to Eunice Valentine, Managing Director, at [email protected] or 415-561-6540 ext. 228. The foundation’s structured, recurring application cycle, with defined deadlines and a strong focus on impact-driven programming, reflects its commitment to equity, transparency, and strategic philanthropy.

Prepare responses offline before using the portal for easier collaboration and fewer errors.