Bothin Foundation Capital Grants

The Bothin Foundation provides capital grants to support nonprofit organizations serving disadvantaged children and youth, low-income families with children, and individuals with disabilities in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, and San Mateo counties. With a focus on direct service organizations, the foundation prioritizes investments in durable capital projects such as building renovations, equipment, technology, and vehicles that can be completed within 12 months of funding. The foundation particularly favors discrete, focused requests and does not support general operating or program expenses. Eligible applicants must be public charities with 501(c)(3) status or have a qualified fiscal sponsor, serve the specified counties, and not have received a grant from the foundation in the last three years. K-12 schools exclusively serving students with learning differences are also eligible, especially if they serve a high percentage of low-income students. Grants typically range from $5,000 to $50,000, and requests must clearly articulate how the funds will be used for capital improvements. Planning costs, endowments, and general software development are not eligible for funding. The foundation’s grant cycle follows a seasonal schedule with three application windows each year—winter, spring/summer, and fall. Applications must be submitted via the foundation’s online portal during designated submission periods. For 2026, deadlines include December 5, 2025, February 27, 2026, and July 31, 2026. Awards are typically distributed three months after each deadline. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Pacific Time on the last submission day. Late or early submissions are not accepted, and the submission portal becomes active only during the submission period. Applicants must complete organization and personal profiles within the portal, use the “New Proposals” icon to begin a submission, and upload required documentation including audited financials, organization budgets, capital project budgets, IRS determination letters (for new applicants), and board of directors lists. The foundation strongly encourages applicants to draft answers offline before submitting. Completed applications are reviewed by staff, and funding decisions are made at board meetings. Award announcements follow the board meetings, and foundation staff will contact successful applicants directly. Technical questions should be directed to grantsupport@pfs-llc.net, and applicants are encouraged to review the foundation's guidelines thoroughly before submission. Projects must be ready for completion within a year of receiving funds, and all capital improvements must be located in the eligible counties. Applications that align with funding priorities and are well-prepared according to the application outline stand the best chance of success.

Draft answers offline; Use a single focused need for stronger application; Ensure eligibility across all stated criteria