General Service Foundation
San Ramon, CA · EIN 36-6018535. Reported 245 grants totalling $19.5M to 120 recipients across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation told the IRS it does not accept unsolicited requests: it contributes only to organizations it selects itself.
Does this foundation accept applications?
No -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation to check a box if it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds". General Service Foundation checked it on its most recent filing, as 78% of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered did. An unsolicited request is unlikely to go anywhere.
Organizations it funds that make grants of their own
7 of the organizations General Service Foundation funded make grants themselves, and it reported 27 grants totalling $3,851,000 to them. That is 24% of the $16.2M of its giving we could match to a registered organization. Each is classified by the IRS as a philanthropy or grantmaking organization, reported grants to at least 25 organizations of its own, and has at least 10 funders behind it.
All of them file Form 990, which never asks whether an organization funds only groups it picks, so there is no answer on record either way.
What that does not mean. It does not mean an application to any of them reaches this foundation's money. A private foundation's grant to a community foundation or a federated campaign is often a donor-advised fund or a gift designated for a purpose the foundation chose, and has nothing to do with any open programme the receiving organization runs. Its return's purpose text sometimes names a family fund or a designated purpose, which is the plainest case of money no applicant can reach; where it names none, neither return says which. The list is who this foundation paid that also makes grants. Whether any of them would fund you is a question for its own page.
| Grantmaker | Kind | State | Received | Grants | Years | Last | Only funds organizations it picks? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc | grantmaking organization | New York | $1,750,000 | 6 | 3 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| Groundswell Fund | grantmaking organization | California | $775,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| Solidaire Network Inc | grantmaking organization | California | $560,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| Tides Foundation | grantmaking organization | California | $450,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| Bend the Arc - a Jewish Partnership | grantmaking organization | New York | $160,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 | Its form does not ask |
| The Center for Cultural Power | grantmaking organization | California | $136,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| Northern California Grantmakers | federated giving programme | California | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 | Its form does not ask |
A floor, not a full list. A grantmaker appears here only where this foundation's return named it clearly enough for us to match the name to an EIN, which we manage for about two thirds of 990-PF grant rows, and only where that grantmaker has a page on this site. There may be more. Dollars here are summed by EIN across every spelling on its returns, so a figure can differ from the matching row in the full list below, which groups names as written. And the IRS classification cannot tell a grantmaker from a funders' association or a donor-advised fund sponsor, so a payment to one of these may be dues or an account rather than support for a grants programme.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $70,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $35,000 and $100,000; the smallest was $1,015 and the largest $600,000.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $1,750,000 | 6 | 3 | 2024 |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $1,065,000 | 8 | 4 | 2024 |
| Proteus Fund | Amherst, MA | $835,000 | 10 | 4 | 2024 |
| Groundswell Fund | Oakland, CA | $775,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Neighborhood Funders Group | Oakland, CA | $690,000 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Borealis Philanthropy | Minneapolis, MN | $620,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| National Domestic Workers Alliance | New York, NY | $555,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Neo Philanthropy Inc | New York, NY | $480,000 | 6 | 3 | 2023 |
| Solidaire Network | Oakland, CA | $460,000 | 5 | 3 | 2024 |
| Tides Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $450,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Sogorea Te' Land Trust | Oakland, CA | $375,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Forward Together | Oakland, CA | $320,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| People's Action Institute | Chicago, IL | $310,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Action Center on Race and the Economy Inst | Chicago, IL | $275,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Spark Reproductive Justice Now Inc | Atlanta, GA | $270,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Bvm Capacity Building Institute Inc | Atlanta, GA | $258,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Color of Change Org Ed Fund | Oakland, CA | $251,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| National Employment Law Project | New York, NY | $250,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Sunrise Movement Education Fund | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Jobs With Justice Ed Fund | Washington, DC | $245,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kairos Fellowship | Detroit, MI | $240,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Rockwood Leadership Program | Berkeley, CA | $235,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Mijente Support Committee | Phoenix, AZ | $220,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fractured Atlas Inc | New York, NY | $210,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Neighborhood Funders Group | Washington, DC | $210,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Western States Center | Portland, OR | $210,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Womens March Network | Brooklyn, NY | $205,000 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| New American Leaders | New York, NY | $202,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Transgender Law Center | Oakland, CA | $200,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| United We Dream Network | Washington, DC | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Chinese Progressive Association | San Francisco, CA | $170,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| National Day Laborer Organizing Network | Los Angeles, CA | $170,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice | New Orleans, LA | $170,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| United for a New Economy | Wheat Ridge, CO | $165,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Bend the Arc | New York, NY | $160,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Centro De Los Derechos Del Migrante | Baltimore, MD | $160,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ms Foundation for Women | Brooklyn, NY | $160,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Southerners on New Ground | Atlanta, GA | $160,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Workers Defense Project Inc | Austin, TX | $160,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute | Chicago, IL | $155,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition | Denver, CO | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Jolt Initiative | Austin, TX | $145,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Movement Generation | Berkeley, CA | $145,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Urge | Washington, DC | $145,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice | New York, NY | $144,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Center for Cultural Power | Oakland, CA | $136,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Demos | New York, NY | $130,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Jobs With Justice Education Fund | Washington, DC | $130,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| United for Respect Education Fund | Brooklyn, NY | $130,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Women's March Network | Brooklyn, NY | $130,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Bold Future New Mexico | Albuquerque, NM | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Bold Futures New Mexico | Albuquerque, NM | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Demos a Network for Ideas and Action Ltd | New York, NY | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Generative Somantics | San Francisco, CA | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Block Organizing for Leadership Dignity (bold) | Miami, FL | $110,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Resilence Force | New Orleans, LA | $110,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Alliance for a Just Society | Seattle, WA | $105,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Way to Rise | Washington, DC | $105,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| National Asian Pacific Amer Wms Forum | Washington, DC | $103,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Amalgamated Foundation | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Black Feminist Future | Atlanta, GA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Instituto Lab | Tempe, AZ | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mariposa Fund | Saratoga, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| National Asian Pacific American Womens Forum | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Powerswitch Action | Oakland, CA | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Rockwood Leadership Institute | Oakland, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Solidaire Network | Malden, MA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Transformative Leadership for Change | Denver, CO | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Windcall Institute | Oakland, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Alliance for Just Futures | Washington, DC | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Georgetown University | Washington, DC | $85,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Community Partners | Los Angeles, CA | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Georgetown University-Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor | Washington, DC | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Council on American Islamic Relations of Az | Minneapolis, MN | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Color of Change Education Fund | Oakland, CA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Los Angeles Black Worker Center | Los Angeles, CA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Insight Ctr F Comm Economic Dev | Oakland, CA | $70,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Common Counsel Foundation | Oakland, CA | $63,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Caring Across Generations | New York, NY | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Just Futures | Washington, DC | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| National Latina Institute for Reproductive | New York, NY | $59,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mejente Support Committee | Phoenix, AZ | $55,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Common Future | Oakland, CA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Haven Media Inc | Denver, CO | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Honor the Earth | Callaway, MN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Partnership for Working Families | Washington, DC | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Partnership for Working Families | Oakland, CA | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Urge Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity | Washington, DC | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Colorado Peoples Alliance | Denver, CO | $44,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Calling All Crows | Arvada, CO | $40,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| English in Action | Basalt, CO | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Southern Birth Justice Network | Miami, FL | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Voces Unidas De Las Montanas | Glenwood Springs, CO | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community Catalyst | Boston, MA | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Highlander Research & Education Center Inc | New Market, TN | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Asian American-Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy | Oakland, CA | $24,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Funders for Lgbtq Issues | New York, NY | $22,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Confluence Philanthropy | Oakland, CA | $21,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Accessportamerica Inc | Block Island, RI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective | Culver City, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Decendants of the Earth | Ventura, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dancers Group | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| House of Tulip Trans United Leading Intersectional Progress | New Orleans, LA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| La Plazita Institute in Albuquerque | Albuquerque, NM | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Muente Support Committee | Phoenix, AZ | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northern California Grantmakers | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| So Oh Shinali Sister Project | Commerce, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc | Calabasas, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Relational Center | Denver, CO | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Third Sector New England Inc | Boston, MA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Ttawaxt Birth Justice Center | Selah, WA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Grantmakers Concerned W Immigrants and Refugees | Sebastpol, CA | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Funders for Reproductive Equity | Rockville, MD | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Justice Funders | Oakland, CA | $12,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| National Center for Family Philanthropy Inc | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (napawf) | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Peak Grantmaking Inc | Washington, DC | $7,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| National Committee of Responsive Philanthropy | Washington, DC | $6,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| State Democracy Project | Brooklyn, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Technology Association of Grantmakers | Chicago, IL | $1,015 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
60 of 120 (50%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 45%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one, and this foundation told the IRS it does not.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Pop Culture Collaborative - Bend the Arc
FUNDERS' COLLABORATIVE ON YOUTH ORGS - Fractured Atlas Inc
EQUALITY LABS DIGITAL RESILENCE INT - Tides Foundation
CENTER FOR WORKING FAMILIES FUND - United for a New Economy
TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP CHANGE - Proteus Fund Inc
Protecting the Right to Protest
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 177 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 71 | $6,050,000 | $65,000 |
| 2022 | 52 | $3,881,000 | $63,000 |
| 2023 | 64 | $4,761,000 | $75,000 |
| 2024 | 58 | $4,844,015 | $70,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. General Service Foundation has 61 of them, worth $6,956,000. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $400,000 |
| Borealis Philanthropy | Minneapolis, MN | $320,000 |
| Groundswell Fund | Oakland, CA | $310,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $250,000 |
| Neighborhood Funders Group | Oakland, CA | $210,000 |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $200,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $200,000 |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $200,000 |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $200,000 |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $200,000 |
| Neighborhood Funders Group | Oakland, CA | $200,000 |
| Forward Together | Oakland, CA | $160,000 |
| Borealis Philanthropy | Minneapolis, MN | $160,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $150,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors | New York, NY | $150,000 |
Where its money goes
28% of its giving went to organizations in California.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more. Unlike this foundation, none of them is on record as funding only organizations it picks, and each page says what its filings show.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from General Service Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 3001 Bishop Drive Suite 300, San Ramon, CA, 94583. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS.
EIN 36-6018535 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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