Natalie Orfalea Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA · EIN 47-4602133. Reported 124 grants totalling $4,437,861 to 89 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". Natalie Orfalea 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
3 of the organizations Natalie Orfalea Foundation funded make grants themselves, and it reported 11 grants totalling $591,538 to them. That is 23% of the $2,620,747 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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara Foundation | community foundation | California | $470,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 | Its form does not ask |
| Park County Community Foundation | community foundation | Montana | $71,538 | 4 | 3 | 2023 | Its form does not ask |
| Impactassetsinc | federated giving programme | Maryland | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 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 $25,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $50,000; the smallest was $300 and the largest $246,477.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $470,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Nature Conservancy of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA | $246,477 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Dignity Moves | San Francisco, CA | $174,798 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ucsb Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $171,464 | 5 | 3 | 2024 |
| Utah Film Center | Salt Lake City, UT | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Showers of Blessings | Goleta, CA | $145,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Nature Conservancy Tnd Dangermond | Arlington, VA | $137,776 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Nature Conservancy | Arlington, VA | $111,752 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Exposure Labs | Boulder, CO | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sansum Clinic | Santa Barbara, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Planned Parenthood | Santa Barbara, CA | $88,362 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Community Environmental Council | Santa Barbara, CA | $83,334 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Doctors Without Walls - Sb Street Medicine | Santa Barbara, CA | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| White Buffalo Land Trust | Santa Barbara, CA | $77,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Isla Vista Youth Project | Goleta, CA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sb Education Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| World Central Kitchen | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Park County Community Foundation | Livingston, MT | $71,538 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Friends of Ballona Wetlands | Playa Del Rey, CA | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Santa Barbara County Food Action Network | Santa Barbara, CA | $66,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Denver Film Society | Denver, CO | $62,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Climate Foundation | Seattle, WA | $62,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ucsb Arts and Lectures | Santa Barbara, CA | $62,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| African Women Rising | Santa Barbara, CA | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Park County Environmental Foundation | Livingston, MT | $54,075 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Carpinteria Childrens Project | Carpinteria, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Direct Relief International | Santa Barbara, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Freedom 4 Youth | Santa Barbara, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Good Samaritan Shelter | Santa Maria, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Greater Yellowstone Coalition | Bozeman, MT | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Gwendolyn Strong Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Impact Assets | Bethesda, MD | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| One Heart Worldwide | San Diego, CA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Park Community Environmental Council Pcec | Livingston, MT | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sb Neighborhood Clinics | Santa Barbara, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Synergos Institute | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Grist Magazine | Seattle, WA | $49,681 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hospice of Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (sb Act) | Santa Barbara, CA | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Another Body Film | Los Angeles, CA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Doctors Without Walls | Santa Barbara, CA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Doctors Without Walls - Sb St Medicine | Santa Barbara, CA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Food Bank of Santa Barbara County | Goleta, CA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Legacy Philanthropy Works | Santa Barbara, CA | $36,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Aha | Santa Barbara, CA | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Leading From Within | Santa Barbara, CA | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Audacious Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $28,942 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Blue Dot Institute | Westlake Village, CA | $26,092 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Equal Justice Initiative | Montgomery, AL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kaboom | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sundance Institute | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sundance Institute | Park City, UT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Voter Participation Center | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Women's Reproductive Rights Assistance Project | Santa Monica, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| World Telehealth Initiative | Goleta, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sb Cottage Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $24,882 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Film Independent | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| On Being | Minneapolis, MN | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Save the Yellowstone Grizzly | Livingston, MT | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Veterinary Initiative for Endangered Wildlife | Bozeman, MT | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Move Bicycle Coalition | Santa Barbara, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Reconsider at Lundy | Wawarsing, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Wildlife Center of Virginia | Waynesboro, VA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Santa Barbara, CA | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| A Human Thread Foundation | San Rafael, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Afghan Literacy Foundation | Redondo Beach, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Compassion and Choices | Portland, OR | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Earth Justice | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Farm to School of Park County | Livingston, MT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Feminist Majority | Beverly Hills, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Friends of Park County | Pray, MT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Indian Law Resource Center | Helena, MT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Montana State University | Billings, MT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Organic Soup Kitchen | Santa Barbara, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chicken & Egg Pictures | Brooklyn, NY | $5,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Compassionate Choices | Portland, OR | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Earthjustice | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| National Public Radio (npr) | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| PBS Socal | Costa Mesa, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Redford Center | San Francisco, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Park Community Environmental Council | Livingston, MT | $3,388 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Climate Food Hope Travel Fund | Berkeley, CA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Audobon Society | Santa Barbara, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Profant Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Santa Barbara Audubon Society | Santa Barbara, CA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Harvest Celebration Farm 2 School | Livingston, MT | $300 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
20 of 89 (22%) 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 28%, 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.
- Utah Film Center
ONE POINT FIVE FISCAL SPONSOR - Denver Film Society
SOCIAL DILEMMA IMPACT CAMPAIGN - Ucsb Foundation
BREN ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM - Impact Assets
GIVING LIST FISCAL SPONSOR - Audacious Foundation
LOUD FINAL ORFALEA FOUNDATION PROGRAM EXPENSES - Santa Barbara Foundation
SAN MARCOS FOOTHILLS FOREVER
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 69 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 | 35 | $1,079,291 | $25,000 |
| 2022 | 28 | $1,056,000 | $25,000 |
| 2023 | 32 | $1,185,151 | $25,000 |
| 2024 | 29 | $1,117,419 | $25,000 |
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. Natalie Orfalea Foundation has 15 of them, worth $1,272,943. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Ucsb Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $250,000 |
| Nature Conservancy of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA | $200,000 |
| Community Environmental Council | Santa Barbara, CA | $166,666 |
| Food Bank of Santa Barbara County | Goleta, CA | $120,000 |
| Friends of Ballona Wetlands | Playa Del Rey, CA | $110,000 |
| Community Schools of Richmond | Richmond, VA | $100,000 |
| The Climate Foundation | Seattle, WA | $62,500 |
| Denver Film Society | Denver, CO | $62,500 |
| The Wildlife Center of Virginia | Waynesboro, VA | $53,128 |
| The Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $50,000 |
| Grist Magazine | Seattle, WA | $50,000 |
| Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (sb Act) | Santa Barbara, CA | $20,000 |
| Park County Community Foundation | Livingston, MT | $15,000 |
| Nature Conservancy Tnd Dangermond | San Francisco, CA | $12,224 |
| Park County Environmental Foundation | Arlington, VA | $925 |
Where its money goes
63% 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 Natalie Orfalea 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: Po Box 50736, Santa Barbara, CA, 93150. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS.
EIN 47-4602133 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.