The Christensen Fund
San Francisco, CA · EIN 94-6055879. Reported 525 grants totalling $52.3M to 290 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Yesaccepts unsolicited requests
$70,000median grant
$52.3Mgranted, 2021-2024
290organizations funded
48%of grantees funded again the next year
$354.5Massets, latest filing
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. The Christensen Fund did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
This is the foundation's own statement to the IRS, not our judgement, and it says nothing about whether they have a form, a deadline, or an appetite for new grantees. Treat it as the reason this foundation is worth your research time, not as an invitation. Many small foundations of this kind have no website and no application process -- a letter of inquiry is the normal first step.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $70,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $15,000 and $150,000; the smallest was $600 and the largest $1,000,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
All 290 recipients appear in its filings; the 250 largest are listed here. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which this organization received money -- the clearest signal of who this foundation actually has a relationship with.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native Americans in Philanthropy | Washington, DC | $2,260,000 | 9 | 4 | 2024 |
| Native American Rights Fund | Boulder, CO | $1,350,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Instituto Mexicano De Desarrollo Comunitario Ac | Guadalajara, Jalisco | $1,120,000 | 4 | 2 | 2022 |
| Rainforest Foundation Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $1,035,000 | 6 | 3 | 2024 |
| Land Is Life Inc | New York, NY | $955,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| National Congress of American Indians Fund | Washington, DC | $915,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Cultural Survival | Cambridge, MA | $882,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples Inc | Arcata, CA | $825,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Amah Mutsun Land Trust | Santa Cruz, CA | $765,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Indigenous Peoples Rights Inc | West Boothbay Harbor, ME | $765,000 | 5 | 3 | 2024 |
| Alliance for a Just Society | Seattle, WA | $750,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Allied Media Projects | Detroit, MI | $750,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| International Land and Forest Tenure Facility | Stockholm | $750,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Rudolf Steiner Foundation Dba Rsf Social Finance | San Francisco, CA | $750,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs | Copenhagen | $675,000 | 4 | 2 | 2022 |
| Snowchange Cooperative | Lehtoi | $675,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Redes Por La Diversidad Equidad Y Sustentabilidad Ac | Mexico City, Distrito Federal | $600,000 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Kivulini Trust | Isiolo | $580,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Mountain View, CA | $579,000 | 5 | 3 | 2024 |
| Forest Peoples Programme | Moretoninmarsh | $570,000 | 5 | 2 | 2024 |
| Law College Association of the University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | $562,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Rights and Resources Institute Inc | Washington, DC | $545,000 | 6 | 3 | 2024 |
| International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs | Copenhagen, Kbenhavn | $530,000 | 3 | 1 | 2024 |
| Servicios Integrales Emuri (sine) Ac | Creel, Chihuahua | $530,000 | 4 | 2 | 2022 |
| International Indian Treaty Council | Tucson, AZ | $510,000 | 3 | 1 | 2024 |
| Illuminative Inc | Tusla, OK | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| International Indian Treaty Council | Tucson, CA | $500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Namati | Washington, DC | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sogorea Te' Land Trust | Oakland, CA | $460,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation | Honolulu, HI | $450,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Natural Justice | Cape Town | $440,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (impa | Nanyuki | $420,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Servicios Integrales Emuri (sine) Ac | Creel | $400,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation | Nanyuki, Rift Valley | $390,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Native Conservancy | Cordova, AK | $375,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Ndn Collective Inc | Rapid City, SD | $375,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Sicangu Community Development Corporation | Mission, SD | $375,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Periodismo De Abajo Ac | Mexico City, Distrito Federal | $370,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Samburu Women Trust | Nanyuki, Rift Valley | $370,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| International Indigenous Women's Forum Fimi | Lima, Lima | $360,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $350,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact Foundation | Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai | $330,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Tebtebba Foundation Inc | Baguio City | $327,500 | 3 | 1 | 2022 |
| Impact Charitable | Denver, CO | $322,250 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Drylands Learning and Capacity Building Initiative | Nairobi | $320,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Strategies for Northern Development | Moyale, Eastern | $310,000 | 5 | 2 | 2024 |
| American Indian Science and Engineering Society | Albuquerque, NM | $305,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Center for Research and Development in Drylands | Marsabit, Eastern | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Center for Research and Development in Drylands | Marsabit | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Colorado Plateau Foundation | Flagstaff, AZ | $300,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Denver Art Museum Inc | Denver, CO | $300,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Fondo Defensores Ac | Guadalajara, Mex | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Global Greengrants Fund Inc | Boulder, CO | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Indian Land Tenure Foundation | Little Canada, MN | $300,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Indigenous Strategy and Institution for Development | Moyale | $300,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Oweesta Corporation | Longmont, CO | $300,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Resource Conflict Institute | Nakuru, Rift Valley | $300,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Resource Conflict Institute (reconcile) | Nakuru | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pastoralist Women for Health and Education | Isiolo, North-Eastern | $285,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara | South Jakarta, Jakarta | $280,000 | 3 | 1 | 2024 |
| Drylands Learning and Capacity Building Initiatives | Nairobi, Central | $280,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Rewild | Austin, TX | $270,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Samburu Women Trust | Nanyuki | $260,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Colorado Foundation | Denver, CO | $260,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Federacion Indigena Empresarial Y Comunidades Locales De Mexico a C | Ciudad De Mexico, Distrito Federal | $250,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Fondo Defensores Ac | Guadalajara | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fondo Defensores Ac | Guadalajara, Jal | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Front Line USA Foundation | New York, NY | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| International Indigenous Women's Forum | Lima | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Organizacion Nacional Indigena De Colombia (onic) | Bogota DC | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Somos Viento Ac | Xochimilco Mexico City, Distrito Federal | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tebtebba Foundation Inc | Baguio City, Benguet | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Friends of Lake Turkana Trust | Lodwar, Rift Valley | $235,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Pastoralist Women for Health and Education | Isiolo, Eastern | $230,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Consultoria Tecnica Comunitaria Ac | Chihuahua, Chihuahua | $220,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Tequio Juridico Ac | Oaxaca, Oaxaca | $220,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Pastoralists Indigenous Non Governmental Organization's Forum (pingo's) | Arusha | $220,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ogiek Peoples' Development Program | Narok | $216,000 | 4 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ogiek Peoples' Development Program | Nakuru, Rift Valley | $210,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| If Not US Then Who | Venice, CA | $208,000 | 6 | 3 | 2024 |
| Centro Mexicano De Derecho Ambiental Ac | Mexico City | $200,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Honor the Earth | Callaway, MN | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Indian Law Resource Center Inc | Helena, MT | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Kivulini Trust | Isiolo, Eastern | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Legal Advice Centre | Nairobi, Nairobi | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Namati Inc | Nairobi | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Reseau Des Populations Autochtones Et Locales Pour La Gestion Durable Des E | Yaounde, Centre | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Tequio Juridico Ac | Oaxaca, Oax | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Cultural Conservancy | San Francisco, CA | $200,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Tribal Government of St Paul Island | Anchorage, AK | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Yayasan Anak Dusun Papua | Jayapura | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Centro De Capacitacion Y Defensa De Los Derechos Humanos E Indigenas Ac | Chihuahua, Chihuahua | $190,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fundacion Pro Defensa De La Naturaleza Y Sus Derechos | Quito | $187,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Meridian Institute | Dillon, CO | $180,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College | Cambridge, MA | $180,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Acuavita Foundation Inc | San Diego Ca, CA | $170,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Foro Para El Desarrollo Sustentable Ac | San Cristobal De Las CASA, Chiapas | $170,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Solidaritas Masyarakat Adat Asia | Bogor, Jawa Barat | $170,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Drylands Learning and Capacity Building Initiatives (dlci) | Nairobi, Central Province | $160,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Pueblo Originario Kichwa De Sarayaku | Sarayaku, Pastaza | $160,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Vanuatu National Statistics Office | Port Vila, Efate | $160,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians | Portland, OR | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Centro De Derechos Humanos De La Montaa Tlachinollan Ac | Tlapa De Comonfort, Guerrero | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Consultoria Tecnica Comunitaria Ac | Chihuahua | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Drylands Learning and Capacity Building Initiatives (dlci) | Nairobi, Central | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Dynamique Des Groupes De Peuples Autochtones | Kinshasa | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Gwichin Steering Committee | Fairbanks, AK | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Indigenous Educational Network of Turtle Island | Bemidji, MN | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Indij Public Media | Phoenix, AZ | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Instituto Mexicano De Desarrollo Comunitario Ac | Guadalajara | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Resources Legacy Fund | Sacramento, CA | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Ujamaa Community Resource Team | Arusha, Arusha | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | Washington, DC | $145,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Federacion Indigena Empresarial Y Comunidades Locales De Mexico Ac | Ciudad De Mexico, Distrito Federal | $140,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Synchronicity Earth USA Inc | New York, NY | $140,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Cordillera Peoples Alliance Inc | Baguio City | $135,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Gayo Pastoral Development Initiative | Addis Ababa, Oromiya | $130,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| International Funders for Indigenous Peoples | Sacramento, CA | $130,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Pastoral Women's Council | Arusha, Arusha | $130,000 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara | South Jakarta | $125,000 | 2 | 1 | 2023 |
| Asociacin Civil De Trabajo Socioambiental De La Amazona Wataniba | Caracas DC | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Asociacion Civil De Trabajo Socioambiental De La Amazonia Wataniba | Caracas DC | $125,000 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mongabay Org Corporation | Menlo Park, CA | $125,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Muuch-Kambal Ac | Hopelchen, Campeche | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Alianza Sierra Madre Ac | Chihuahua, Chihuahua | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bioversity International | Rome | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Centro Mexicano De Derecho Ambiental Ac | Mexico City, Distrito Federal | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Coalition of Pastoralist Civil Society Organizations Inc | Kampala, Kampala | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Horn of Africa Development Initiative | Marsabit, Eastern | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Indigenous Livelihoods Enhancement Partners | Narok, Rift Valley | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pastoralists Alliance for Resilience and Adaptation Across Nations | Nanyuki, Rift Valley | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pastoralists Alliance for Resilience and Adaptation Across Nations (paraan) | Nanyuki, Rift Valley | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Telecomunicaciones Indigenas Comunitarias Ac | Las Flores Santa Lucia De, Oax | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Coalition of Large Tribes | Hardin, MT | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Coordinadora De Las Organizaciones Indigenas De La Cuenca Amazonica (coica) | Quito | $115,000 | 2 | 1 | 2022 |
| Indignacion Promocion Y Defensa De Los Derechos Humanos Ac | Cheblekal, Yucatan | $115,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Native American Finance Officers Association Inc | Washington, DC | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| North Eastern Province Aid | Nairobi, Nairobi | $110,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pastoralist Women for Health and Education | Isiolo | $110,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Podaali - Fundo Indigena Da Amazonia Brasileira | Manaus | $110,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara | South Jakarta, Jakarta Raya | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Alliance of Local Communities in Hardship Areas | Moyale, Eastern | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| El Quinto Elemento Laboratorio De Investigacion E Innovacion Periodistica a | Mexico City, Distrito Federal | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide | Eugene, OR | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| First Nations Development Institute | Longmont, CO | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Frontier Counties Development Council | Nairobi, Nairobi | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fundacion Tosepan Ac | Cuetzalan Del Progreso, Puebla | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Hawaii Community Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Indigenous Peoples Rights International | Baguio City, Baguio | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Indigenous Resource Management Organization-Iremo | Marsabit, Eastern | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Karamoja Herders of the Horn | Moroto | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Association of Pasture Users of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz Jaiyty | Bishkek, Bishkek | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northern Chumash Tribal Council | Los Osos, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Pastoralist Integrated Support Programme | Marsabit, Eastern | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Podaali - Fundo Indigena Da Amazonia Brasileira | Manaus, Amazonas | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Centro De Capacitacion Y Defensa De Los Derechos Humanos E Indigenas Ac | Chihuahua | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fondo Defensores Ac | Guadalajara, Jalisco | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Coalition of Pastoralist Civil Society Organisations Inc | Kampala | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Indigenous Media Foundation | Anamnagar, Bhat-Bhateni | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Kumoontun Ac | San Francisco Lachigolo, Oaxaca | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Marsabit Women Advocacy and Development Organization | Marsabit, Eastern | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Proyecto De Derechos Economicos Sociales Y Culturales Ac | Ciudad De Mexico, Distrito Federal | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Solidaire Network Inc | Oakland, CA | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Greater Kansas City Community Foundation | Kansas City, MO | $78,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rhizomatica Communications | Philadelphia, PA | $76,000 | 4 | 2 | 2023 |
| Anahita | Buston Town | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Grand Canyon Trust Inc | Flagstaff, AZ | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Save Png Inc | Lae | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The National Foundation on Fitness Sports and Nutrition | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tlachinollan Grupo De Apoyo a Los Pueblos Indios De La Montana Ac | Tlapa De Comonfort | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| United South and Eastern Tribes Inc | Nashville, TN | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Awe Tibuame Ac | Chihuahua | $70,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Carto-Critica Ac | Cuernavaca | $70,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Raichali Independiente Ac | Chihuahua, Chihuahua | $70,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The New World Foundation | New York, NY | $70,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Estudios Rurales Y Asesoria Ac | Oaxaca, Oaxaca | $65,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Foro Para El Desarrollo Sustentable Ac | San Cristobal De Las CASA | $65,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Community Initiatives Facilitation and Assistance New Ethiopia | Addis Ababa, Oromiya | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Consultative Group on Biological Diversity | San Francisco, CA | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation Inc | Quezon City, National Capital | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Labata Fantalle Organization | Matahara | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Mainyoito Pastoralists Integrated Development Organization | Nairobi, Central Province | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Pastoralists Peoples' Initiative | Marsabit, Eastern | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation Inc | Quezon City | $59,000 | 3 | 1 | 2022 |
| Dynamic Agro Pastoralist Development Organisation | Kampala, Kaabong | $55,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Tarahumara Childrens Hospital Fund of El Paso | El Paso, TX | $53,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Biodiversity Funders Group (bfg) | San Francisco, CA | $52,400 | 3 | 1 | 2023 |
| Smith College | Northampton, MA | $50,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Ardha Jabesa Foundation | Isiolo, Eastern | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Business and Human Rights Resource Center | London | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Community Agroecology Network | Santa Cruz, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association | Rapid City, SD | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Grist Magazine Inc | Seattle, WA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Interdisciplinary Center for Research and Alternative Development U Yich Lu | Sanahcat, Yucatan | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Litigio Estrategico Indigena Ac | Oaxaca De Juarez, Oaxaca | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Muuch-Kambal Ac | Campeche, Mex | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| People of the Sacred Land | Broomfield, CO | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Timo Patla Intercultural Ac | Puebla, Puebla | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tsikini Ac | Guadalajara | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Young of Heart Workshop Dba Pu'uhonua Society | Honolulu, HI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Justice Funders | Oakland, CA | $47,500 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Cobanaras Federacion Estatal De Sociedades De Solidaridad Social | Cd Obregon Cajeme | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pastoralist Initiative Development Aid | Moyale, Oromiya | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Rebuilding Pastoralist Livelihoods | Marsabit, Eastern | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sundance Institute | Park City, UT | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Environmental Grantmakers Association | New York, NY | $41,200 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Fundacion Karisma | Bogota | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Panorama Global | Seattle, WA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | Warwick, RI | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | Boston, MA | $31,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Huukuiko Inc | Brisbane, CA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Council on Foundations Inc | Washington, DC | $28,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Assoc of Indigenous Peoples and Orgs of the Ne Minas Gerais and Espirito S | Olinda, Pernambuco | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ekvnv Yefolecvlke | Weogufka, AL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria | Santa Rosa, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kuaina Ulu Auamo | Kneohe, HI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| La Plazita Institute | Albuquerque, NM | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Marin Agricultural Land Trust | Point Reyes Station, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Native Hawaiian Philanthropy Aka Maui Mixer | Kula, HI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Pepperwood Foundation | Santa Rosa, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rainforest Foundation Norway | Oslo | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Seventh Generation Advisors | Santa Monica, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sustainable Molokai | Kaunakakai, HI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ta Alunauw the Quinault Canoe Society | Taholah, WA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tsikini Ac | Guadalajara, Jalisco | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Waipa Foundation | Hanalei Kauai, HI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| World Central Kitchen Inc | Washington, DC | $24,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Edge Funders Alliance | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Edge Funders Alliance | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Koihonua | Pearl City, HI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources | Gland | $17,678 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Alliance of Local Communities in Hardship Areas (alcha) | Moyale, Eastern | $15,800 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Santa Fe Film Institute | Santa Fe, NM | $15,600 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Afraid of Bear - American Horse Tiospaye | Hogansburg, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Centro Para El Desarrollo Social Y La Sustentabilidad Nuiwari Ac | Ruiz, Nayarit | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Muuch-Kambal | Ichek, Campeche | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy | Washington, DC | $12,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Friends of Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo | Palo Alto, CA | $10,750 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Companies for Causes | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hispanics in Philanthropy | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| National Center for Family Philanthropy Inc | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Native American Fish and Wildlife Society | Northglenn, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Possibility Labs | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ramapough Culture and Land Foundation Inc | Newton, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Servicios Integrales Emuri Ac | Creel, Chihuahua | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Somos Viento Ac | Morelia | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Billion Oyster Project | New York, NY | $9,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Peak Grantmaking Inc | Washington, DC | $9,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
105 of 290 (36%) 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 48%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
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.
- Native Americans in Philanthropy
CORE SUPPORT FOR THE TRIBAL NATIONS BIODIVERSITY FUND - Native American Rights Fund
GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE LINE OF WORK THAT SEEKS TO ASSIST TRIBAL NATIONS IN ADDRESSING THE BOARDING SCHOOL HISTORY, TRAUMAS, EFFORTS TOWARD TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION, AND, ULTIMATELY, A SELF-DETERMINATIVE APPROACH TOWARD HEALING. - Allied Media Projects
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR THE DECOLONIZING WEALTH PROJECT AND LIBERATED CAPITAL FUND--A FISCALLY SPONSORED PROJECT OF ALLIED MEDIA PROJECTS. - Instituto Mexicano De Desarrollo Comunitario Ac
SUPPORT FOR FONDO DEFENSORES, THE 1ST INDIGENOUS RIGHTS FUND IN MEXICO THAT WILL ACT AS A HUB FOR EXPERTS, BUILDING CONNECTIONS, NETWORKS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND CAPACITY TO STRENGTHEN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' RIGHTS REGARDING THEIR LANDS AND TERRITORIES. - Namati
SUPPORT A GROUP OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CONSIDERED MINORITIES IN EAST AFRICA (E.G THE ENDOROIS AND OGIEK OF KENYA AND OTHERS ACROSS EAST AFRICA) AND THEIR INSTITUTIONS TO BE MORE CONNECTED IN ADDRESSING EMERGING PRIORITIES IN RELATION TO THEIR CUSTOMARY TENURE RIGHTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AFRICAN COURTS OF HUMAN AND PEOPLES RIGHTS DECISION OF 2010 AND 2017. - Rainforest Foundation Inc
CORE SUPPORT FOR THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES -- A FISCALLY SPONSORED PROJECT OF THE RAINFOREST FOUNDATION, INC.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 235 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 99 | $12.2M | $100,000 |
| 2022 | 142 | $14.0M | $50,000 |
| 2023 | 150 | $12.9M | $52,500 |
| 2024 | 134 | $13.2M | $76,125 |
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. The Christensen Fund has 19 of them, worth $4,700,000. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back -- and it also tells you how much of the next year's budget is already spoken for.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Native American Rights Fund | Boulder, CO | $500,000 |
| Servicios Integrales Emuri Ac | Creel, Chihuahua | $400,000 |
| National Congress of American Indians Fund | Washington DC, DC | $300,000 |
| Fondo Defensores Ac | Guadalajara, Jalisco | $250,000 |
| Illuminative Inc | Tusla, OK | $250,000 |
| Cultural Survival | Cambridge, MA | $250,000 |
| International Indian Treaty Council | Tucson, AZ | $250,000 |
| International Land and Forest Tenure Facility | Stockholm | $250,000 |
| Cultural Survival | Cambridge, MA | $250,000 |
| International Indian Treaty Council | San Francisco, CA | $250,000 |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $250,000 |
| International Land and Forest Tenure Facility | Stockholm | $250,000 |
| Tebtebba Foundation Inc | Baguio City | $250,000 |
| The Pastoralists Indigenous Non Governmental Organization's Forum (pingo's) | Arusha | $220,000 |
| Alliance for a Just Society | Seattle, WA | $200,000 |
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 13% of this one's giving went to organizations in California. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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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 the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund75 shared recipientsDonor Advised Charitable Giving Inc66 shared recipientsAmerican Online Giving Foundation Inc56 shared recipientsSilicon Valley Community Foundation51 shared recipientsNational Philanthropic Trust51 shared recipientsVanguard Charitable Endowment Program50 shared recipients
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $70,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in California.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
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Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Christensen Fund's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 660 4TH Street 235, San Francisco, CA, 94107. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 94-6055879 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
This is history, not an open call. Foundation returns are published about a year after the tax year ends. Nothing on this page is a deadline. It is a record of who this foundation has actually funded, which is the best available predictor of who it will fund next -- and a much better basis for deciding whether to write to them than a mission statement.
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.