The Play Equity Fund
Los Angeles, CA · EIN 47-1295322. Reported 174 grants totalling $6,122,926 to 137 organizations across tax years 2021-2024, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For The Play Equity Fund, the IRS classifies it under education rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE B28) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 137 distinct organizations, with 6% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 8% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is below the 57% median for grantmaking charities, and well below the 67% private foundations manage. A list that turns over this much is one a newcomer can realistically join.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $10,000. Half of what it reported fell between $10,000 and $60,000; the smallest was $5,200 and the largest $361,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playworks Education Energized | Oakland, CA | $361,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Project Blue Corps | Compton, CA | $320,200 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Inglewood Unified School District | Los Angeles, CA | $305,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Woodcraft Rangers | Los Angeles, CA | $235,200 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Inner City Education Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $228,448 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Hollenbeck Police Activities League | Los Angeles, CA | $225,355 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Street Soccer USA Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $200,800 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Boss Inc | Long Beach, CA | $167,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Young Mens Christian Association of Metropolitan Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $160,920 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Our Own Non Profit Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $145,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| After-School All-Stars Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $135,200 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Boyle Heights Youth Football | Los Angeles, CA | $130,200 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends Of@gala | Los Angeles, CA | $129,155 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Boys & Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley | Monterey Park, CA | $120,200 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Proyecto Pastoral | Los Angeles, CA | $120,200 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Students Run America | Glendale, CA | $110,400 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Everybody Dance La | Los Angeles, CA | $110,200 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club | Lancaster, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Antelope Valley Partners for Health | Lancaster, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Carson | Carson, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Gryd Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sloane Stephens Foundation Inc | Ft Lauderdale, FL | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| United American Indian Involvement | Los Angeles, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Variety Boys and Girls Club | Los Angeles, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Inglewood Educational Foundation | Inglewood, CA | $95,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Los Angeles Parks Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $89,899 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Whittier Inc | Whittier, CA | $82,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation | Alhambra, CA | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Project Joy | Palmdale, CA | $77,525 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Eastside Union School District | Lancaster, CA | $77,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| La Promise Fund | Los Angeles, CA | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Watts Skills Academy Inc | Inglewood, CA | $65,200 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Legacy La Youth Development Corporation | Los Angeles, CA | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Optimist Boys Home & Ranch | Los Angeles, CA | $57,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Thinkwatts Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $55,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| 2ND Call | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Angel City Alliance | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| California Ultimate Association | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Jovenes Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Loving Hands Community Care Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community Partners | Los Angeles, CA | $40,000 | 4 | 2 | 2024 |
| Football for Her Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $37,375 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles | Van Nuys, CA | $35,675 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Its Bigger Than US | Los Angeles, CA | $35,600 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks | Los Angeles, CA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Downtown Soccer Club | Los Angeles, CA | $27,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Citizens of the World Charter Schools - Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $27,462 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Community Support Services Organization | Baldwin Park, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Glorya Kaufman Dance Foundation | Wilmington, DE | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Luskin Academy | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tudela Futbol Club Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| East Side Riders Bike Club | Los Angeles, CA | $19,375 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Partnerships to Uplift Communities Lake View Terrace | Burbank, CA | $16,137 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Positive Coaching Alliance | Oakland, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Puente Learning Center | Los Angeles, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Seattle Parks Foundation | Seattle, WA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lennox Math Science and Technology Academy | Inglewood, CA | $13,125 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| 40 Love Foundation Incorporated | Culver City, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| A New Way of Life Reentry Project | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Alliance for Childrens Rights | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Asian Law Caucus | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Black Cooperative Impact Fund | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective | Culver City, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| CASA of Los Angeles | Monterey Park, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Challenged Athletes Inc | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community Build Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Connie Rice Institute for Urban Peace | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Covenant House California | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Culture Club of South Bay | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Destination Crenshaw | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| El Centro De Pueblo | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Esperanza Community Housing Corporation | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Food Forward Inc | North Hollywood, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Girls Inc of Greater Los Angeles | N Hollywood, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Harvest Home Inc | Santa Monica, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Homeboy Industries | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| I Have a Dream Foundation-Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Innercity Struggle | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Insideout Writers Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Jenesse Center Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kedren Community Health Center Inc Kedren Child Development Center | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kids Enjoy Exercise Now | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Kids in the Spotlight Inc | Burbank, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Los Angeles Conservation Corps | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lovesetmatch | Monterey Park, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mar Vista Family Center | Culver City, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Mental Health Advocacy Services Inc | Glendale, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Operation Progress | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Playa Vista Job Opportunities and Business Services | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Project Knucklehead | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pukuu Cultural Community Services | San Fernando, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pulse Arts | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Reading to Kids | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rightway Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Safe Place for Youth Inc | Venice, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| School on Wheels Inc | Ventura, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Search to Involve Pilipino Americans | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sisters of Watts | Palmdale, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc | Calabasas, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Teen Line | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Plus Me Project | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Unity Ice Academy Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Urban Scholar Academy | Inglewood, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Urban Txt Teens Exploring Technology | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Village for Vets | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Crete Academy | Los Angeles, CA | $9,375 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Inglewood Baseball Fund Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $9,375 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Little League Baseball Inc | S Pasadena, CA | $9,375 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| New Village Charter School Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $9,375 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Rainbow Labs Mentoring Inc | W Hollywood, CA | $9,375 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Umps Care Charities Inc | Edgewater, MD | $9,375 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| All Peoples Community Center | Los Angeles, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Blackstar Organization | Inglewood, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| California Aquatic Therapy & Wellness Center Inc | Long Beach, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Carousel Ranch Inc | Agua Dulce, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Charter Oak Athletics | Covina, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Club Basketball Raza Unida Cbru | Los Angeles, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Coachart Org | Los Angeles, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community Sports Foundation Inc | Granada Hills, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Concrete Queenz Inc | Venice, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Empowerment Effect | El Segundo, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fellowship of Christian Athletes | Kansas City, MO | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fist of Gold Youth Center Inc | Pomona, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Guardian Training | Menlo Park, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Lakewood Aquatic Sports Club Inc | Long Beach, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Miracle League Los Angeles | N Hollywood, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Oneway Outreach Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| PICK6 Youth Flag Football | Wilmington, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Stoked Mentoring Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Swim Up Hill Foundation Inc | Inglewood, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Friendship Foundation | Redondo Beach, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Trident Swim Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wilshire Softball Association | Los Angeles, CA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| KIPP Socal Public Schools | Los Angeles, CA | $5,325 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
26 of 137 (19%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 118 of 137 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 84 | $1,880,975 | $10,000 |
| 2022 | 49 | $2,767,852 | $50,000 |
| 2023 | 13 | $321,600 | $10,000 |
| 2024 | 28 | $1,152,499 | $50,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
94% of its giving went to organizations in California. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
Down to the city
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available 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.
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $10,000 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in California.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Play Equity Fund's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 28 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 0 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 2141 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90018.
EIN 47-1295322 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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