Pisces Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $16.7-20.3 million
• Assets: $54.5 million
• Grant Range: $10,000 - $4,000,000
• Geographic Focus: Global, with significant California focus
• Application Method: Invitation only / Periodic RFPs
• Founded: 2013

Contact Details

Address: 268 Bush St 3433, San Francisco, CA 94104-3503

Phone: 415-364-3760

Email: admin@piscesfoundation.org

Website: https://piscesfoundation.org/

Grants Portal: https://piscesfoundation.my.site.com/grants (for invited applicants only)

RFP Page: https://piscesfoundation.org/rfp/

Overview

Founded in 2013 by Gap Inc. heir Bob Fisher and his wife Randi Fisher, alongside environmental activist David Beckman, the Pisces Foundation has awarded more than 330 grants to over 153 organizations globally. With assets of approximately $54.5 million, the foundation distributed between $16.7-20.3 million annually in recent years. The foundation's mission centers on ensuring "people and nature thriving together" through strategic environmental grantmaking. The foundation operates with a relationship-based, collaborative approach, focusing on supporting early movers, innovative ideas, and bold leaders. Rather than funding individual projects in isolation, Pisces invests in field building, movement infrastructure, and the shared tools and resources that results-oriented collaboration requires. In 2018, they joined a coalition of 29 environmental groups pledging to spend a collective $4 billion over five years to combat climate change, announced at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Environment + Climate: Advancing collective action to meet the pace and scale of environmental and climate challenges

• Focus on reducing short-lived climate pollutants: black carbon, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
• Support for advocacy organizations, from large established groups to small grassroots organizations
• Typical grants range from $50,000 to $1,500,000+

Water Resources: Mainstreaming new thinking, technologies, and solutions for sustainable water management

• Urban Water RFP (periodic): In 2022, awarded $780,000 across 8 organizations from 91 applicants
• Support for integrated, systems-based approaches to water resources (One Water)
• Multi-year support typical for water grantees
• Recent major grants: Water Foundation ($4,000,000), Conservation International ($1,500,000)

Environmental Education: Supporting K-12 environmental and outdoor learning

• Field-building initiatives for environmental education infrastructure
• Programs creating and delivering innovative curricula
• In-school and out-of-school environmental education programs
• Recent major grant: National Park Foundation ($2,750,000), Justice Outside ($1,500,000)

San Francisco Community: Supporting the city's vitality and environmental health

• Local environmental justice initiatives
• Equity-focused community programs
• Grant amounts vary widely based on project scope

Priority Areas

• Climate pollutant reduction: Black carbon, methane, HFCs, and ozone
• Freshwater conservation: Systems-based water management approaches (notably identified as underfunded compared to ocean conservation)
• Environmental education equity: Promoting outdoor time as a human right and necessity, with equity at the forefront
• Movement infrastructure: Field building and collaborative mechanisms
• Diversity and equity: Supporting frontline communities and organizations led by those most impacted by climate change
• Collective action: Multi-stakeholder collaborations addressing systemic environmental challenges

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, limiting grantmaking to invitation-only applications and periodic Request for Proposals. Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but their focus is exclusively environmental and climate-related work.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

• Bob Fisher - Co-founder and trustee; Gap Inc. heir with net worth estimated at $1.5 billion (Forbes); focuses on strategic development and water resources
• Randi Fisher - Co-founder and trustee; philanthropist focused on environment, health, and sustainability

Executive Leadership

• David Beckman, President - Founding staff member and president since 2012. Beckman emphasizes equity as both a moral and strategic imperative: "The fact that philanthropy resources groups on the frontlines confronting some of the worst impacts of climate change with a fraction of their dollars is simply unfair and perpetuates the effects of racism. An inequitable funding strategy is also an ineffective funding approach because it fails to ensure some of our most insightful and effective advocates can do their work."

• Carol Ting, Chief Operating Officer - Responsible for translating strategy into operations

Program Team

• Meredith Blair Pearlman - Program Director overseeing integrated environmental and San Francisco initiatives
• Jason Morris - Environment + Climate Lead with decades of environmental movement experience
• Kat Vang - San Francisco Lead
• Georgia Beesemyer - Program Analyst
• Emily Bourgeois - Fellow researching new philanthropic initiatives
• Katie Robinson - Senior Innovation Fellow advising on collaboration and movement building

Grants & Operations Staff

• Jane Wang - Grants Manager
• Erika Parke - Grants Associate
• Michelle Pigott - Executive Assistant to the President
• Casey Trujillo - Operations Associate
• Brittany Kamerschen - Operations Assistant

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Pisces Foundation does not have an open public application process. The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Instead, they operate through two mechanisms:

1. Periodic Request for Proposals (RFPs): The foundation occasionally issues open RFPs for specific initiatives. Past examples include:

   • 2022 Urban Water RFP: Received 91 applications from 33 states and Washington D.C.; awarded $780,000 to 8 organizations
   • 2021 Environmental Education Field-Building RFP

2. Invitation-Only Grantmaking: The foundation proactively identifies and invites organizations to apply based on their strategic priorities

Organizations interested in being considered for funding may email the foundation with general inquiries at admin@piscesfoundation.org, though this does not guarantee an invitation to apply.

Getting on Their Radar

The Pisces Foundation emphasizes relationship-building and collaboration. According to their stated approach, they "take the time to understand the needs of prospective grantees and explain their goals, strategies, and grant-making process" when they solicit proposals.

To position your organization favorably:

• Monitor their RFP page (https://piscesfoundation.org/rfp/) for periodic open calls
• Review their grant recipients database to understand the types of organizations and projects they fund
• Focus on field-building and collaboration: The foundation specifically values movement infrastructure, collective action, and organizations capable of "synergistic contribution" to "greater collective impact"
• Demonstrate equity commitments: The foundation has explicitly realigned their portfolio to prioritize equity, supporting diverse organizations including "big greens" as well as "small grassroots groups and others just getting off the ground"
• Address underfunded environmental issues: President David Beckman notes they "consciously picked issues that many people think are relatively underfunded," such as integrated freshwater approaches

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines vary by program and RFP. For the 2022 Urban Water RFP, selected projects were awarded grants in March 2023 (approximately 5-6 months after the Fall 2022 release).

The foundation commits to providing "sufficient lead-time to grantees to adjust" if funding priorities or timelines change.

Success Rates

For the 2022 Urban Water RFP: 91 applications received, 8 funded = 8.8% success rate

Overall success rates for invitation-only applications are not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies are not publicly documented. However, the foundation's emphasis on multi-year support and long-term partnerships suggests they prefer sustained relationships with successful grantees rather than one-off grants.

Application Success Factors

Based on direct statements from foundation leadership and documented funding patterns:

Strategic Alignment

• Focus on underfunded niches: President David Beckman states, "If there's one thing that might cut through our programs that is distinguishing, it is that we've in some sense consciously picked issues that many people think are relatively underfunded." Freshwater (vs. ocean) conservation is specifically mentioned as an example.

• Systems-based approaches: The foundation values integrated, collaborative solutions over isolated interventions. For water, they specifically support "integrated, systems-based approaches" (One Water).

Equity and Justice

• Frontline leadership: Beckman emphasizes that "philanthropy resources groups on the frontlines confronting some of the worst impacts of climate change with a fraction of their dollars is simply unfair." The foundation actively seeks to fund diverse organizations.

• Authentic equity integration: "We authentically believe every element of our strategy—from boosting equity in our grantmaking to resourcing movement infrastructure to ensuring we're funding advocacy by a wide range of effective organizations" (Beckman).

Collaborative Capacity

• Movement building: The foundation invests in "shared tools and resources that results-oriented collaboration requires" and looks for organizations "capable of making a synergistic contribution and altogether capable of greater collective impact."

• Field infrastructure: They specifically fund "movement infrastructure for environmental and outdoor learning across states and regions" and similar collaborative mechanisms.

Innovation and Early-Stage Support

• The foundation describes supporting "early movers, innovative ideas, and bold leaders," and funds organizations "just getting off the ground" alongside established groups.

Geographic Priorities

• While operating globally, "a significant portion of funding, particularly in the areas of water conservation and education, stays in California."
• Recent water grants focused on Houston, Miami, New Orleans, San Antonio, Portland, and San Diego.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Don't submit unsolicited proposals - Monitor their RFP page and consider sending a brief inquiry email, but understand most funding decisions are made proactively by foundation staff

• Emphasize collaboration and field-building - The foundation explicitly values movement infrastructure, collective action, and organizations that can contribute to larger collaborative efforts rather than working in isolation

• Demonstrate equity commitments - The foundation has deliberately "realigned" their portfolio to prioritize equity and support frontline communities; this is both a moral commitment and strategic priority they take seriously

• Position work as addressing underfunded issues - The foundation deliberately seeks out environmental problems that receive less philanthropic attention; articulate how your work fills a gap

• Think systems-level change - Isolated project funding is not their model; they invest in creating "conditions required to meet the pace and scale" of large challenges

• Consider their periodic RFPs carefully - When RFPs are released (like the Urban Water RFP), they represent rare opportunities for open applications, but expect high competition (8.8% success rate in 2022)

• Build for multi-year partnerships - The foundation values sustained relationships and commits "enough time and resources to make a difference," suggesting preference for longer-term grantee relationships

References

1. Pisces Foundation official website. (2025). Homepage. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://piscesfoundation.org/

2. Pisces Foundation. (2025). Who We Are. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://piscesfoundation.org/who-we-are/

3. Pisces Foundation. (2025). Grant Recipients. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://piscesfoundation.org/grant-recipients/

4. Pisces Foundation. (2025). Request for Proposals. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://piscesfoundation.org/rfp/

5. Cause IQ. (2025). Pisces Foundation | San Francisco, CA. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/pisces-foundation,207415160/

6. Inside Philanthropy. (2025). Pisces Foundation. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-p/pisces-foundation

7. Inside Philanthropy. (2015). Inside the Pisces Foundation: A New Environmental Grantmaker Emerges. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2015-11-30-inside-the-pisces-foundation-a-new-environmental-grantmaker-html

8. Instrumentl. (2025). Pisces Foundation | San Francisco, CA | 990 Report. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/207415160

9. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. (2025). Pisces Foundation. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/207415160

10. Pisces Foundation. (2025). Why Equity Goes Hand–in-Hand with Impact: A Conversation With Our President and C&E Program Lead. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://piscesfoundation.org/ce-blog-post/

11. Pisces Foundation. (2023). Accelerating One Water in U.S. Cities: Our 2022 Urban Water RFP Grant Awards. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://piscesfoundation.org/accelerating-integrated-equitable-water-management-with-our-2022-urban-water-grantees/

12. Pisces Foundation. (2025). What We Do. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://piscesfoundation.org/what-we-do/

13. InfluenceWatch. (2025). Pisces Foundation. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/pisces-foundation/

14. Pisces Foundation. (2025). Our 990-PFs. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://piscesfoundation.org/our-990-pfs/