The Walter S. Johnson Foundation

• The Foundation funds work in Northern California and Nevada supporting young people aged 14–26 who are disconnected from education and employment, particularly those involved in or at risk of foster care, through education and job training, college and career success, policy and systems change, and research and evaluation.
• About 8 in 10 of its 165 grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $200,000, with a median of $100,000, so a request in that range is realistic for most applicants.
• Applications proceed by invitation: first contact the Program Director to check eligibility and fit, as a Letter of Inquiry is often requested before a full proposal, and full proposals themselves are by invitation; proposals are generally due about three months before a Board meeting, which is held four times a year, so plan well ahead.
• 72% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the two preceding filings, which suggests a relationship-led approach where ongoing partnership counts for a good deal.
• The Foundation does not fund individuals, arts or film projects, land acquisitions, capital campaigns, endowments, international organisations, ongoing general operating costs, religious organisations for sectarian purposes, scholarships, memorial campaigns, endowment drives, capital or construction projects, or deficit funding.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• Special Project Fund Daf · To promote positive change to the policies and systems that assist youth in becoming successful adults.
  $588,0002024 tax year
• California College Pathways Pooled Fund · To promote positive change to the policies and systems that assist youth in becoming successful adults.
  $300,0002024 tax year
• American Bar Association Fund for Justice in Education · To promote positive change to the policies and systems that assist youth in becoming successful adults.
  $300,0002024 tax year
• Amalgamated Charitable Foundation · To promote positive change to the policies and systems that assist youth in becoming successful adults.
  $250,0002024 tax year
• Lutheran Social Services of Northern California · To promote positive change to the policies and systems that assist youth in becoming successful adults.
  $225,0002024 tax year
• SchoolHouse Connection · To promote positive change to the policies and systems that assist youth in becoming successful adults.
  $200,0002024 tax year
• Nevada System of Higher Education · To promote positive change to the policies and systems that assist youth in becoming successful adults.
  $200,0002024 tax year
• iFoster · To promote positive change to the policies and systems that assist youth in becoming successful adults.
  $200,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.