Someland Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $9,772,349 (2023)
Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: Varies widely (average $488,617)
Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on San Francisco Bay Area
Assets: $310+ million
Application Method: Invitation only / pre-selected organizations

Contact Details

Address: 135 Main St, Floor 20, San Francisco, CA 94105

Note: The foundation maintains a low profile and does not have a public website. They do not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Someland Foundation, formerly known as the Sara and Evan Williams Foundation, was established by Evan Williams (billionaire co-founder of Twitter) and his wife Sara Williams. As of 2018, the couple had contributed $221 million to the foundation, which now holds assets totaling over $310 million. The foundation focuses primarily on education—particularly elementary and secondary education—as well as human services. In 2018, Abbey Banks became the foundation's executive director, serving in that role until early 2025. The foundation operates as a private nonoperating foundation and maintains a deliberately low profile, with no public website or external communications presence. Despite their preference for privacy, the foundation has made significant impact through strategic grants, including a notable $10 million gift to San Francisco Unified School District in 2020 for distance learning technology.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, they identify and support organizations aligned with their mission through trustee discretion and existing relationships.

2023 Grantmaking Activity:

Total awards: 20 grants
Total distributed: $9,772,349
Average grant size: $488,617

2022 Grantmaking Activity:

Total awards: 28 grants
Total distributed: $15,800,000

Priority Areas

Education:

Elementary and secondary education initiatives
Educational equity and access for underfunded students
Technology infrastructure for learning
Nonpartisan education organizations

Examples of funded organizations:

San Francisco Unified School District ($10 million in 2020 for distance learning technology; ongoing support since 2015)
Nueva School (independent school)
826 Valencia (nonprofit supporting underfunded students)

Human Services:

COVID-19 relief efforts (e.g., $50,000 to SF New Deal in 2020)
Community support organizations
Small business relief

Civil Rights and Reproductive Rights:

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - $11 million in 2018
Center for Reproductive Rights - $1.5 million in 2018

Arts:

Dia Center for the Arts

What They Don't Fund

The foundation's exclusions are not formally documented, but their giving pattern suggests they:

Focus on established organizations rather than startups
Prioritize organizations with which they have existing relationships or connections
Support organizations primarily in major U.S. cities (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco)

Governance and Leadership

Sara Williams - President Sara serves as the foundation's President on a part-time, uncompensated basis. She co-founded the foundation with her husband and plays an active role in strategic direction.

Evan Williams - Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter (now X), serves as Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary on a part-time, uncompensated basis. His technology background informs the foundation's interest in educational technology and digital equity.

Abbey Banks - Executive Director (2018-2025) Abbey Banks served as the foundation's Executive Director from December 2018 to February 2025, managing day-to-day operations and grant strategy. She transitioned to become Executive Director of Kodama Foundation in 2024.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Someland Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees (Sara and Evan Williams) to organizations they have identified through their own research, networks, and existing relationships.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's invitation-only approach, the following factors appear to characterize organizations that receive support:

Alignment with Founders' Values:

Organizations working in elementary and secondary education, particularly those focused on equity and access
Initiatives that leverage technology for social good
Civil rights and reproductive rights organizations
San Francisco Bay Area connection (though they also fund nationally)

Established Track Record:

The foundation appears to favor established organizations with proven impact rather than emerging nonprofits
Multi-year relationships are common (e.g., ongoing support to SFUSD since 2015)

Direct Impact on Underserved Communities:

Organizations like 826 Valencia that directly support underfunded students
Initiatives addressing systemic inequities in education
COVID-19 relief efforts targeting vulnerable populations

Strategic, High-Impact Grants:

The foundation makes relatively few grants (20 in 2023) but at substantial levels (averaging nearly $500,000)
Major gifts often support specific initiatives or capital needs (e.g., $10 million for distance learning infrastructure)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Do not submit proposals or letters of inquiry unless specifically invited to do so.
Trustee-directed giving: All grants are made at the discretion of Sara and Evan Williams to organizations they have personally selected.
Substantial grant sizes: With an average grant of nearly $500,000, this foundation makes significant investments rather than small grants.
Focus on Bay Area and education: While they fund nationally, there is clear emphasis on San Francisco and education-focused organizations.
Multi-year relationships: Evidence suggests the foundation prefers ongoing partnerships with organizations rather than one-time grants.
Low public profile: The foundation intentionally maintains privacy, with no website or public communications strategy.
Technology and equity intersection: Given Evan Williams' background, organizations working at the intersection of technology and educational equity may be of particular interest.

References

All sources accessed December 23, 2025.