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Tara Health Foundation

Annual Giving
$11.0M
Grant Range
$1K - $1.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $11,026,460 (2023)
  • Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: N/A (no public application process)
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,000,000
  • Median Grant: $50,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (United States)
  • Application Method: Invitation only/No public application process

Contact Details

Website: www.tarahealthfoundation.org
Phone: (415) 547-9025
Email: info@tarahealthfoundation.org
Address: 101 California Street, Suite 2710, San Francisco, CA 94111

Overview

Tara Health Foundation was founded in 2014 by Dr. Ruth Shaber, an obstetrician-gynecologist and former medical director at Kaiser Permanente. The foundation is a 100% mission-aligned, spend-out foundation committed to doing philanthropy differently in service of gender, economic, and racial justice. With total assets of $58.6 million as of 2023, the foundation awarded $11,026,460 through 118 grants that year, with a median grant of $50,000. The foundation is spending down all of its resources by 2030, redistributing wealth to an ecosystem of movement builders through four anchor organizations: Rhia Ventures, Orchid Capital Collective, Oasis Institute, and the Center for Inclusive Business at BSR. This approach reflects the foundation's evolution from traditional, top-down grantmaking to trust-based philanthropy centered on relationships, shared power, and transformative change.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation is transitioning from active grantmaking to redistributing all remaining resources through four anchor organizations. During active grantmaking, the foundation provided:

  • Multi-year General Operating Support: Substantial unrestricted grants ranging from $1,000 to $1,000,000
  • Abortion Movement Fund: Rapid response funding to grassroots abortion funds and practical support organizations, bypassing bureaucratic processes
  • Anchor Organization Grants: Significant multi-year unrestricted funding to carry forward the foundation's work post-2030

All grants are unrestricted, reflecting the foundation's trust-based approach.

Priority Areas

Core Focus: Gender, economic, and racial justice at their intersection

Specific Areas:

  • Reproductive health and rights
  • Birth justice and maternal health
  • Workplace equity
  • Corporate engagement for systemic change
  • Community organizing and movement building
  • LGBTQIA+ rights
  • Economic empowerment for women and girls

Grantmaking Principles:

  1. Centering BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) leadership
  2. Addressing root causes of systemic oppression
  3. Building power within marginalized communities
  4. Encouraging cross-movement collaboration
  5. Providing multi-year general operating support

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, their approach indicates:

  • Primarily supports organizations that can scale impact rather than smaller grassroots efforts
  • Not accessible to organizations without pre-existing relationships or connections
  • Geographic preference for organizations in California and New York, though national grants are awarded
  • As of their transition phase, not making new grants outside of anchor organization commitments

Governance and Leadership

Board Members

Michael Penn, MD - Board Chair
Son of civil rights leaders, believes in "philanthropy as liberation" and emphasizes connection and solidarity.

Ruth Shaber, MD - Founder, President, and former Board Chair
Obstetrician-gynecologist and former Kaiser Permanente medical director (2007-2012). Co-author of The XX Edge: Unlocking Higher Returns and Lower Risk. Focuses on healing systems and applying evidence-based medicine principles to philanthropy. According to Ruth, "Justice is a world with abundant resources, contentment and health for all."

Rachel Robasciotti - Board Member
Founder of Adasina Social Capital, a Black, queer leader transforming finance who believes in "security in community."

Kimberly Seals Allers - Board Member, Secretary
Journalist-turned-tech founder focusing on Black and Brown mothers. Believes "stories are powerful tools for transformation."

Ellen Friedman - Board Member, Treasurer
40-year philanthropic leader passionate about gender and social justice, guided by her Jewish ancestors' legacy.

Staff

Elise Belusa - Executive Director
Believes "relationships transform everything" and envisions justice as supporting people's full humanity.

Mia Reilly - Director of Engagement Strategy

Ellen George - Manager of Operations and Administration

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states it does not accept unsolicited applications for funding. Grants are made through:

  • Invitation only
  • Pre-existing relationships
  • Proactive identification by foundation staff and board
  • Current focus on anchor organizations as the foundation spends down

The foundation describes itself as "not an accessible funder, preferring a proactive approach to its grantmaking."

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations can take limited steps to connect:

  • Contact foundation staff directly: Staff profiles and email addresses are available on the foundation's team page at www.tarahealthfoundation.org/our-people. General inquiries may be sent to info@tarahealthfoundation.org
  • For larger organizations: The foundation suggests introducing your work by phone or email to get on their radar
  • Network with previous grantees: Learn how current grantees established relationships with the foundation
  • Anchor organizations: As the foundation transitions, organizations should connect with the four anchor organizations (Rhia Ventures, Orchid Capital Collective, Oasis Institute, and Center for Inclusive Business at BSR) that are carrying forward the foundation's work

Important context: The foundation is spending down by 2030 and redistributing remaining resources through anchor organizations. Traditional grantmaking opportunities are extremely limited as the foundation transitions.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process with standard timelines.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. Given the invitation-only model and 118 grants awarded in 2023, the foundation maintains highly selective grantmaking.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only model and spend-down timeline through 2030.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, these factors reflect what the foundation values in its partnerships and what has characterized successful grantee relationships:

BIPOC Leadership: The foundation explicitly states: "We now prioritize funding Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations, recognizing their expertise and leadership as essential to achieving lasting change."

Systems-Level Change: The foundation supports organizations that "tackle systemic racism and other forms of oppression as fundamental drivers of inequity" rather than addressing symptoms.

Power Building: They fund "efforts that build economic and political power within marginalized communities, rather than reinforcing dependency."

Alignment with Trust-Based Values: According to the foundation, "Abundance requires democratizing power and resources, justice demands redistribution, and transformation comes through authentic relationships."

Scale and Impact: The foundation has stated it wants to "magnify the impact of its work through grantees that can scale," suggesting preference for organizations with capacity for broader impact.

Cross-Movement Collaboration: The foundation values organizations that work across movements and at intersections of gender, economic, and racial justice.

Relationship-Centered: Executive Director Elise Belusa states, "Relationships transform everything." The foundation views connection as central to their work: "Philanthropy happens in the spaces between people. True connection, with all its messiness, isn't just how we do our work; it is the work."

Reproductive Health and Rights: Continued focus on reproductive health, particularly post-Dobbs decision work supporting abortion access and birth justice.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This funder operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited proposals. Focus instead on the four anchor organizations if your work aligns.
  • Spend-down timeline: The foundation is redistributing all resources by 2030 through anchor organizations, making new traditional grants extremely unlikely.
  • BIPOC leadership priority: Organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are explicitly prioritized, with the foundation recognizing this leadership as essential to achieving justice.
  • Unrestricted, multi-year support: When the foundation does make grants, they are flexible, unrestricted, and often multi-year, reflecting deep trust in grantee leadership.
  • Relationship-centered: Authentic relationships are central to how the foundation operates—they view connection itself as the transformative work.
  • Systems change focus: The foundation funds organizations addressing root causes of oppression and building power within communities, not those reinforcing dependency.
  • Connect with anchor organizations: Rhia Ventures, Orchid Capital Collective, Oasis Institute, and Center for Inclusive Business at BSR are continuing the foundation's work and may offer more accessible pathways for alignment.

References

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