Sunlight Giving

Private foundation · EIN 47-1820379 · since 2015sunlightgiving.org·Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Merced County, Monterey County, San Benito County, San Joaquin …·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$23M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$15,000 to $125k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$55,000

Typical grant (median)

332 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Sunlight Giving funds nonprofits that serve young children aged 0-5 and their families living in poverty, working in family opportunity, family support, food security, health care access, housing stability and safe spaces, and it centres organisations serving BIPOC people, immigrants, women and people living in poverty; check that your work fits within its ten-county geographic focus around the greater San Francisco Bay Area, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Merced and 7 more counties in California.
For request size, aim modestly: about 8 in 10 of its 1,148 grants to organisations fall between $15,000 and $125,000, the median grant is $50,000, and the largest recorded is $350,000.
Apply via its online interest form on a rolling basis; the team says it will respond within 15 business days on whether to move to a next step.
Be aware that in its latest filing, 99% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in the two filings before that, so funding appears heavily weighted toward existing partners, and it offers multi-year support and general support to most Core Partners.
Organisations that lobby or seek to influence specific legislation, that conduct medical research, that seek endowment funding, individuals, organisations that discriminate against groups or individuals, and organisations that require participation in religious activities in delivering programs and services should not apply.

Overview

Sunlight Giving is a US private foundation based in Palo Alto, CA.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

Sunlight Giving supports nonprofits ensuring young children and their families living in poverty in greater Silicon Valley have access to the resources they need. Its core areas include family opportunity, family support, food security, health care access, housing stability and safe spaces. The foundation centres organisations serving BIPOC people, immigrants, women and people living in poverty. It provides flexible funding, typically as general support, and offers multi-year support to most Core Partners. In considering organisations, it looks at mission, geographic reach, communities served and alignment with its strategy and priorities.

Themes

Family opportunity
Family support
Food security
Health care access
Housing stability
Safe spaces

Geographic Focus

Ten counties around the greater San Francisco Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Merced and 7 more counties in California.

What They Don't Fund

Lobbying and activities to influence specific legislation
Medical research
Endowments
Individuals
Organizations that discriminate against groups or individuals
Organizations that require participation in religious activities in the delivery of programs and services

How to apply

Prospective partners can use the online interest form. The team says it will respond within 15 business days to say whether they will move forward to the next step.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 99% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 1,148 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

Eligible applicants have 501(c)3 status, or are a fiscally-sponsored project or public agency.
They serve families with children age 0-5 in one or more of the giving areas.
It directs resources to organisations that centre BIPOC people, immigrants, women and people living in poverty.
It considers mission, geographic reach, communities served and alignment with its strategy and priorities.
Grants are evaluated case by case through due diligence and conversation.
Grant size is based on alignment with strategy and priorities, budget, capacity and other factors.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

California99%

District of Columbia<1%

Illinois<1%

Maryland<1%

The largest single recipient received 2% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 100% of grant dollars went to organisations Sunlight Giving had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

332 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $55,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 332 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$5k–$10k2%

$10k–$25k12%

$25k–$50k24%

$50k–$100k42%

$100k–$250k17%

$250k–$500k3%

Median $55,000 (tax year 2024)

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

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley · General support, $350,000 per year for three years
$350,0002024 tax year
LifeMoves · General support, $350,000 per year for three years
$350,0002024 tax year
Alameda County Community Food Bank · General support, $300,000 per year for three years
$300,0002024 tax year
Valley Health Foundation · General support, $275,000 per year for three years
$275,0002024 tax year
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte · General support, $275,000 per year for three years
$275,0002024 tax year
First 5 Santa Clara County · Family resource centers, $250,000 per year for two years
$250,0002024 tax year
Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County · General support, $250,000 per year for three years
$250,0002024 tax year
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano · General support, $250,000 per year for three years
$250,0002024 tax year

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

Officers and directors

Brian Acton — Secretary
Tegan Acton — President

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$32,303,749	$26,570,465	$453,425,991	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$31,914,307	$23,502,415	$471,220,977	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$27,870,238	$23,013,500	$502,457,393	Filing for 2024 tax year

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.