Give Forward Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $9-12 million (2023-2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,100,000
• Median Grant: $100,000
• Geographic Focus: San Francisco/Bay Area, California
• Total Assets: $24-113 million

Contact Details

Website: https://giveforwardfoundation.org/
Email: grants@giveforwardfoundation.org
Location: San Francisco, CA
EIN: 82-3785197

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant inquiries. Grants are considered by invitation only.

Overview

Founded in 2018, the Give Forward Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation committed to improving public education for students living in under-resourced communities across the San Francisco/Bay Area. With assets ranging from $24-113 million and annual giving of $9-12 million, the foundation takes a systems-level approach to educational transformation. In 2023, they awarded 68-69 grants with a median grant size of $100,000. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, prioritizing strategic, multi-year investments in existing partners rather than accepting unsolicited applications. CEO Michelle Boyers emphasizes that "bold, aggressive changes are necessary" to address educational inequity, and the foundation maintains a "humble learner" approach while working to drive transformational change in Bay Area school districts.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not have publicly defined grant programs with set amounts. Instead, they make strategic, invitation-only grants ranging from $1,000 to $1,100,000, with a median grant of $100,000.

Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on four key investment areas:

1. Transforming District Systems: Supporting comprehensive, community-driven district change through strategic, multi-year investments. Major investment in the Bay Ed Fund, which works with districts like Ravenswood City School District serving East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park.

2. Talent and Instructional Excellence: Supporting teacher and leader development, high-quality instructional tools, and innovation in literacy and math education for Bay Area schools.

3. Driving Policy and Narrative Change: Working with grantees, community leaders, policymakers, and fellow funders to drive systems-level change.

4. Supporting Families' Basic Needs: Funding organizations that provide critical services—such as immigration legal aid and access to basic needs like housing—for families in under-resourced communities, ensuring students are ready to learn and grow.

Geographic Focus: San Francisco/Bay Area K-12 district schools in under-resourced communities

Key Recipients (2023): Bay Education Fund ($1.75M total), Ravenswood Education Foundation ($1M total), Tipping Point Community ($271K), Alder Graduate School of Education

What They Don't Fund

• Grants to individuals (organizational grants only)
• Organizations outside the Bay Area
• Organizations not aligned with their K-12 public education focus in under-resourced communities

Governance and Leadership

CEO: Michelle Boyers - Brings leadership experience from large urban public school districts in New York City and Boston, plus national education philanthropy work. Also serves on the board of NewSchools Venture Fund.

Board Members:

• Aida Bekele, Board Member
• Barbara Sullivan, Treasurer/Secretary and Board Member
• Cristine Soto DeBerry, Board Member
• Julie Mikuta, Board Member

All board members serve without compensation (though Michelle Boyers received $75,000 compensation in some prior years as CEO).

Quote from Michelle Boyers: "We are leaving behind too many children who are smart and capable and could do so much more, but our education system is failing them... Bold, aggressive changes are necessary. Our schools are going to have to change dramatically and we collectively as a society and as a community are going to have to take the bold action."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Give Forward Foundation explicitly states: "We prioritize investing in and learning from existing partners, rather than accepting unsolicited inquiries, and therefore, grants are considered by invitation only."

Grants are made to preselected charitable organizations. The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Contact for Inquiries: grants@giveforwardfoundation.org (though unsolicited applications are not accepted)

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation identifies potential partners through their focus on specific Bay Area school districts and their collaborative approach with community leaders, policymakers, and fellow funders. Their investment strategy centers on:

• Multi-year strategic partnerships: The foundation emphasizes long-term relationships with existing grantees, stating "real change takes time"
• Community-driven approaches: They engage in deeply inclusive co-design processes grounded in the experiences of marginalized students and families
• District-level engagement: They work directly with school districts in under-resourced Bay Area communities, such as their partnership with Ravenswood City School District through the Bay Ed Fund
• Sector collaboration: They maintain active partnerships with other funders and community leaders in the Bay Area education space

Organizations already working in their target districts or with complementary approaches may come onto their radar through sector relationships and community engagement.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Given their emphasis on multi-year strategic investments and community co-design processes, the foundation likely operates on a strategic planning cycle rather than fixed grant rounds.

Success Rates

Not publicly available due to invitation-only model. In 2023, they made 68-69 grants totaling approximately $9 million.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given invitation-only model.

Application Success Factors

Guiding Principles

The foundation explicitly outlines five guiding principles that shape their funding decisions:

1. Centered on Educational Equity: Focus on closing opportunity gaps for marginalized students
2. Prioritize Community Voices: Deeply inclusive and authentic co-design processes grounded in the experiences of the most marginalized students and families
3. Support School Leaders and Educators: Investment in building capacity for teachers and administrators
4. Seek Long-Term, Sustainable Impact: Multi-year commitments because "real change takes time"
5. Maintain a "Humble Learner" Approach: Ongoing learning and adaptation

What They Look For

Systems-Level Change: The foundation seeks partners who work on comprehensive district transformation, not isolated programs. As described in their Bay Ed Fund model, they support building "a shared vision for improvement, strengthening school and district leadership teams, and partnering with local communities."

Capacity Building Focus: They invest in "change management, instructional improvement, talent, family engagement, and equitable resource allocation."

Community-Driven Vision: Successful partners engage in inclusive co-design with stakeholders. The Ravenswood Promise example shows they value "thousands of stakeholders" being heard in vision-building.

Holistic Student Support: They recognize that "students cannot succeed in school without stability at home," funding both educational excellence and wrap-around services like immigration legal aid and housing support.

Recent Funding Examples

• Bay Education Fund: Largest grantee receiving $1.75M in 2023 for general operating support, working on district-level transformation
• Ravenswood Education Foundation: $1M in 2023 for general operating support, partnering on the Ravenswood Promise vision
• Tipping Point Community: $271K for general operating support
• Alder Graduate School of Education: Supporting educator preparation

Quote on Opportunity for Impact

Michelle Boyers has stated about the Ravenswood partnership: "Recent changes in districts like Ravenswood have opened the door, I believe, for philanthropy to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the quality of education for students living in East Palo Alto."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Invitation-only grantmaking: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so traditional grant writing is not applicable
• Multi-year strategic focus: They prioritize long-term partnerships over one-off grants, with median grants of $100,000 and investments extending over multiple years
• Systems-level change emphasis: Individual programs are less likely to attract funding than comprehensive district transformation initiatives
• Bay Area geography: Strictly focused on San Francisco/Bay Area K-12 district schools in under-resourced communities
• Community co-design valued: Successful partners engage in deeply inclusive processes that center marginalized voices
• Dual focus on academics and family stability: They fund both instructional excellence and wrap-around services like immigration legal aid and housing support
• Relationship-driven: Getting on their radar requires being active in Bay Area education equity work and connected to their network of community leaders, policymakers, and fellow funders

References

• Give Forward Foundation official website: https://giveforwardfoundation.org/ (Accessed January 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Give Forward Foundation (EIN 82-3785197): https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/823785197 (Accessed January 2026)
• Instrumentl 990 Report - Give Forward Foundation: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/give-forward-foundation (Accessed January 2026)
• Grantmakers.io Profile: https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/823785197-give-forward-foundation/ (Accessed January 2026)
• Charity Navigator Profile: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/823785197 (Accessed January 2026)
• Bay Ed Fund - Our Approach: https://www.bayedfund.org/approach (Accessed January 2026)
• Bay Ed Fund - Ravenswood Partnership: https://www.bayedfund.org/east-palo-alto-and-menlo-park/ (Accessed January 2026)
• Magnify Community - "In conversation with Michelle Boyers - Driving Change in East Palo Alto Schools" (Accessed January 2026)
• TheEditorial - Michelle Boyers #22 interview with quotes on educational equity (Accessed January 2026)
• NewSchools Venture Fund - Michelle Boyers bio: https://www.newschools.org/team/michelle-boyers/ (Accessed January 2026)