Eat Learn Play Foundation - Grant Information & Application Details

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $7.8 million (2023)
Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (invitation-only/trustee discretion)
Grant Range: $10,000 - $5,000,000
Geographic Focus: Oakland, California
Total Assets: $17.2 million (2024)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.eatlearnplay.org/
Email: Available through contact form on website
Phone: Not publicly listed
Address: Oakland, CA

Overview

Founded in 2019 by NBA champion Stephen Curry and entrepreneur Ayesha Curry, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation has invested over $90 million toward transforming the lives of children in Oakland, California. The foundation operates on a "Whole Child, Whole School" approach, addressing three fundamental pillars: nutrition, education, and physical activity. In 2024, the foundation had total revenue of $22.8 million and total assets of $17.2 million. A unique feature of the foundation is that Stephen and Ayesha Curry personally cover all administrative and fundraising costs, ensuring every donated dollar goes directly to community programs. The foundation has delivered 25 million meals, distributed 500,000 books, and remodeled 23 schoolyards and six gymnasiums across Oakland Unified School District. In September 2023, the Currys announced a commitment to raise and invest $50 million over three years to support Oakland schools.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Nutrition (Eat)

Typical grants: $10,000 - $500,000
Major partnership: Alameda County Community Food Bank (over $6 million in grants)
Focus on addressing food insecurity affecting 37% of Oakland children

Education (Learn)

Typical grants: $100,000 (most common amount)
$25 million literacy commitment over five years announced in 2024
Over $5 million in grants for high-dosage tutoring at 20+ elementary schools
$2.5 million distributed to libraries and teachers
Partnership with DonorsChoose to fund over 2,000 teacher-led literacy projects

Physical Activity (Play)

Major grants: Over $3 million to KABOOM! for schoolyard transformation
Commitment to redesign and build 25 schoolyards from 2023-2026
Grants range from moderate to large amounts for playground renovations

Priority Areas

Target Population: Underserved children in Oakland, particularly Black and Latino/a students

Geographic Focus: Exclusively Oakland, California. As CEO Chris Helfrich stated: "We're staying focused on Oakland until we get it right and can prove that our model works."

Key Focus Areas:

Food security and access to nutritious meals
Literacy and third-grade reading proficiency
Kindergarten readiness
Safe play spaces and youth sports programs
Summer camp access
Whole-school transformations (schoolyards, cafeterias, gymnasiums, libraries)

Recent Grant Recipients Include:

Oakland Unified School District
Alameda County Community Food Bank
KABOOM!
Oakland Public Library/Friends of Oakland Public Library
Oakland Literacy Coalition
Center for the Collaborative Classroom
Oakland Public Education Fund
College Track
Foundation for Students Rising Above
Reading Partners
Springboard Collaborative
Oakland REACH
Black Cultural Zone
DRK Foundation
FluentSeeds
Literati

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not appear to fund:

Organizations outside Oakland, California
Individual scholarships or direct student aid
Capital campaigns unrelated to their three pillars
Organizations not focused on K-12 age children
Programs that don't align with nutrition, literacy, or physical activity

Governance and Leadership

Co-Founders:

Stephen Curry (NBA Champion, Golden State Warriors)
Ayesha Curry (Entrepreneur, Author, Host)

Chief Executive Officer: Christopher Helfrich (Compensation: $398,908 in 2024)

Chris Helfrich has extensive nonprofit leadership experience, having previously served as CEO of Starlight Children's Foundation and led the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign against malaria, where he first recruited Stephen Curry as an ambassador.

Board of Directors:

Stephen Curry
Ayesha Curry
Jennifer Aaker (Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business)
Aneel Bhusri (Co-Founder and Executive Chair, Workday)
Arne Duncan (Former U.S. Secretary of Education)
Other business and community leaders

Key Staff:

William Misenhimer, CFO
Courtney Harvey, Chief Operating Officer
Sidney Griffin, VP Marketing and Communications
Tania Fernandez, Financial Controller
Jessica Russell, Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications

Leadership Philosophy: Stephen Curry articulated the foundation's guiding principle: "This is about impact for us, not legacy." The foundation has adopted the mantra "Impact over legacy" to drive their work.

From Leadership:

Chris Helfrich on priorities: "Growing our impact in Oakland across all three pillars is the most immediate priority... We're staying focused on Oakland until we get it right and can prove that our model works."

Ayesha Curry on mission: "It's the fact that these are three very simple things in life that every child should have access to, and so when you're not afforded these things, it's like, how can I even dream? For us, it's really nurturing the entire child. And that includes access to quality nutrition, safe places to play and quality education."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with grants awarded through trustee discretion and strategic partnerships.

The foundation states explicitly: "The Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation does not accept applications for funding."

How Grants Are Awarded:

Through strategic partnerships identified by the foundation's leadership and board
Based on alignment with the foundation's Oakland-focused mission
Through direct outreach to organizations working in their priority areas
Via ongoing relationships with Oakland Unified School District and other key community partners

For Organizations Interested in the Foundation's Work:

Send a message via the foundation's contact form at eatlearnplay.org
Sign up for updates through their website
Explore volunteer opportunities with the foundation

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, Inside Philanthropy notes the foundation appears "approachable and collaborative." Organizations seeking to connect with Eat. Learn. Play. could consider:

Volunteer with Foundation Programs: The foundation suggests that organizations interested in their work explore volunteer opportunities with their signature literacy or food programs. This provides direct exposure to the foundation's team and approach.

Partnership with Oakland Unified School District: Many of the foundation's grants flow through or in partnership with Oakland Unified School District. Organizations with strong OUSD relationships may find alignment opportunities.

Align with Strategic Initiatives: The foundation announces major multi-year initiatives (such as the $25 million literacy commitment and 25-schoolyard transformation pledge). Organizations with expertise in these specific areas during active initiative periods may have better positioning.

Leverage Existing Foundation Partners: Several organizations serve as implementation partners (KABOOM!, Alameda County Community Food Bank, Oakland Literacy Coalition). Organizations that complement rather than duplicate these partnerships may find opportunities.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As an invitation-only funder, decision timelines vary based on strategic priorities and partnership development.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. In 2023, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $7.8 million.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to invitation-only structure.

Application Success Factors

Since the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation operates by invitation only, traditional application success factors don't apply. However, based on the foundation's grant patterns and leadership statements, organizations most likely to receive funding share these characteristics:

1. Oakland-Exclusive Focus

The foundation is exclusively focused on Oakland. CEO Chris Helfrich emphasized: "We're staying focused on Oakland until we get it right and can prove that our model works." Organizations must serve Oakland children and families.

2. Alignment with "Whole Child" Philosophy

Ayesha Curry explained the foundation's approach: "For us, it's really nurturing the entire child. And that includes access to quality nutrition, safe places to play and quality education." Successful partners address one or more of the three pillars while understanding their interconnection.

3. Track Record with Oakland Unified School District

The overwhelming majority of funded organizations have established relationships with Oakland Unified School District. The foundation's largest investments flow through school-based programs and infrastructure improvements.

4. Measurable Impact

Chris Helfrich noted: "We use metrics to help set goals and benchmarks... and they're a large part of how we evaluate the impact." The foundation prioritizes partners who can demonstrate concrete outcomes.

5. Serving Black and Latino/a Children

The foundation's materials explicitly prioritize "supporting Black and Latino/a children in Oakland," reflecting Oakland's demographics and educational equity gaps.

6. Capacity for Scale and Partnership

Grant recipients include major established organizations (Alameda County Community Food Bank, KABOOM!, Oakland Literacy Coalition) with capacity to deploy significant funding effectively and partner on multi-year initiatives.

7. Evidence-Based Approaches

Examples of funded programs include "high-dosage tutoring" and partnerships with research-backed organizations like Center for the Collaborative Classroom, suggesting preference for proven interventions.

Recent Funding Examples:

KABOOM!: Over $3 million for schoolyard transformation using evidence-based play space design
Alameda County Community Food Bank: Over $6 million for systematic food distribution reaching thousands of families
DonorsChoose: Partnership to fund over 2,000 teacher-led literacy projects, leveraging teacher expertise
MasterClass: 16,000 memberships gifted to Bay Area educators for professional development

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process: This is an invitation-only funder. Traditional grant applications are not accepted.
Exclusive Oakland focus: Only organizations serving children in Oakland, California are eligible. The foundation has explicitly stated they are "staying focused on Oakland until we get it right."
Partnership-driven model: The foundation works through strategic, often multi-year partnerships with established organizations rather than responding to one-off requests.
Impact over legacy: The foundation's guiding principle emphasizes measurable results over recognition. Partners should be prepared to track and report concrete outcomes.
100% program funding: Because the Currys cover all administrative costs, the foundation expects every dollar to reach children—suggesting preference for partners with efficient overhead structures.
Large-scale commitments: Recent grants include $25 million for literacy and $50 million for Oakland schools. The foundation thinks in terms of multi-million dollar, multi-year initiatives rather than small one-time grants.
Relationship building matters: While unsolicited applications aren't accepted, the foundation welcomes contact through their website and suggests volunteering with their programs as a way to understand their work and build relationships.

References

Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation official website, About page. https://www.eatlearnplay.org/about (Accessed January 12, 2026)
Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, Impact page. https://www.eatlearnplay.org/impact (Accessed January 12, 2026)
Inside Philanthropy, "Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation" grant profile. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-e/eat-learn-play-foundation (Accessed January 12, 2026)
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, "Eat Learn Play Foundation" Form 990 data. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/831373602 (Accessed January 12, 2026)
Candid/Foundation Directory, "Eat. Learn. Play." profile. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?collection=grantmakers&activity=result&key=7766174 (Accessed January 12, 2026)
LEADERS Magazine, "Interview with Chris Helfrich, Chief Executive Officer, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation" (October 2022). https://www.leadersmag.com/issues/2022.4_Oct/Purpose/LEADERS-Chris-Helfrich-Eat-Learn-Play-Foundation.html (Accessed January 12, 2026)
NPR, "Oakland has a child illiteracy problem. Ayesha and Steph Curry want to help" (September 28, 2024). https://www.npr.org/2024/09/28/nx-s1-5121902/oakland-has-a-child-illiteracy-problem-ayesha-and-steph-curry-want-to-help (Accessed January 12, 2026)
Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation press release, "Eat. Learn. Play. Makes Historic Commitment to Advance Literacy in Oakland with $25 Million Investment." https://www.eatlearnplay.org/news/literacy-launch24 (Accessed January 12, 2026)
KABOOM!, "Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation" partnership page. https://kaboom.org/partners/eatlearnplayfoundation/ (Accessed January 12, 2026)
Instrumentl, "Eat Learn Play Foundation 990 Report." https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/eat-learn-play-foundation (Accessed January 12, 2026)