Patricia Bragg Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- This Santa Barbara, CA based foundation funds by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited applications, so a cold grant application is unlikely to succeed; instead, organisations with questions about fit should consult its Who We Support page rather than use the contact form for funding requests.
- Its priority is Santa Barbara County, so work based there, or clearly tied to its stated themes such as climate, biodiversity, land and water conservation, human services and animal welfare, fits best.
- Most grants to organisations are modest: about eight in ten fall between $2,500 and $105,000, and half of all grants are $15,000 or less, so a request in that modest range is realistic, even though the largest grant made was $4,000,000.
- The foundation appears relationship-led rather than open to new applicants on spec, since 64% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the previous two filings, so building a relationship or securing an invitation matters more than a strong unsolicited proposal.
- Organisations should not send unsolicited funding requests, as the foundation explicitly does not accept these.
Overview
Patricia Bragg Foundation is a US private foundation based in Santa Barbara, 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
The foundation seeks to improve the health and well-being of people, animals and the natural world. In Santa Barbara County, it commits part of its grantmaking to organisations addressing the health of animals and nature and the well-being of marginalised and low-income communities. Beyond the county, it prioritises environmental and climate-related issues. Its stated priorities include climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, land and water conservation, pollution and pesticide reduction, environmental advocacy, regenerative agriculture, human services, health access, food security, housing and crisis support, wildlife rehabilitation and animal welfare. Its approach is to address root causes, build organisations’ capacity for sustainable system change, select partners with vision and expertise, and give them flexibility and resources.
Themes
- Climate change mitigation
- Biodiversity conservation
- Wildlife habitat preservation
- Land conservation
- Ocean and water protection
- Human services
- Animal welfare
Geographic Focus
Priority: Santa Barbara County.
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and uses an invitation-only process. It encourages organisations with questions about its grantmaking parameters to consult the Who We Support page; the contact form is not a route for individual funding requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 64% 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 171 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The foundation seeks work that addresses underlying causes and fundamental issues and builds organisations’ capacity for sustainable system change.
- It researches up front, selects partners with vision and expertise, and gives them flexibility and resources to respond.
- It values concrete, solutions-oriented progress.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 24% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 64% of grant dollars went to organisations Patricia Bragg Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 4% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 40 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Land Trust for Santa Barbara County · General support for charity's purpose$4,000,0002024 tax year
- Nature Conservancy · General support for charity's purpose$1,500,0002024 tax year
- Community Environmental Council · General support for charity's purpose$505,0002024 tax year
- Uc Santa Barbara Foundation · General support for charity's purpose$500,0002024 tax year
- Shadows Fund · General support for charity's purpose$300,0002024 tax year
- Windward Fund · General support for charity's purpose$300,0002024 tax year
- Explore Ecology · General support for charity's purpose$200,0002024 tax year
- Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network · General support for charity's purpose$170,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Lesley Tippitt — Director
- Nicholas J Schneider — President, Chairman Of The Board
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,794,263 | $4,133,200 | $86,799,561 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,792,856 | $4,090,500 | $98,727,334 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $9,862,786 | $8,608,500 | $99,274,042 | 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.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Patricia Bragg Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Santa Barbara, CA
- pb.foundation
Applying to Patricia Bragg Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Santa Barbara, CA
- pb.foundation