Sijbrandij Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a small charity without an introduction should not send a cold application.
- Its stated interest is early ideas that can prove what is possible, with a 100x social return in view, and its grants have gone to foundations, education, policy and research, and technology access and workforce work, so a project in those areas is worth raising through a contact.
- No geographic focus is stated, although the filing shows grants mainly in California and Virginia, so location alone should not decide whether to approach it.
- Half of its 46 grants to organisations were $120,000 or less, with a median of $120,000, so a request near that size fits its usual giving; about 8 in 10 grants fall between $13,500 and $1,700,000, a typical band rather than a limit, and its largest grant was $4,000,000.
- Because 34% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded in earlier filings, existing relationships appear to matter, so a first approach should come through someone who already knows the foundation.
Overview
Sijbrandij Foundation is a US private foundation based in San Francisco, 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 Sijbrandij Foundation says it funds ideas to prove what is possible, taking calculated risks on early ideas where it can model a 100x social return and where early funding can unlock additional capital to scale. Its grants have supported foundations, education initiatives, policy and research organisations, and nonprofits working on technology access and workforce programmes. Its approach also includes building projects internally to prove concepts, de-risk execution and spin them out as independent, high-impact organisations. Its direct charitable work includes incentive-design consulting in education, health and housing, and public art in San Francisco.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California and Virginia.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 34% 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 46 grants to organisations were $120,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It takes calculated risks on early ideas where it can model a 100x social return and where early funding can unlock additional capital to scale.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
3 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 45% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 34% of grant dollars went to organisations Sijbrandij Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 23% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 16 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $250k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Open Research Lab · Universal basic income study distirbution and marketing$1,500,0002024 tax year
- Information Age Academy · Launch high school$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Global Impact · Global income coin$505,8102024 tax year
- Global Impact · Global income coin$399,6292024 tax year
- Global Impact · Global income coin$311,4742024 tax year
- Third Sector · Upskilling low income workers through public/private partnerships$310,0002024 tax year
- Land Use Atlas · Zoning data for land use$250,0002024 tax year
- Digital Harbor Foundation · Highly skilled immigration$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
- Ivan French — Chief Executive Officer
- Ramy Adeeb — Director
- Welmoed Fokkema — Director
- Eefje Chalmers — Secretary And Director
- Karen Xandra Esther Sijbrandij — Treasurer And Director
- Sytse Rients Sijbrandij — President And Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $7,532,721 | $7,395,162 | $51,990,254 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $11,191,347 | $10,790,127 | $68,932,147 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $6,189,173 | $5,435,593 | $79,175,143 | 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 Sijbrandij Foundation?
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Applying to Sijbrandij Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required