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Biome Global Foundation

Annual Giving
$12.6M
Grant Range
Up to $12.6M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $12,600,000 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not specified
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed (2023 filing showed 1 major award)
  • Geographic Focus: Global (with focus on New Zealand and international regenerative projects)

Contact Details

Biome Trust (Parent Organization)

Note: Global gifts are directed by Biome Global Foundation (Mountain View, CA) and administered by Silicon Valley Community Foundation and donor advised fund partners.

Overview

Biome Global Foundation (EIN: 87-4110945) was established in 2022 by brothers Matthew and Brian Monahan following the sale of their technology company to Ancestry.com. Operating from Mountain View, California, the foundation distributed $12.6 million in grants during 2023. The foundation is part of the broader Biome Trust philanthropic network, which aims to "rewild resources" by transforming financial wealth into ecological wealth. The Monahan brothers committed 100% of their company sale proceeds to create Biome Trust, establishing a 10-year spend-down strategy focused on planetary health and regeneration. The foundation works in partnership with Silicon Valley Community Foundation to administer global gifts through donor advised fund structures.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through a proactive grantmaking model rather than traditional grant programs with fixed amounts. Their 2023 tax filing showed one major award totaling $12.6 million, indicating they make significant concentrated investments rather than numerous small grants.

Priority Areas

Regenerative Biomes: Community land projects with integrated approaches to ecological health, human wellbeing, and educational experiences.

Local Food Resilience: Food system initiatives that "close the loops" from seed to plate to soil, with particular focus on regional food security.

Nature-Based Economies: Projects aligning financial incentives and legal frameworks with protection and regeneration, including carbon credits and rights of nature.

Open Learning and Innovation: Ecological education, filmmaking, publishing, and research into new technologies for Earth renewal.

Advancing Philanthropy: Collaboration with other funders to increase effectiveness of strategies and funds.

Additional focus areas include conservation, regenerative agriculture, rights of nature, and sustainable finance.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not publicly disclose specific exclusions, but their focus is exclusively on planetary health and regeneration projects. While moved by social and humanitarian needs, they believe ecological crises demand urgent action and remain their primary focus.

Governance and Leadership

Founding Trustees:

  • Matthew Monahan - Co-founder, former tech entrepreneur with experience in Silicon Valley
  • Brian Monahan - Co-founder, former tech entrepreneur
  • Catlin Powers - Founding Trustee, former co-founder and CEO of One Earth Designs; holds degrees from Wellesley College (chemistry and environmental studies) and Harvard University (environmental health)

Additional team members include: Jan Hania, Bill Kermode, Andre Bate, Tai Kenning, Cheryl Spain, Chris Upton, Jules Matthews, Craig Riddle, Natalie Keenan, Graedon Parker, and Denise Monahan.

Leadership Philosophy:

Catlin Powers has stated about their approach to education and community: "The North Shore is a place of extraordinary beauty and legacy, and Namahana is ensuring that its children grow up prepared."

The founders describe their mission as supporting projects that foster "earth care, self care, and community care" and seek to nurture "a generation of young people who can carry forward earth care, self care, and community care as guiding principles."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Biome Global Foundation does not have a public application process. According to their website, "most of our grant-making is done on a proactive basis and we are only able to respond to a small number of requests."

Organizations interested in funding can contact Biome Trust through their website to inquire about funding opportunities, but grants are primarily made through trustee discretion and proactive identification of aligned projects.

Getting on Their Radar

Ma Earth Grants Program: One accessible pathway is through Ma Earth, a community-led initiative incubated by Biome Trust. Ma Earth runs periodic quadratic funding rounds for regenerative land projects:

  • Round 1 (April 2024): Distributed over $160,000 to regenerative projects
  • Round 2 (November 2024): Distributed $200,000 matching pool using quadratic funding on Gitcoin
  • Projects have ranged from heritage seed preservation and native tree planting in New Zealand to biodiversity monitoring in California and agroforestry in the Amazon

Mangaroa Farms Connections: Biome Trust wholly owns Mangaroa Farms, a 2,000-acre regenerative agriculture demonstration site in Wellington, New Zealand. The farm regularly hosts events, workshops, and volunteer days, providing opportunities to connect with the organization's mission and team.

Sector Engagement: Matthew Monahan has been active in speaking engagements related to regenerative finance and commons-based funding, including at Funding the Commons conferences.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Given the proactive nature of grantmaking and scale of awards ($12.6M in 2023), decisions likely involve significant due diligence periods.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The foundation made one major award in 2023 and appears to focus on significant investments in carefully selected organizations rather than processing large volumes of applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not specified, though the foundation's preference for multi-year commitments suggests they prioritize building lasting relationships over one-time transactions.

Application Success Factors

Given Biome Global Foundation's proactive grantmaking approach, alignment with their values and approach is critical:

Trust-Based Philosophy: The foundation states: "Our highest preference is to provide multi-year gift commitments, with trust in the organization to deploy the funds at its discretion, hoping to serve as an ally alongside the team and leadership, on a shared mission and journey together." They prefer the term "gifts" over "grants," reflecting trust and respect for supported organizations.

Founder-Led Projects: "As a team of global changemakers, they're energized by bold ideas and fresh thinking, and they're especially keen to support committed leaders who may not follow traditional paths but offer strong vision and purpose."

Risk-Taking Approach: The foundation is willing to take risks and be first or only funders, particularly for innovative approaches that may not fit traditional funding models.

Values Alignment: Projects should demonstrate connection to Earth, humility, kaitiaki (guardianship), courage, and commitment to local communities. For projects in New Zealand, commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles is important.

Minimal Restrictions: The foundation prefers providing unrestricted funding with minimal reporting requirements, trusting organizations to use resources effectively.

Holistic Approach: They seek educational approaches and projects that cultivate balance, belonging, responsibility, and connection to community and environment, emphasizing "connection over disconnection" and "care over extraction."

Additional Value Beyond Money: The founders bring tech experience and global connections they enjoy sharing with grantees.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process - grants are made proactively by trustees who identify aligned organizations
  • Proactive relationship building is essential - consider Ma Earth grants program or Mangaroa Farms events as entry points
  • Multi-year, trust-based funding model - they prefer ongoing partnerships with unrestricted support over one-time transactional grants
  • Strong founder/leader emphasis - they're drawn to visionary leaders with bold ideas, even those not following traditional paths
  • Planetary health and regeneration focus - all work must connect to ecological healing and community resilience
  • Significant award sizes - 2023 filing showed $12.6M to one recipient, indicating they make substantial concentrated investments
  • 10-year spend-down strategy - the foundation intends to distribute their initial endowment over a decade, suggesting urgency in their grantmaking timeline

References

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