The Rock Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The filing says the foundation makes contributions only to preselected organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered.
- A small nonprofit should first look for a route to be invited rather than send a proposal.
- If your work fits its listed themes (education reform, legal rights, arts and culture, human services, health and the environment), it is worth knowing about, but the filing states no geographic focus, so location alone should not decide it.
- Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $1,000 and $100,000, with a median of $10,000, so a request in that range matches its usual pattern, though its largest grant was about $1,000,000 to Basic Fund, an organisation that regrants, so that band is not a ceiling.
- Existing ties appear to matter, since 45% of its grant dollars in the filing went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings.
Overview
The Rock 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 (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and web pages about the foundation (mnhc.org), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Rock Foundation says it supports interests in education reform, legal rights, arts and culture, human services, health and the environment. Its grant record includes schools and universities, health clinics and social-service providers, arts and cultural institutions, civic and media organisations, and environmental groups. The giving is concentrated in California, with other notable recipient-state totals in New York and the District of Columbia. The filing says it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests. The available material gives no further account of its selection approach, organisation eligibility or public application steps.
Themes
- Education reform
- Legal rights
- Arts and culture
- Human services
- Health
- Environment
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California, New York and District of Columbia.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 45% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 190 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 14% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 45% of grant dollars went to organisations The Rock Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 32% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 47 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $20,000 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund · Charitable$1,000,0002025 tax year
- Syracuse University · Charitable$500,0002025 tax year
- Meals on Wheels of San Francisco · Charitable$400,0002025 tax year
- Human Rights First · Charitable$300,0002025 tax year
- KQED · Charitable$130,0002025 tax year
- Commonwealth Club of California · Charitable$125,0002025 tax year
- Jewish Vocational & Career Counseling · Charitable$100,0002025 tax year
- United Way Bay Area · Charitable$100,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Julie A Divola — CFO / Secretary / Director
- Arthur Rock — President / Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $2,205,383 | $2,000,000 | $54,494,582 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $2,988,278 | $2,750,000 | $58,752,440 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $3,823,652 | $3,654,000 | $60,292,322 | Filing for 2025 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
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At a glance
Applying to The Rock Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- San Francisco, CA
Applying to The Rock Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- San Francisco, CA