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Eucalyptus Foundation

Annual Giving
$5.5M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.5M
Decision Time
7mo

Eucalyptus Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5.5 million (approximately)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation-only)
  • Decision Time: Board meets twice annually
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $500,000
  • Average Grant: $100,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily California (Bay Area, East Palo Alto, Berkeley), with occasional grants to New York, Illinois, Colorado, and Chile
  • Total Assets: $265 million (2024)

Contact Details

Eucalyptus Foundation
P.O. Box 29550
San Francisco, CA 94129
Phone: (415) 561-3346
Email: inbox@eucalyptusassoc.com

Note: The foundation does not have a public website.

Overview

The Eucalyptus Foundation was established in June 1992 as a California private foundation. The foundation is led by President Gordon T. Geballe, son of Frances Koshland Geballe and grandson of Daniel Koshland Sr., who along with brother-in-law Walter Haas, helped build Levi Strauss into a multi-billion dollar company. With assets of $265 million as of 2024, the foundation distributes approximately $5.5 million annually across 65 grants. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile, operating as a family foundation without a formal paid staff structure. Despite its limited transparency, the Eucalyptus Foundation has been a steady and significant grantmaker in its priority areas, particularly in and around San Francisco. Education grants encompass the majority of the foundation's giving in recent years, with substantial investments in arts, environmental conservation, and community development programs.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with structured guidelines. Instead, grants are awarded through trustee discretion across the following priority areas:

  • Education (Primary Focus): $1,000 - $500,000

    • K-12 education initiatives
    • Access to science and art education
    • Youth skills training
    • Student financial aid

  • Arts and Culture: $1,000 - $500,000

    • Art festivals
    • Art and music education
    • Youth enrichment opportunities
    • Performing arts

  • Environment: $1,000 - $500,000

    • Environmental education
    • Biodiversity in the Bay Area
    • Marine conservation

  • Economic and Community Development: Variable amounts

    • Job skills training
    • Housing and homelessness programs
    • Vocational and career counseling

  • Human Rights and Global Security: Variable amounts

  • Music: Variable amounts

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on:

  • Students and youth (largest beneficiary group)
  • Youth recreation and sports
  • Food security for young people
  • Housing and human services for youth
  • Economically disadvantaged and low-income populations
  • Programs supporting biodiversity and environmental education in the Bay Area

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the foundation:

  • Does not accept unsolicited applications
  • Operates primarily in California with limited out-of-state giving
  • Focuses on established organizations rather than startups

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors:

  • Gordon T. Geballe: President, Director (unpaid)
  • Alison F. Geballe: Vice President, Director (unpaid)
  • Stephen Schwarz: Secretary, Director ($13,400 compensation)

Staff:

  • Richard Horan: Director of Grants ($62,500 compensation)

The foundation does not have a formal, paid staff structure beyond the Director of Grants. The board meets twice annually to make grantmaking decisions. All board members serve without compensation except for the Secretary, who receives a modest stipend.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Eucalyptus Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, with trustees proactively identifying and selecting grantees through personal connections and their own research. Organizations cannot submit applications through traditional channels, and there is no online portal or formal application process.

Getting on Their Radar

Note: The following represents specific documented information about this funder's approach:

The foundation operates through proactive grantmaking, meaning trustees actively identify organizations aligned with their priorities rather than reviewing external proposals. According to sources familiar with the foundation's operations, success requires "deep networking and patience."

Specific Approaches:

  • Board-Led Identification: The foundation's board members identify potential grantees through their own networks and sector involvement
  • Twice-Annual Meetings: Decisions are made during biannual board meetings, suggesting that relationship-building should occur well in advance of these decision points
  • Established Presence Required: Past grantees tend to be well-established organizations in the Bay Area, particularly those working in San Francisco, East Palo Alto, and Berkeley
  • Contact Point: Richard Horan, Director of Grants, serves as the primary staff member managing the foundation's grantmaking operations

Decision Timeline

The board meets twice annually to make grantmaking decisions. Specific meeting dates are not publicly available. Given this schedule:

  • Organizations identified by trustees would likely be reviewed at one of these biannual meetings
  • From initial trustee interest to grant award could span 6 months or more depending on meeting timing
  • No formal timeline is provided for unsolicited contacts

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so traditional success rate metrics are not relevant. All grants result from proactive trustee identification of potential grantees.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only structure. Repeat grants appear to be possible based on trustee discretion and the organization's continued alignment with foundation priorities.

Application Success Factors

Since this is an invitation-only funder, traditional application strategies do not apply. However, understanding what the foundation funds can help organizations assess alignment:

Organizations That Have Received Funding:

  • Environmental Defense Fund (Climate Corps Fellowship Program) - $500,000
  • Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (medical research) - $500,000
  • Middlebury College (Middlebury Institute for International Studies at Monterey) - $500,000
  • University of California Merced Foundation (arts programming and medical school) - $375,000
  • Natural Resources Defense Council (environmental work)
  • Friends of the Urban Forest (urban greening)
  • Save the Bay (marine conservation)
  • NatureBridge (environmental education)
  • Save the Snakes (biodiversity)

Patterns in Funded Organizations:

  • Strong preference for established organizations with proven track records
  • Focus on Bay Area-based organizations or those with significant Bay Area operations
  • Support for youth-serving programs, particularly in education and enrichment
  • Environmental grants emphasize education and local biodiversity rather than purely advocacy work
  • Willingness to make substantial grants ($100,000+ average) to aligned organizations

Foundation Values (Inferred from Giving Patterns):

  • Long-term impact over short-term projects
  • Youth development as a cross-cutting priority
  • Environmental stewardship with emphasis on education and local ecosystems
  • Educational equity particularly for economically disadvantaged populations
  • Arts access for young people

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation operates invitation-only - there is no application process for organizations to pursue independently
  • Relationship-building is essential - access requires deep networking and connections to board members or their networks
  • Geographic proximity matters - the foundation is highly focused on San Francisco, East Palo Area, and Berkeley
  • Youth focus is paramount - students and young people are the largest beneficiary group across all program areas
  • Grant sizes are substantial - with an average of $100,000, the foundation makes meaningful investments in fewer organizations rather than many small grants
  • Established organizations preferred - past grantees tend to be well-known institutions with proven track records
  • Limited transparency is intentional - the foundation deliberately maintains a low public profile and does not provide public-facing information about its strategies or grantmaking criteria

References

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