John and Marcia Goldman Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- This foundation focuses much of its funding on youth development in the Mid-Peninsula region, alongside support for autoimmune and autism health research and discretionary giving to arts, civic projects, emergency response, social services and Jewish affairs.
- Youth-serving organisations in the Mid-Peninsula region can approach it directly with a brief Letter of Inquiry, but all other grants are foundation-initiated and full proposals are accepted only by invitation, so unsolicited approaches outside youth development are unlikely to succeed.
- A modest request is realistic: half of its 123 grants were $15,000 or less, and about eight in ten fell between $500 and $160,000, though the largest grant was around $1,650,000.
- Expect an iterative, relationship-led process, as staff may discuss proposals in detail, carry out site visits and check references before a grant is made.
- Note that it does not fund ongoing operating support, event sponsorship, film making, branding and marketing, individual use, deficit funding or political lobbying, and organisations must wait three years after completing a previous grant before submitting a new one.
Overview
John and Marcia Goldman 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 foundation focuses much of its grantmaking on positive outcomes for youth, addressing critical service gaps and improving the life trajectories of young people, their families and communities in the Mid-Peninsula region. Its youth-development funding aims to engage a harder-to-reach segment of the youth population. It also supports improved health outcomes for autoimmune diseases and autism spectrum disorder through translational- and treatment-related research and health services. At the discretion of its trustees, it supports other causes, including arts, civic projects, emergency response, social services and Jewish affairs. Youth-serving organisations in the Mid-Peninsula can submit unsolicited letters of inquiry; other grants are foundation-initiated, and full proposals are accepted only by invitation. It funds nonprofit organisations with 501(c)(3) status or equivalent, including organisations with appropriate fiscal sponsorship.
Themes
- Youth development
- Autoimmune and autism health
- Arts
- Civic projects
- Emergency response
- Social services
- Jewish affairs
Geographic Focus
Mid-Peninsula region.
What They Don't Fund
- Ongoing operating support
- Event sponsorship
- Film making
- Branding and marketing
- Individual use
- Deficit funding
- Political lobbying
- New proposals from the same organization for a period of three years after completion of a previous grant
How to apply
Unsolicited requests are accepted only for youth-development grantmaking, beginning with a brief Letter of Inquiry. Full proposals for all grantmaking are accepted only by invitation.
Application success factors
- Grant size: In its TY2024 filing, half of its 123 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The foundation aims to engage harder-to-reach young people and address critical service gaps.
- Applicants should explain how the proposed outcomes align with the foundation’s youth grantmaking goals.
- Staff discuss proposals iteratively with applicants; review may include site visits, program and financial assessments, and reference checks.
- Final reports should describe outcomes, problems or unexpected outcomes, the grant’s impact and future plans for the project.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
4 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 25% of grant dollars to organisations.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 10% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 123 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $15,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Lucile Packard Foundation For Childrens Health · To create a new endowment called the goldman autism fund to support the stanford early intervention program for autism$1,655,0002024 tax year
- EPACENTER · General support$1,400,0002024 tax year
- Lucile Packard Foundation For Childrens Health · Early support program for autism$502,0002024 tax year
- John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts · Unrestricted contribution to the together for the arts endowment campaign$500,0002024 tax year
- San Francisco Symphony · Dsh renovation and treasure island concept$250,0002024 tax year
- Jewish Community Federation Of SF Marin Peninsula & Sonoma Counties · 2024 annual campaign$250,0002024 tax year
- Amalgamated Charitable Foundation · Youth power fund$250,0002024 tax year
- Congregation Emanu-El · Emanu-el next: investing for our jewish future$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
- Marcia L Goldman — Secretary & Treasurer
- John D Goldman — President
- Amy Lyons — Executive Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $12,648,843 | $6,604,787 | $298,675,946 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $13,810,086 | $7,401,145 | $328,814,335 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $15,769,009 | $8,762,925 | $335,164,392 | 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 John and Marcia Goldman Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (415) 744-8787
- San Francisco, CA
- jmgoldmanfoundation.org
Applying to John and Marcia Goldman Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (415) 744-8787
- San Francisco, CA
- jmgoldmanfoundation.org