Bella Vista Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 94-3345967 · since 2000bellavistafoundation.org·Alameda County, California, Marin County, Nevada, Oregon, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, Sa…·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$3.8M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$15,000 to $60,000

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$35,000

Typical grant (median)

105 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

The foundation accepts applications by invitation only and does not take unsolicited requests, so wait to be invited before submitting; if you are invited and have no grants-portal profile, register through the portal first.
Its programme areas are Pre-3 Support, GGS Early Literacy, GGS Youth Mental Health and Watershed Restoration, and eligible applicants include public charities, fiscally sponsored projects and federally recognised tribes, but it does not fund individuals, public or private schools or their affiliated foundations, endowments, events, concerts, annual appeals, videos or films, medical research, capital campaigns or programmes that are solely virtual, and Watershed Restoration also excludes land acquisition.
About 8 in 10 of its grants to organisations fall between $15,000 and $60,000 and half are $40,000 or less, so a request in that range matches the typical pattern, though its largest grant was $120,000 and that band is not a ceiling.
In its most recent filing, 86% of grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, which suggests relationships and prior funding carry weight, but this does not bar newer organisations, so check the stated geographic focus (Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, the Klamath Watershed, the Truckee River watershed, the Yuba/Bear/American rivers, the North Fork Feather River watershed, the upper Deschutes Basin and the upper John Day Basin) before deciding whether to approach it.

Overview

Bella Vista 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 supports community-based nonprofit organisations across four programme areas. Pre-3 Support builds resilience among families facing adversity or trauma, helping parents and carers cope with toxic stress; it prioritises organisations whose leadership and programme staff reflect the communities they serve. GGS Early Literacy promotes children’s reading, writing and comprehension and the use of literacy for critical thinking and self-expression, serving at-promise pupils from preschool through third grade in specified counties. GGS Youth Mental Health supports culturally specific, trauma-informed youth mental-health and substance-use prevention and intervention led by people representing the community served. Watershed Restoration focuses on restoring and revitalising key ecosystems in specified areas of California and Oregon, with collaboration and broad community involvement part of its approach. Eligible applicants include public charities, fiscally sponsored projects and federally recognised tribes.

Themes

Pre-3 Support
GGS Early Literacy
GGS Youth Mental Health
Watershed Restoration

Geographic Focus

Alameda; Marin; San Francisco; San Mateo; Santa Clara; the entire Klamath Watershed; the Truckee River watershed; Yuba/Bear/American rivers; the North Fork Feather River watershed; the upper Deschutes Basin; the upper John Day Basin.

What They Don't Fund

Individuals
Public or private schools or their affiliated foundations
Endowments
Events
Concerts
Annual appeals
Videos or films
Medical research
Capital campaigns
Programs that are solely virtual
Watershed Restoration only: land acquisition projects

How to apply

Invited organisations without a grants-portal profile begin by registering through the portal.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 86% 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 308 grants to organisations were $40,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The Pre-3 Support programme prioritises organisations whose leadership and programme staff reflect the communities they serve.
GGS Early Literacy programmes should have strong evaluation methods and a proven record of effectiveness.
GGS Youth Mental Health programmes use culturally specific, trauma-informed approaches and are led by people representing the community served.
Watershed Restoration projects are prioritised when they have broad-based community involvement, including financial, volunteer or in-kind support.
Watershed Restoration favours collaborative partnerships, including among groups with divergent interests.
Watershed Restoration supports activities that governmental agencies do not normally fund.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

California82%

Oregon14%

Pennsylvania1%

Washington<1%

District of Columbia<1%

Oklahoma<1%

4 other states: <1%

The largest single recipient received 3% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to organisations Bella Vista Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

105 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $35,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 105 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k5%

$1k–$2.5k0%

$2.5k–$5k3%

$5k–$10k2%

$10k–$25k8%

$25k–$50k55%

$50k–$100k26%

$100k–$250k2%

Median $35,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Freshwater Trust · Driving new conservation funding and coordinated investment to restoration
$120,0002024 tax year
California Trout · Klamath basin salmon recovery and habitat restoration
$100,0002024 tax year
Mid Klamath Watershed Council · Western klamath restoration partnership, wkrp
$75,0002024 tax year
Wild Salmon Center · Restoring spring chinook to the mid-klamath
$60,0002024 tax year
South Yuba River Citizens League · General support
$60,0002024 tax year
Tandem Partners in Early Learning · San francisco programs and operations
$60,0002024 tax year
Family Connections Centers · Building a foundation of early care and family support
$60,0002024 tax year
Reading Partners · General support of reading partners san francisco
$60,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Susan Koe — Chair
Sara Koe — Director
John Kirkwood — Director Emeritus
Spencer Kirkwood — Audit Chair
Kimberly Casey — Director
Micheal Casey — Director
Rob Millis — Director
Shannon Casey Welch — Vice Chair And Co-Treasurer
Katherine Joiner — Co-Treasurer
Jean Casey — Secretary

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$5,621,439	$4,242,041	$64,946,087	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$4,444,297	$4,040,372	$68,423,844	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$4,974,603	$3,794,274	$68,431,993	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.