Salesforce Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The Salesforce Foundation focuses solely on education, specifically academic success, excellent educators and career readiness, partnering with K12 public schools and nonprofits in the places where it lives and works, so your work needs to sit squarely within those themes.
- Applications are by invitation only and the Foundation cannot respond to unsolicited funding inquiries, so there's no open call to approach directly; this looks like a relationship-led funder rather than one that reviews cold proposals.
- A typical grant falls between $350,000 and $5,000,000, with a median of $1,000,000, making a request in that bracket the most realistic ask, though it has also made grants as large as about $8,700,000, to Tides Foundation, an organisation it funds every year and which regrants to others.
- A large share, 62%, of its grant dollars went to organisations it had already funded in the prior two filings, pointing to a pattern of ongoing support for established partners rather than one-off funding.
- No geographic focus is stated, though grants have mainly been seen in California and New York; organisations seeking support for events, sponsorships, galas, scholarships, grants to individual people, endowment funding or any lobbying should not apply.
Overview
Salesforce 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 Salesforce Foundation partners with K12 public schools and nonprofits where it lives and works, aiming to ensure every young person has the skills, experiences and support to reach their full potential. Its education grantmaking focuses on academic success, excellent educators and career readiness. It works with school districts and education nonprofits to help students gain job-ready, tech-forward skills and build meaningful connections, careers and lives. Its approach includes empowering students with tools and support, attracting, retaining and growing high-quality educators in public schools, and bridging education and careers through mentorship and career-aligned learning. It looks for alignment with its education grantmaking strategy, programme impact or evidence-informed models, a commitment to measure, learn and adapt, and community-connected leadership.
Themes
- Academic success
- Excellent educators
- Career readiness
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California and New York.
What They Don't Fund
- Events
- Sponsorships
- Galas
- Scholarships
- Grants to individual people
- Endowment funding
- Lobbying of any kind
How to apply
Strategic grant proposals are accepted by invitation only; the Foundation is unable to respond to unsolicited funding inquiries.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 62% 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 75 grants to organisations were $1,000,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Requests should align with Salesforce’s education grantmaking strategy.
- Potential grantees should have nonprofit status and demonstrated program impact or strong evidence-informed models.
- The Foundation looks for a commitment to measure, learn, and adapt.
- The Foundation looks for a strong leadership team reflective of the community and connected to the issues it addresses.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 6%
- The largest single recipient received 22% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 62% of grant dollars went to organisations Salesforce Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 27% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 22 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $1M (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Tides Foundation · Support for education and career opportunities for young people$7,338,6002024 tax year
- Oakland Unified School District · Support public education$5,000,0002024 tax year
- Spark SF Public Schools · Support public education$5,000,0002024 tax year
- Code.org · Support for education and career opportunities for young people$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Children First Fund — The Chicago Public Schools Foundation · Support public education$1,000,0002024 tax year
- College Possible · Support for education and career opportunities for young people$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Common Sense Media · Support for education and career opportunities for young people$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Digital Promise Global · Support for education and career opportunities for young people$1,000,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Maggie Tan — Finance Director
- Lara Mouritsen — Assistant Secretary
- Michael Butler — Assistant Treasurer
- Sarah Dods — Secretary
- Joachim Wettermark — CFO & Treasurer Start 1/2025
- Rebecca Ferguson — CEO
- Laura Scher — Director
- Ronald Conway — Director
- Marc Benioff — Chairman
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $37,877,953 | $36,172,950 | $376,436,080 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $37,722,798 | $36,145,900 | $395,528,825 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $37,898,190 | $35,938,600 | $397,888,517 | 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
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At a glance
Applying to Salesforce Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- San Francisco, CA
- salesforce.com/company/salesforce-foundation
Applying to Salesforce Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- San Francisco, CA
- salesforce.com/company/salesforce-foundation