Lafetra Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation says it does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold proposal is unlikely to be considered and should not be sent.
- Its listed recipients span environmental and conservation, wildlife and marine, climate and clean-energy, documentary and film, writing, food banks, housing and land-trust work, and a theatre, and most grants are recorded as general support, so a small nonprofit can judge fit against that range.
- The filing states no geographic focus, though its grants have mainly gone to California, District of Columbia, New York, Arizona and Montana.
- Half of its 105 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less and about 8 in 10 fell between $4,500 and $150,000, so that band is a typical size to plan around, not a ceiling, since the largest grant was about $715,000.
- In its latest filing 96% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in an earlier filing, so its giving is heavily concentrated among repeat recipients.
Overview
Lafetra Foundation is a US private foundation based in Berkeley, CA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
Across the filings, the foundation's grants are mostly recorded as general support. Its recipients include environmental and conservation organisations, wildlife and marine organisations, climate and clean-energy groups, documentary and film organisations, writers, community food banks, housing and land-trust organisations, and a theatre. A small number of grants are designated for the Hive Fund project and the Plastic Solutions Fund project; the bulk of the listed purposes are generic support rather than a named field. The filings also show a strong repeat-giving pattern: most dollars in the latest filing went to organisations that had received a grant in an earlier filing. They do not state thematic priorities or eligibility criteria beyond preselection.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California, District of Columbia, New York, Arizona and Montana.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 96% 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 105 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
5 other states: 9%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 19% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to organisations Lafetra Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (The Netherlands).
- 9% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 33 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Lafd Foundation · General support$713,1422024 tax year
- Center for Biological Diversity · General support$300,0002024 tax year
- Polar Bears International · General support$200,0002024 tax year
- Documentary Society · General support$125,0002024 tax year
- Windward Fund · Hive fund project$100,0002024 tax year
- Roosevelt Institute · General support$100,0002024 tax year
- Vote Solar · General support$100,0002024 tax year
- Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund · General support$100,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Michael W Lafetra — Treasurer / Secretary
- Suzanne Lafetra — President / Chairman Of The Board
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,536,504 | $2,152,000 | $53,759,257 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,873,317 | $2,622,000 | $67,007,841 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,125,239 | $2,778,142 | $73,471,446 | 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 Lafetra Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Berkeley, CA
Applying to Lafetra Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Berkeley, CA