Gruber Family Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Marin County-based Gruber Family Foundation supports education, women’s reproductive rights, journalism, film, visual arts and environmental conservation.
IP TAKE: This progressive funder tends to provide ongoing support to well-established organizations working in its areas of interest. It maintains a strong interest in Marin County and tends to work locally in the areas of education and arts. Its gender equity and reproductive health grants, however, prioritize national organizations.
This is not an accessible funder. It stays tight-lipped about how it makes grants and identifies grantees on its own. The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals and tends to support organizations with which it maintains long-standing relationships. However, the foundation provides information about its leadership and board on its website as well general contact information.
PROFILE: The Gruber Foundation was established in San Francisco in 1987. Its founders are Jon and Linda Gruber. Jon Gruber is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a founder of Gruber & McBaine Capital Management. Linda Gruber, a graduate of Wellesley College, worked in government under President Lyndon Johnson and taught at San Francisco State University. In addition to heading the Gruber Family Foundation, she serves on the boards of the Global Fund for Women and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The Gruber Family Foundation makes grants for education, women’s reproductive rights, journalism, film, visual arts and environmental conservation.
Grants for K-12 Education
Education is one of the Gruber Family Foundation’s largest areas of funding. Grants here focus on out-of-school learning opportunities and quality academic programs in Marin County, California. One past grantee, Summer Search, provides high school students with summer mentoring and learning experiences to help them reach their academic and personal goals. Past K-12 grantees also include the Bay Area Discovery Museum, and given to Marin Charitable, an organization that supports enrichment programs for school-aged children.
Grants for Women and Girls
Grantmaking for women’s and girls’ causes mainly supports women’s reproductive health initiatives. Linda Gruber serves on the board of the Global Fund for Women, a women’s rights organization that has received ongoing support. Other grantees include Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) and the Bay Area Women’s and Children’s Center. Outside of the realm of reproductive health, past grantees include Room to Read, an organization that aims to increase literacy and gender equality in the developing world, and the Global Press Institute, which trains women in developing countries to become journalists.
Grants for Journalism and Media
The Gruber Family Foundation does not outline goals for its journalism grantmaking but tends to support progressive organizations and public media outlets. Past grantees include Mother Jones, the Marshall Project, National Public Radio, Public Radio International and multiple local public media outlets.
Grants for Visual Arts
Gruber’s visual arts grantmaking serves landmark art institutions in San Francisco only. Grantees include the Asian Art Museum, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where Linda serves on the board of trustees.
Grants for Film
The Gruber Family Foundation has demonstrated an undefined commitment to organizations working in film and film education. Grantees include Marin County’s Lark Theater, the Sundance Institute, the California Film Institute and Chicken and Egg Pictures, which supports documentary filmmaking by women.
Grants for Environmental Conservation and Justice
Gruber’s environmental grants prioritize conservation organizations in the state of California. Land conservation grantees include the Marin Agricultural Land Trust and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The foundation also supports California’s WildCare, which rehabilitates sick or injured wild animals and runs nature education programs through its wildlife museum. Gruber has also provided ongoing support to the Nature Conservancy, a national organization that works to protect vulnerable lands around the world.
Important Grant Details:
The Gruber Family Foundation makes about $3 million in grants each year, with grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. This funder tends to support well-established organizations in its areas of grantmaking interest, and prioritizes organizations operating in Marin County, California. For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s grantees page or its recent tax filings.
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications for funding and tends to make grants to organizations with which it has long standing relationships. General inquiries may be directed to the foundation’s staff via email or telephone at 415-457-2835.
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