Hidden Leaf Foundation

SAN FRANCISCO, CA EIN: 35-2338463 Website

Hidden Leaf Foundation is a private family foundation based in San Francisco, California, established in 2008. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing social justice through philanthropic investment in social change movements.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$58.3M

+4.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.6M

-31.2% YoY

Grant Count

-13.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$58K

-20.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hidden Leaf Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Hidden Leaf Foundation's mission is to promote inner awareness within liberatory movements in order to advance a more just, ecologically healthy, and compassionate society.

The foundation's philosophy centers on the belief that when organizations, leaders, movements, and foundations cultivate inner awareness and tend to the spiritual as well as the strategic, the resulting power and changes are deeper, more lasting, and more likely to heal historical injustices that shape our current relationship to the Earth and to each other.

Hidden Leaf invests in shared power, prosperity, and collective consciousness for the sake of human and planetary flourishing. As a movement partner, the foundation makes deep, long-term investments in grantees and employs a broad array of investment and financial tools to move money toward people, organizations, and movements advancing a more just, verdant, and loving world.

Primary funding interests include social justice, education, and human services, with particular emphasis on organizations working within liberatory and progressive movements.

Grantmaking

The foundation is open to new applicants, with approximately 12% of new applicants funded.

Grant Range

s and Activity:**

Average Grant

amount: $316

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Hidden Leaf Foundation funds initiatives across numerous U.S. cities and states, including:

Cities: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, and Washington

Primary geographic focus areas include California, New York, and Georgia.

Grant Distribution by State

California $6.7M (57%)

District of Columbia $1.5M (13%)

New York $871K (7%)

Washington $635K (5%)

Florida $545K (5%)

Illinois $315K (3%)

Alaska $270K (2%)

Pennsylvania $213K (2%)

+11 more states

States

Alaska Arizona California District of Columbia Florida Georgia Iowa Idaho Illinois Massachusetts North Carolina New York Ohio Pennsylvania South Dakota Tennessee Virginia Vermont Washington

Cities

AlexandriaAnchorageArcataAtlantaBerkeleyBoiseBooneBostonBronxBrooklynBurlingtonCatskillCazaderoChicagoFairbanksHartsdaleHawkinsvilleKykotsmoviLake AndresLos Angeles

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets and Revenue (2023):

Total assets: $55,886,588 to $58,282,965
Total revenue: $2,453,099
Total expenses: $4,208,920
Total distributions: $4,300,000

Staffing:

Number of employees: 2 to 4

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$58,282,965	$55,886,588	$54,041,946
Revenue	$4,433,095	$2,453,099	$11,646,901
Expenses	$4,318,121	$4,208,920	$12,282,207
Qualifying Distributions	$3,160,973	$4,263,879	$4,865,280
Net Investment Income	$3,708,840	$1,686,714	$8,173,003
Distributable Amount	$2,787,407	$2,731,818	$2,601,325

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

242 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Movement Strategy Center ($500,000), Urban Tilth ($75,000), Urban Tilth ($75,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
THE ACTION LABS ART OF PURPOSE OSSINING, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT	$10,000
THE ACTION LABS ART OF PURPOSE OSSINING, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT	$15,500
CITY SURF PROJECT SAN FRANCISCO, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT	$2,500
YES RICHMOND, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT	$2,500
EL PUEBLO RALEIGH, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT	$5,000
NADAP NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT	$2,500
SOUL FIRE FARM INSTITUTE INC PETERSBURG, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT	$2,500
SEEDS OF PEACE INC NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT	$2,500
NEW MEXICO WOMEN SANTA FE, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT	$5,000
LA FINICA DEL SUR THE BRONX, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT	$2,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board and Staff:

Leslie Lindo – Executive Director (noted as an activist with two decades of experience in environmental, social, and economic justice movements)
Karen Brown – President
Tara Brown – VP/Treasurer
Supriya Pillai – Secretary/Executive Director (compensation: $202,186)
Alta Starr – Director (compensation: $10,000)
Jennifer George – Program Officer (compensation: $62,000)

The foundation is governed by a board that includes both family members and independent members, with a staff of four.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
KAREN BROWN	PRESIDENT	5	—
TARA BROWN	VP/TREASURER	5	—
SUPRIYA PILLAI	SECRETARY/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	35	$142,115
ALTA STARR	DIRECTOR	1	$17,500
LORELEI WILLIAMS	INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	30	$64,240

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The Hidden Healing Fund, associated with Hidden Leaf Foundation's work, awarded $1.1 million in grants to community organizations addressing young people's mental health.

The Hidden Healing Fund Awards $1.1M in Grants to Community Organizations

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hidden Leaf Foundation fund?

Hidden Leaf Foundation's mission is to promote inner awareness within liberatory movements in order to advance a more just, ecologically healthy, and compassionate society. The foundation's philosophy centers on the belief that when organizations, leaders, movements, and foundations cultivate inner awareness and tend to the spiritual as well as the strategic, the resulting power and changes are deeper, more lasting, and more likely to heal historical injustices that shape our current relationsh…

How do I apply for a grant from Hidden Leaf Foundation?

**Grant Sizes and Activity:** • Typical grant awards range from $2,500 to $1,184,500 • Average grant amount: $316 • Median grant amount: $75,000 • Maximum grant observed: $928,000 • Total giving in 2023: $2,620,500 to $4,300,000 (depending on fiscal year) • Number of grants: 52 grants in 2023; 14,591 total grants in previous year data **Recent Grants (2023):** • Movement Strategy Center: $309,000 (Project Grant) • Friendship House Association of American Indians: $100,000 (General Support Grant)

Where does Hidden Leaf Foundation make grants?

Hidden Leaf Foundation funds initiatives across numerous U.S. cities and states, including: • Cities: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle • States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, and Washington Primary geographic focus areas include California, New York, and Georgia.

What size grants does Hidden Leaf Foundation award?

In 2024, Hidden Leaf Foundation awarded 45 grants totaling $2.6M — an average of about $58K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Hidden Leaf Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Hidden Leaf Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.