Cottonwood Spring | Foundation Profile
GrantBay analyzes IRS Form 990-PF data to help grant seekers find fit funders like Cottonwood Spring. Data shown is extracted from Form 990-PF filings.
EIN: 87-3653199
Foundation Overview
Based in Santa Cruz, CA, Cottonwood Spring has awarded 89 grants totaling $2,420,000 to organizations in California, New York and 4 other states, plus international recipients. Individual grants range from $20,000 to $40,000, with a median award of $25,000.
Latest Form 990-PF Snapshot
Foundation Intelligence
Advanced analytics and strategic insights to help nonprofit organizations assess grant opportunities and optimize their application strategies
New Applicant Friendliness
2 of 44 recipients (5%) were new grantees. Foundation maintains tight relationships with established partners. New applicants rarely succeed without insider connections.
Geographic Focus
47% of grants are awarded in California, with additional funding distributed across 6 other locations. The foundation balances regional focus with broader geographic diversity. Within California, funding concentrates in Santa Cruz (57%), Cotati (14%), Oakland (14%).
Funding Trajectory
Strong 225% growth in annual giving over 2 years indicates expanding philanthropic capacity and increasing opportunities for grant seekers. This upward trajectory suggests growing foundation resources and commitment.
Program Areas
Dual focus on community projects (50%) and general purposes, indicating strategic concentration in complementary program areas.
Where is The Money Going?
Grants & Funding
Analyzing past grantees provides valuable insights into Cottonwood Spring's funding preferences, organizational priorities, and grant making patterns. This historical data helps potential applicants understand the foundation's strategic focus and identify successful funding approaches.
| Name | Amount | Location | Purpose | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amah Mutsun Land Trust | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Animal Legal Defense Fund | $35,000 | Cotati, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Animal Outlook | $30,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Building Decarbonization Coalition | $25,000 | Lewes, DE, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Center For Carbon Removal | $25,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Committee To Protect Journalists Inc | $30,000 | New York, NY, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Community Action Board Of Santa Cruz County Inc | $35,000 | Watsonville, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Global Change Data Lab | $30,000 | Oxford, Foreign, UK | General Support | 2024 |
| Global Press Institute | $30,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Housing Matters | $35,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Ifex | $25,000 | Toronto On, Foreign, CA | General Support | 2024 |
| Institute For Policy Studies | $30,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy | $30,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Land Trust Of Santa Cruz County | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| National Trust For Local News | $25,000 | Lexington, MA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| New Way Homes Inc | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Policylink | $25,000 | Oakland, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Santa Cruz Hub For Sustainable Living | $35,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| The Humane League | $25,000 | Rockville, MD, US | General Support | 2024 |
| United Way Of Santa Cruz County | $35,000 | Capitola, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Wikimedia Foundation Inc | $30,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Global Investigative Journalism Network | $25,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Amah Mutsun Land Trust | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Animal Legal Defense Fund | $35,000 | Cotati, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Animal Outlook | $30,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Building Decarbonization Coalition | $25,000 | Lewes, DE, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Center For Carbon Removal | $25,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Committee To Protect Journalists Inc | $30,000 | New York, NY, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Community Action Board Of Santa Cruz County Inc | $35,000 | Watsonville, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Global Change Data Lab | $30,000 | Oxford, Foreign, UK | General Support | 2024 |
| Global Press Institute | $30,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Housing Matters | $35,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Ifex | $25,000 | Toronto On, Foreign, CA | General Support | 2024 |
| Institute For Policy Studies | $30,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy | $30,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Land Trust Of Santa Cruz County | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| National Trust For Local News | $25,000 | Lexington, MA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| New Way Homes Inc | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Policylink | $25,000 | Oakland, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Santa Cruz Hub For Sustainable Living | $35,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| The Humane League | $25,000 | Rockville, MD, US | General Support | 2024 |
| United Way Of Santa Cruz County | $35,000 | Capitola, CA, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Wikimedia Foundation Inc | $30,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Global Investigative Journalism Network | $25,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2024 |
| Amah Mutsun Land Trust | $25,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Animal Legal Defense Fund | $30,000 | Cotati, CA, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Animal Outlook | $25,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Building Decarbonization Coalition | $20,000 | Lewes, DE, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Center For Carbon Removal | $20,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Committee To Protect Journalists Inc | $25,000 | New York, NY, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Community Action Board Of Santa Cruz County Inc | $30,000 | Watsonville, CA, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Global Change Data Lab | $25,000 | Oxford, Foreign, UK | General Support | 2023 |
| Global Press Institute | $25,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Housing Matters | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Ifex | $20,000 | Toronto On, Foreign, CA | General Support | 2023 |
| Institute For Policy Studies | $25,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy | $25,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Land Trust Of Santa Cruz County | $25,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2023 |
| National Trust For Local News | $20,000 | Lexington, MA, US | General Support | 2023 |
| New Way Homes Inc | $25,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Policylink | $20,000 | Oakland, CA, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Santa Cruz Hub For Sustainable Living | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General Support | 2023 |
| The Humane League | $20,000 | Rockville, MD, US | General Support | 2023 |
| United Way Of Santa Cruz County | $30,000 | Capitola, CA, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Wikimedia Foundation Inc | $25,000 | Washington, DC, US | General Support | 2023 |
| Animal Legal Defense Fund | $20,000 | Cotati, CA, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Committee To Protect Journalists Inc | $40,000 | New York, NY, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Housing Matters | $25,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy | $20,000 | Washington, DC, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| New Way Homes Inc | $25,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | Housing Santa Cruz County Fund | 2022 |
| Policylink | $20,000 | Oakland, CA, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Santa Cruz Hub For Sustainable Living | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | Santa Cruz Welcoming Network Fund | 2022 |
| The Humane League | $20,000 | Rockville, MD, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Animal Legal Defense Fund | $20,000 | Cotati, CA, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Committee To Protect Journalists Inc | $40,000 | New York, NY, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Housing Matters | $25,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy | $20,000 | Washington, DC, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| New Way Homes Inc | $25,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | Housing Santa Cruz County Fund | 2022 |
| Policylink | $20,000 | Oakland, CA, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Santa Cruz Hub For Sustainable Living | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | Santa Cruz Welcoming Network Fund | 2022 |
| The Humane League | $20,000 | Rockville, MD, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Animal Legal Defense Fund | $20,000 | Cotati, CA, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Committee To Protect Journalists Inc | $40,000 | New York, NY, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Housing Matters | $25,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Institute On Taxation And Economic Policy | $20,000 | Washington, DC, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| New Way Homes Inc | $25,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | Housing Santa Cruz County Fund | 2022 |
| Policylink | $20,000 | Oakland, CA, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
| Santa Cruz Hub For Sustainable Living | $30,000 | Santa Cruz, CA, US | Santa Cruz Welcoming Network Fund | 2022 |
| The Humane League | $20,000 | Rockville, MD, US | General & Unrestricted | 2022 |
Foundations Similar to Cottonwood Spring
Discover 5 foundations with comparable assets ($13,139,903-$13,227,695), similar grant patterns, and geographic focus in CA that may also align with your organization's funding needs and grant seeking strategy.
| Foundation Name | Total Assets | Typical Grant Size | Service Area | Similarity Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Karen And Russell Goldsmith Family Charitable
EIN: 81-4663510 | 113 grants awarded |
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EIN: 95-6051857 | 267 grants awarded |
$13,139,903
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$15,000
median grant |
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Waqf Endowment Fund
EIN: 95-4611894 | 39 grants awarded |
$13,214,352
(≈ Similar) |
$15,000
median grant |
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|
Nickoll Family Foundation Inc
EIN: 95-4630520 | 45 grants awarded |
$13,216,009
(≈ Similar) |
$30,000
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|
Guenther Family Foundation
EIN: 99-6237796 | 3 grants awarded |
$13,227,695
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Related Foundation Resources in CA:
Contact Information
Official contact details for Cottonwood Spring as registered with the IRS. These details are essential for grant applications, correspondence, and due diligence processes.
| EIN | 87-3653199 |
| Website | https://www.cottonwoodspring.org/ |
| Address | PO BOX 3862 Santa Cruz, CA 95063-3862 |
Key People (2)
Board members, trustees, and key staff who oversee Cottonwood Spring's grant making decisions and strategic direction. Understanding leadership composition can provide insights into foundation priorities and potential networking opportunities.
| Sec., Treas. | Weston Arthur Hermann |
|---|---|
| President | Yael Kisel |
Forms 990-PF
IRS Form 990-PF filings provide comprehensive financial information, grant details, and operational data. These documents are essential resources for understanding foundation capacity, giving patterns, and strategic priorities.
Form 990-PF Research Tips
- Review Part XV for detailed grant recipient information and funding purposes
- Check Part I for total assets, annual giving amounts, and payout requirements
- Examine Part VIII for key personnel compensation and board structure
- Look for trends across multiple years to understand giving patterns
About This Foundation Profile
This comprehensive foundation profile for Cottonwood Spring is powered by Grant Bay's advanced foundation research platform. Our system analyzes IRS Form 990-PF filings, grant histories, and philanthropic patterns to provide nonprofit organizations with actionable intelligence for grant seeking success.
Data Sources & Accuracy
All information is derived from official IRS filings and public records. Grant Bay processes thousands of Form 990-PF documents to extract grant details, financial data, and organizational information. Data accuracy depends on foundation reporting quality and IRS filing completeness.
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