The Palo Alto Community Fund

Analysis

The Palo Alto Community Fund is a registered charity in United States, based in Palo Alto, CA. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in June 1998, 28 years ago. Its declared purposes cover philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking foundations, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending June 2024, The Palo Alto Community Fund reported income of $3.3m and spending of $2.2m, leaving 34% of income unspent that year. Across the 6 years on record, from June 2019 to June 2024, income grew from $307k to $3.3m (+978%), an average of +61% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to June 2020, when income rose by 470%. Over the whole period it spent 75% of the income it received.

Among 19,413 United States charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, The Palo Alto Community Fund sits at the 91st percentile: it is larger than about 91% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 90th percentile, and in the 90th percentile within CA. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include National Adult Protective Services Association ($3.3m), United Way of Southeast Minnesota ($3.3m) and Kentucky Casa Network Inc ($3.3m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending June 2024, revenue came from contributions and grants 89% of the total. Other salaries and wages came to $255k. At year end it held assets of $11.2m against liabilities of $19k, net assets of $11.2m. It reported 3 employees.