Camalotte Foundation

The Camalotte Foundation is a California-registered private family foundation governed entirely by Kohlberg family members and two close associates — none of whom draw compensation. This structure shapes everything about how the foundation grants: it is relationship-driven, trustee-directed, and explicitly not designed as an open competitive grant program.

The foundation's FAQ states that trustees identify organizations matching their interests and invite formal applications, rather than reviewing unsolicited pitches. Grant database flags of "preselected_only" confirm this posture across multiple platforms. Yet the foundation also maintains a standing Letter of Inquiry process with a physical mailing address and email contact (grants@camalottefoundation.org). The current "not accepting unsolicited proposals" notice on the contact page appears cyclical — likely reflecting a funded-up phase rather than a permanent closure.

For first-time applicants, the practical implication is clear: cold submissions do not succeed here. The realistic path begins with relationship-building through the existing grantee network. Organizations active in reproductive rights advocacy, climate communications, or anti-trafficking work that already have ties to anchor grantees — Ecoamerica, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood, or Polaris Project — are best positioned to request introductions to the Kohlberg family.

The foundation's arts and culture grants (Frick Collection, Costume Institute at the Met, Save Venice, V&A, Serpentine Galleries) appear to reflect personal Kohlberg family patronage rather than strategic programmatic priorities. These run $13,000–$57,000 per cycle and are unlikely pathways for organizations seeking the foundation's larger strategic commitments of $185,000–$235,000 per award.

The stated mission emphasizes "positive and measurable improvements" and favors research, result evaluation, and replication of successful initiatives. Organizations should lead with data and outcome metrics, not narrative storytelling. The relationship progression — when it occurs — moves from mailed LOI (3000 Alpine Road, Suite 100, Menlo Park, CA 94028) → staff review → telephone or written notification → invitation to submit a formal proposal → potential trustee meeting or site visit. Given the entirely volunteer board with a hands-on philosophy, site visits and personal meetings are more likely here than at institutionalized foundations staffed by professional program officers.

Total documented giving across 26 grants to 15 recipient organizations: $1,711,250. Annual disbursements have ranged from $655,000 (FY2020) to $979,452 (FY2021), averaging approximately $861,000 per year across fiscal years 2019–2024. The FY2024 return shows $841,461 in charitable disbursements, confirming recovery from the FY2023 contraction to $775,711.

Per-grant size: median $22,500, average $46,786, range $5,000–$225,000. These figures mask a two-tier grantmaking structure. Flagship advocacy grantees receive far larger individual awards: Ecoamerica averages $235,000 per grant (2 grants totaling $470,000); NARAL Pro-Choice America averages $186,250 per grant ($372,500 total); Planned Parenthood averages $186,250 per grant ($372,500 total). Discretionary arts and culture gifts run $13,000–$57,000 per cycle. The gap between the median and mean signals a portfolio where a small number of high-conviction strategic grants coexist with a larger number of smaller relationship-based gifts.

Focus area breakdown by total documented giving: - Reproductive rights / Women's health: ~$795,000 (46.5%) — NARAL, Planned Parenthood, Sanctuary for Families - Environment / Climate advocacy: ~$499,000 (29.2%) — Ecoamerica, Scarborough Land Trust - Arts & Culture: ~$220,500 (12.9%) — Frick Collection, Costume Institute at Met, Save Venice, V&A, Serpentine Galleries - Anti-trafficking / Child Protection: ~$132,500 (7.7%) — Polaris Project, Thorn - Social Services / Hunger: ~$64,500 (3.8%) — Food on Foot, UNICEF

Geographic distribution: New York receives 50% of grant count (13 of 26), Washington DC 23% (6), California 15% (4), with Connecticut (2) and Maine (1). This East Coast concentration is striking for a California-based foundation and reflects the Kohlberg family's professional and cultural connections to New York.

Assets contracted from an $18.2M peak in FY2021 to $14.1M in FY2023 before recovering to $15.6M in FY2024. FY2022's $2.8M net investment income (likely realized capital gains) funded elevated giving that year. Normalized investment income of $207,000–$708,000 annually supports sustainable grant capacity of $700,000–$900,000 per year going forward.

The five asset-matched peer foundations below all hold NTEE code T20 (private grantmaking foundations) and carry assets within $25,000 of Camalotte's $15.6M base. None maintain public websites, limiting direct giving comparisons.

What distinguishes Camalotte from typical private foundations at this asset tier is its unusually concentrated portfolio: approximately 73% of documented giving flows to just three organizations (Ecoamerica, NARAL, and Planned Parenthood). Foundations with $15–20M in assets typically distribute across 20–40 annual grantees; Camalotte's 13–15 annual awards reflect a deliberate, high-conviction approach with deep repeat relationships. The existence of a companion entity — Camalotte Foundation II (EIN 884360865) with comparable assets — further distinguishes this family vehicle and suggests total family philanthropic capacity may be meaningfully larger than what this foundation's 990 alone reveals.

No press releases, major announcements, or substantive news coverage of the Camalotte Foundation appeared in web searches for 2025–2026, consistent with the foundation's deliberately low public profile. The most recent documentable activity is the November 13, 2025, filing of the FY2024 Form 990, showing $15.6M in assets and approximately $841,461 in charitable disbursements — roughly 13 grants at historical cadence.

The most notable structural development is the establishment of Camalotte Foundation II (EIN 884360865), which appears separately on Charity Navigator and ProPublica with comparable assets. The relationship between the two entities has not been publicly explained but may represent a generational handoff (James Kohlberg's adult children — Casey, Madeleine, and Charlotte Kohlberg — taking on their own philanthropic vehicle) or a programmatic segmentation by issue area. Grant seekers should be aware that Camalotte II may represent additional funding capacity in the same issue areas.

Board composition has remained entirely stable across multiple 990 filings: James Kohlberg (President), Casey Kohlberg (Vice President), Angie Ferrif (CFO), John Eastburn (Secretary), Madeleine Kohlberg (Director), and Charlotte Kohlberg (Director). No leadership departures or new additions have been publicly reported. Asset recovery from $14.1M (FY2023) to $15.6M (FY2024) — driven by $523,100 in investment revenue — suggests the endowment is healthy and grant capacity in FY2025 should remain in the $750,000–$900,000 range.

The single most important tip for prospective Camalotte grantees: do not submit a cold application. Grant aggregator platforms uniformly flag this foundation as preselected-only, and the foundation's own FAQ confirms that trustees identify organizations personally. Cold submissions that arrive without prior relationship are extremely unlikely to advance regardless of their merit.

Pursue a warm introduction first. The realistic path runs through the existing grantee community. Ecoamerica, Polaris Project, and Thorn are well-networked in their fields (climate communications, anti-trafficking, and child-protection technology, respectively). Organizations in reproductive rights, environmental advocacy, or anti-trafficking should cultivate introductions to the Kohlberg family through these channels before drafting any letter.

Monitor the website for open cycles. The contact page (https://www.camalottefoundation.org/contact) currently states the foundation is not accepting unsolicited proposals, but the FAQ retains LOI instructions — signaling evaluation cycles reopen periodically. Call (650) 463-1480 to inquire about current status before investing time in an LOI.

Use the foundation's own language. Frame every sentence around their mission: "positive and measurable improvements," outcome evaluation, and program replication. These three phrases appear directly on the website and reflect the trustees' analytical worldview. Quantify results — percentage change, people reached, units produced — rather than describing activities.

Submission mechanics. Mail your LOI to: Grant Program Manager, Camalotte Foundation, 3000 Alpine Road, Suite 100, Menlo Park, CA 94028. Do not email as the primary submission — the FAQ warns of email security filters. Keep the LOI to two pages: organization name and 501(c)(3) status, program description, dollar amount requested, timeline, and outcome metrics.

Frame the ask as a multi-year relationship. Every strategic grantee on record has been funded in multiple consecutive cycles. Indicate long-term vision and organizational capacity for growth. Grants to strategic partners have run $185,000–$235,000 per award — but only arrive after a demonstrated relationship. Arts applicants should connect proposals to institutional prestige and cultural significance; expect $13,000–$57,000, not the larger advocacy figures.