Hidden Leaf Foundation

Hidden Leaf Foundation operates from a trust-based philanthropy framework at the intersection of inner awareness and movement-building for racial, social, and environmental justice. Their giving philosophy is distinctive and consequential for applicants: the foundation invests in organizational capacity and contemplative-strategic development — not programs or projects — and has structured its entire grantmaking model around five-year general operating grants to a small portfolio of approximately 40 organizations.

The most critical fact for any grant seeker: Hidden Leaf currently does not accept unsolicited proposals. The website states explicitly, "As a result of this long-term funding commitment we do not accept unsolicited proposals." The foundation's first five-year cycle is expected to conclude at the end of 2026, which represents a structural re-entry opportunity — organizations positioning now for a potential new cycle announcement are acting at the right time.

Hidden Leaf's pathway to funding is relational, not procedural. Entry comes through the movement networks the foundation already inhabits: Justice Funders, Solidaire Network, Movement Strategy Center, Native Organizers Alliance, and Generative Somatics are all current grantees and serve as credible ecosystem referral points. Organizations should prioritize showing up at movement convenings, funders' tables, and collaborative spaces where Hidden Leaf staff circulate.

New ED Leslie Lindo, who began January 28, 2025, brings a background in community development finance — specifically non-extractive capital access through the Olamina Fund and Common Future. She is the third leader in the foundation's history, following founding ED Tara Brown (who remains on the board as VP/Treasurer) and Supriya Lopez Pillai (now President of Libra Foundation). The leadership transition is recent enough that strategic relationships cultivated through 2025-2026 will be with the leadership team that will define the next cycle.

Organizations that receive an invitation to apply will find a funder that values long-term partnership over grant cycles. Two alignment elements are non-negotiable: substantive integration of contemplative or somatic practice into organizational culture (not as a wellness add-on), and demonstrated racial justice and Just Transition frameworks embedded in core strategy. Budget ceiling is $8 million or less in annual operating budget.

Hidden Leaf Foundation's grantmaking has grown substantially over its 15-year history. Grants paid rose from $402,000 in FY2013 to $691,000 (FY2014), $890,000 (FY2015), $1.26M (FY2019), $1.81M (FY2020), and $2.08M (FY2021). FY2022 produced a dramatic spike to $10.97M in grants paid, with total giving reaching $12.28M — the largest single-year outlay in the foundation's history, partly driven by a $3.3M pass-through to Amalgamated Foundation for a donor-advised fund creation. FY2023 normalized to $2.78M in grants paid with $4.21M in total giving. Total assets have grown from $495,662 (FY2012) to $58.28M (FY2024), reflecting both investment growth and a major $13.7M contribution infusion in FY2019.

Within the historical grantee database, 248 recorded grants total $14.45M, averaging $58,259 per grant. Typical individual grant amounts cluster between $5,000 and $75,000 with a median of approximately $40,000. However, long-term portfolio relationships accumulate significantly larger totals: the top 10 grantees each received $200,000 to $1M+ in aggregate across multiple years. Amalgamated Foundation leads at $3.30M (3 grants, including pass-through). Sogorea Te' Land Trust received $1.0M (2 grants). Native Organizers Alliance received $435,000 across 12 grants. Movement Strategy Center, Power California, and Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity each received $375,000-$379,000 across 3-5 grants.

Geographically, California dominates at 138 of 248 recorded grants (56%), reflecting the foundation's San Francisco base and focus on Bay Area and statewide organizing. New York accounts for 22 grants (9%), Washington State 22 (9%), Illinois 12 (5%), and Washington DC 11 (4%). South Dakota (5 grants) reflects investment in Indigenous organizations.

By thematic stream: racial justice and power-building organizations capture the largest share, followed by Indigenous sovereignty (Native Organizers Alliance, Native Movement, Sogorea Te' Land Trust together exceed $1.74M), environmental and climate justice, movement infrastructure (Justice Funders, Solidaire Network), healing and inner awareness (Generative Somatics, East Bay Meditation Center, Change Elemental, Coaching for Healing Justice and Liberation), and community development finance (Full Spectrum Labs, RichmondLAND).

The following table compares Hidden Leaf Foundation to asset-matched peer foundations (all approximately $58M in total assets). These peers are matched on financial scale, not thematic focus; Hidden Leaf's trust-based, inner-awareness approach is distinctive within this tier.

Among foundations in this asset tier, Hidden Leaf stands out for its publicly articulated, values-explicit grantmaking theory and its unusual multi-investment-vehicle approach (grants, non-extractive loans, recoverable grants, deep impact investments, real estate). Most $50-60M private foundations in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE category maintain opaque processes and conventional program-grant structures. Hidden Leaf's payout rate of approximately 8% of assets meaningfully exceeds the 5% federal minimum, reflecting a deliberate choice to deploy capital more aggressively. Its community investments arm — structured as non-extractive financing designed with grantee communities — is rare among foundations under $100M in total assets and signals a more sophisticated capital deployment philosophy than typical peer foundations at this asset level.

The defining recent development is the appointment of Leslie Lindo as Executive Director, effective January 28, 2025. She is the foundation's third leader, following founding ED Tara Brown (who remains on the board as VP/Treasurer) and Supriya Lopez Pillai, who departed to become President of Libra Foundation. Lorelei Williams served as Interim ED for approximately five months during the search. The executive search was conducted by Walker & Associates Consulting, with applications closing November 8, 2024.

Lindo brings a community development finance background: she served as Managing Director of the Olamina Fund at Candide Group, focused on shifting power dynamics in traditional finance and increasing capital access for economically excluded communities, and previously as VP of Strategic Partnerships at Common Future. She serves on the boards of RichmondLAND, Pacific Community Ventures, and Just Futures — all organizations within or adjacent to Hidden Leaf's current grantee ecosystem. Her appointment signals likely deepening of the foundation's community investments arm.

In August 2025, Hidden Leaf posted a Director of Finance & Operations search (0.75 FTE, $112,500-$123,750/year, application deadline September 4, 2025), indicating ongoing organizational buildout under new leadership.

The foundation's first five-year grantmaking cycle — which began approximately 2021-2022 — is publicly confirmed to conclude at the end of 2026. Program payout increased from approximately 5% to 8% over this cycle. No new RFPs, open grant cycles, or major programmatic announcements have been publicly disclosed as of mid-2026.

The single most important strategic fact: Hidden Leaf does not currently accept unsolicited proposals. Any organization submitting a cold application will not receive consideration. The actionable strategy is relational positioning ahead of the end-of-2026 cycle close.

Map your ecosystem overlap. Hidden Leaf's 40+ current grantees are a precise map of who this funder considers credible. Organizations should identify 3-5 current grantees doing adjacent work — Justice Funders, Solidaire Network, Movement Strategy Center, Generative Somatics, Native Organizers Alliance — and cultivate genuine relationships there. Internal referrals from trusted grantees carry significant weight.

Attend the right convenings. Movement funder tables focused on trust-based philanthropy (e.g., Justice Funders' network), Just Transition coalitions, and healing justice convenings are where Hidden Leaf staff circulate. Getting into those rooms before a cycle opens is the highest-leverage positioning move available.

Frame your work in Hidden Leaf's vocabulary. The foundation's language is specific: "inner awareness," "liberatory culture," "Just Transition," "trust-based relationship," "collective liberation," "rematriation." Use these terms naturally and precisely — not as buzzwords, but as evidence that your organization inhabits the same conceptual world. Avoid generic social justice language that could apply to any progressive funder.

Demonstrate embedded practice, not programming. Hidden Leaf funds organizations where contemplative or somatic practice shapes how work is done at an organizational level — strategy retreats, team culture, leadership development. Rockwood Leadership Institute, Generative Somatics, East Bay Meditation Center, and Change Elemental are in the portfolio because they build this capacity for others. If your organization uses healing justice, somatics, or mindfulness as organizational infrastructure, document it specifically.

Budget ceiling: $8M or less. Confirm your operating budget falls under this threshold before any outreach.

When a cycle opens: Historical IRS filings and application instructions indicate Hidden Leaf uses a July 1 deadline and a two-page email letter of inquiry. The letter should include contact information, one paragraph on organizational description and fit with Hidden Leaf's mission, and a brief mission and programs description. Do not attach project budgets or program deliverables. Email to info@hiddenleaf.org.