Sophiagrace Foundation

The Sophiagrace Foundation operates from a deeply philosophical worldview that shapes every dimension of its grantmaking. Founded in November 2017 through an $18.16 million founding gift, the foundation's name deliberately invokes two traditionally feminine ideals — Sophia (wisdom) and Grace (compassion) — as a statement of intent. Leadership views the world's crises as stemming from an imbalance caused by the undervaluing of feminine principles: nurturing, receptivity, and compassion. This framing manifests in an explicit focus on environmental healing, compassionate systems change, alleviation of suffering, and the promotion of truth.

The foundation is led by Christina Singleton (Director/President) and Cindy Yao (Director/Treasurer), both based in Santa Monica, California. The operation is deliberately lean — no program staff, no paid associates beyond Yao's $33,333 compensation introduced in 2024, and a minimal public presence. Grantmaking decisions flow directly from Singleton and Yao, which means relationship access is highly concentrated in two individuals.

This is a preselected-only funder. There is no published request-for-proposals, no online grant portal, and no formal application intake. Public records and third-party grant databases confirm that grantees are identified through the principals' existing networks and research rather than competitive applications. The Sierra Club Foundation — one of California's most established environmental grantmakers — is one confirmed supported organization, offering a clear window into the caliber and orientation of grantees the foundation favors.

For organizations hoping to enter the Sophiagrace ecosystem, the path begins with visibility rather than applications. If your organization works at the intersection of environmental stewardship, social justice, or transformative systems change in California, the strategy is to ensure your work surfaces naturally in the networks where Singleton and Yao are engaged. A brief introductory email to info@sophiagrace.org — leading with mission alignment rather than a funding request — is the appropriate first contact. Avoid corporate-sounding proposals; the foundation's philosophy emphasizes kindness, respect, generosity, and compassion as active values, and outreach that reflects those qualities is more likely to resonate than a polished pitch deck.

The Sophiagrace Foundation has maintained a consistent and substantial grantmaking pace since its 2017 founding. Annual grants paid have ranged from $1.06 million in fiscal year 2019 (the startup year, when the foundation was still deploying its initial capital) to $3.50 million in fiscal year 2023, its highest year on record. The most recent fiscal year (2024, filed August 2025) shows $3.46 million distributed — confirming a settled annual giving rhythm of approximately $3.0M–$3.5M.

Year-by-year grants paid: 2019: $1.06M; 2020: $3.46M; 2021: $2.73M; 2022: $2.55M; 2023: $3.50M; 2024: $3.46M. Cumulative giving 2019–2024: approximately $16.2 million. Total assets have declined from $21.6M at the 2019 peak to $14.04M in 2024, reflecting a spend-down posture where annual distributions consistently exceed investment income. Net investment income was $1.62M (2021), $531K (2023), and negative in 2022 — meaning the foundation is drawing down principal annually. At the current $3.5M distribution rate, the estimated grantmaking runway is 4–6 years.

A critical caveat on individual grant sizes: all 990 grantee records are aggregated under 'Various — See Attachment,' making it impossible to determine median individual grant size from public filings. Given the confirmed relationship with the Sierra Club Foundation (itself a major re-granting institution), some disbursements are likely large anchor grants of $500,000 or more; other grants to smaller California organizations may fall in the $25,000–$150,000 range. The foundation gives exclusively in California based on all available grantee data.

In fiscal year 2023, the foundation received $2.75M in new contributions — the only external capital infusion since the $18.16M founding gift — suggesting principals may have renewed their financial commitment. Revenue otherwise derives entirely from investments. No grants from government, other foundations, or public sources have been recorded.

The table below compares Sophiagrace Foundation to four asset-similar private foundations in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking sector, all holding approximately $14M in assets as of their most recent filings.

Sophiagrace is distinctive among this peer cohort in three important ways. First, it has an unusually explicit and articulated philosophical mission — where most similarly sized private foundations operate under vague mandates, Sophiagrace has published a substantive worldview around feminine principles, environmental healing, and systems change that directly informs its grantmaking. Second, its annual giving rate of approximately 25% of assets (compared to the IRS-mandated minimum of 5%) reflects an active spend-down posture rather than perpetual capital preservation — a meaningful signal to grantees that the foundation is deploying resources urgently, not building a legacy endowment. Third, Sophiagrace is the only foundation in this peer group with a functional public website and mission statement, indicating an intentional (if modest) public-facing presence that most private foundations of this size forgo entirely.

No press releases, grant announcements, or program news from Sophiagrace Foundation appear in public media for 2025 or 2026. The foundation maintains an intentionally low public profile consistent with its invitation-only grantmaking model.

The most recent confirmed activity is the filing of the fiscal year 2024 Form 990 on August 1, 2025, via ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. That filing shows $3.46M in grants paid and net assets of $14.04M — a decline of approximately $1.8M from the $15.82M in assets reported for fiscal year 2023. For the first time since the foundation's 2017 founding, Treasurer Cindy Yao received officer compensation of $33,333 in fiscal year 2024, a structural shift from the fully volunteer model under which both principals operated from 2017 through 2023.

In fiscal year 2023, the foundation received $2.75M in new contributions — the only external capital infusion since its $18.16M founding gift. This is a significant development suggesting the principals renewed their personal financial commitment to the foundation's mission rather than allowing the spend-down to accelerate toward closure.

The Sierra Club Foundation remains the one publicly confirmed supported organization. No leadership changes, new program announcements, or public grant awards have surfaced in web research for 2025–2026. Christina Singleton continues as President and Cindy Yao as Treasurer per the most recent 990. The foundation's website (sophiagrace.org) — which includes pages for Home, About, Organizations We Support, and Contact Us — appears stable but has not been substantially updated based on content style.

Because Sophiagrace Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the guidance below focuses on the relationship-building and positioning strategies most likely to result in an invitation to present your organization's work.

Know the gatekeepers. Christina Singleton (President) and Cindy Yao (Treasurer) make all grantmaking decisions personally. There is no program officer layer to navigate. Any relationship-building effort must ultimately reach one of these two principals at the Santa Monica office.

Lead with values alignment, not program metrics. The foundation's philosophy is explicitly values-driven — wisdom, compassion, healing, and balance. Introductory outreach to info@sophiagrace.org should foreground how your organization embodies these ideals rather than leading with impact statistics or budget figures. Language about 'restoring balance,' 'honoring the Earth,' and 'compassionate systems change' maps directly to their published framing and mission statement.

California work is a threshold requirement. Every grantee in the foundation's public filings is California-based. Out-of-state organizations should not expect to be considered regardless of mission alignment. If your work spans states, highlight the California dimension explicitly.

Avoid transactional framing. This funder responds to relationships and mission resonance, not to competitive grant applications. A brief, thoughtful email introducing your organization's work — without asking for anything — is the appropriate first step. Follow up only after 6–8 weeks if there is no response, and pause for 12 months if a second contact goes unanswered.

Match the funder's four pillars precisely. The strongest alignment with known grantees (Sierra Club Foundation) suggests environmental protection and systems-change infrastructure have the highest probability of resonance. Organizations working in direct suffering relief (food security, housing, healthcare access) or truth-promoting journalism and transparency also map to stated priorities.

Timing. No grant cycle or deadline is published. Outreach in January–March (following year-end internal giving reviews) or September–October (before anticipated year-end decisions) may align best with the foundation's internal calendar. Avoid summer months when foundation activity typically slows.