Swig Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Swig Foundation focuses its grantmaking on the San Francisco Bay Area and funds art, education, youth, and other nonprofit organizations.

IP TAKE: The Swig Foundation is not a very transparent or accessible funder. It flies under the radar, with a minimal web presence and no clear guidelines for grantseekers. It does not appear to accept unsolicted proposals or requests for funding. Interested grantseekers will need to network to get on this funder’s radar.

PROFILE: Established in 1957, the Swig Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of the Swig family, which has been prominent in the Bay Area for decades. Benjamin Swig founded The Swig Company in the Bay Area in 1936, and the company achieved early renown as the force behind the Fairmont Hotel brand. The Swig Foundation's trustees are part of the Swig family. Grantmaking funds arts and culture, education and youth, health, human services, environment, and the San Francisco community.

Grants for Arts and Culture

The Swig Foundation flies under the radar, with a minimal web presence, and no clear guidelines for grantseekers. However, the Swig family has had strong ties to the art world going back decades, and Swig's current trustees also reflect this. Art support has gone to San Francisco Modern Museum of Art, Monterey Jazz Festival, and Headlands Center for the Arts. Swig also funds arts education organizations, such as The Imagine Bus Project and the San Francisco Arts Education Project.

Grants for K-12 and Higher Education

The Swig Foundation's grantmaking supports education in the Bay Area as well. Past grantees include Resources for Indispensable Schools and Educators, Mills College in Oakland, Menlo School, Summer Search Foundation, and College Track. It has also given to Leland Stanford Junior University and California College of the Arts.

Grants for Public Health and Access

The Swig Foundation also earmarks funds for health. Past Bay Area grantees include J David Gladstone Institutes, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, and the Seva Foundation.

Grants for the Bay Area and Community Development

Swig supports human services community organizations in the Bay Area. Past grantees include Homeless Prenatal Program, Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center, and the Chinatown Community Development Center. Past community development grantees include San Francisco Parks Trust, Muttville, a senior dog rescue outfit, Center for Ecoliteracy, and Golden Gate National Parks.

Important Grant Details

Many foundation grants are between $500 and $50,000, but $1,000 is the most common amount. In a recent tax year, a little over $1 million went out of the door with a few hundred grants made. Grantmaking largely focuses on the Bay Area of California but extends beyond this region as well.

It does not appear that this foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications and rather supports pre-selected organizations. Direct general questions to the foundation at 415-291-1100.

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