Philanthropic Ventures Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
943136771
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Oakland, CA, USA
Phone
(510) 645-1890
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Philanthropy, Charity, Voluntarism Promotion

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$58,681,026
Expenses
$49,068,184
Assets
$89,430,220
Liabilities
$54,878

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BILL SOMERVILLE (PRESIDENT/FOUNDER)
  • JAMES HIGA (TREASURER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • DAWN HAWK (COO): $238,308 total reported compensation
  • BILL SOMERVILLE (PRESIDENT/FOUNDER): $6,075 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation is dedicated to advancing philanthropy through creative grantmaking, supporting innovative programs that serve communities in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

What it reported doing in 2024

Philanthropic ventures foundation (pvf) brings a unique perspective to philanthropy and the way it is carried out to maximize impact. We provide a valuable and otherwise unheard voice to the philanthropic sector. We have built up long-term relationships with donors, helped shape their charitable giving, and are regarded as trusted philanthropic advisors to many. Our approach and vision for philanthropy have been broadcast thoroughly and embraced through our recent book, grassroots philanthropy, public speaking engagements, and teaching. Pvf staff is in constant communication with its grantees to act as an advocate in helping them succeed in their work.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 93% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 88% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and some filed totals do not add up.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 79
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.6%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 92.2%; rating input score 92
  • Fundraising efficiency: $31.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Pass
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 95.9%; rating input score 96; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 16.4%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.82; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.5%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 16% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 6 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 80.6% of revenue deployed · 92.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $45.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $238K · 9 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.2M reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 34 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 137 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 131 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.