The Yelp Foundation
The Yelp Foundation (established by Yelp Inc. in 2011) supports local communities—including access to information, education, local economic development, and freedom of expression—by making grants and matching employee donations. The site publishes yearly 'year in review' news and grantee information and lists board members and a contact email ([email protected]).
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A local or regional community nonprofit (education, literacy, local economic development, youth services, or similar) that can receive small-to-midsize grants or employee-match gifts and that can be nominated or partnered with Yelp employees or programs.
Good Fit
- • Works in local community development, education, literacy, or small business support.
- • Is structured to receive many modest grants or employee matching gifts.
- • Has connections to or partnerships with Yelp staff or local Yelp community programs.
- • Has clear, concrete projects with local impact and measurable outcomes.
- • Is based in or serves states with heavier giving (e.g., California, New York, DC, Arizona) though national recipients are supported.
Geography
Observed grants in the latest year reached recipients across 68 distinct states/territories and include international entries, though California received about one quarter of dollars.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows 647 distinct recipients (648 grants) with hundreds of small matching awards and 424 new recipients, indicating a very broad and diverse recipient set despite some concentration in the top five.
New Applicants
Behavior shows many new grantees each year (424 new in 2024), which means new organizations can enter the portfolio, but the foundation also states it funds only preselected applicants and is largely driven by employee matching and nomination channels, so unsolicited applicants have limited direct entry.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
