The Brandenburg Family Foundation
The Brandenburg Family Foundation is a San Jose-based private family foundation that supports Silicon Valley community organizations to promote self-reliance and quality of life. The foundation page is hosted on the Brandenburg Properties site and lists past recipients and mission information. Officers named on public 990-PF filings (e.g., Diane M. Brandenburg) match the foundation identity.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A Silicon Valley or California-based nonprofit with an established track record in community service, youth education, arts, health, or homelessness work that fits the foundation’s local focus and typical grant sizes.
Good Fit
- • Clear program benefit to the San Jose/Silicon Valley community or broader California region.
- • Established organization with recent project results and a proven track record.
- • Project budget aligned with many current awards (typical grants clustered under $25K with some larger awards).
- • Existing introduction, board/staff relationship, or prior small grant history with the foundation.
Geography
Giving is heavily concentrated in California (84% of dollars in the latest year) but the foundation also made awards to organizations in about eleven states, so its footprint is regional with occasional out-of-state grants.
Recipient Variety
The foundation funded a large and diverse set of independent recipients (88 distinct grantees in the latest year) across many program areas, and most grantees are repeated year-to-year while many smaller awards are also present.
New Applicants
Direct evidence shows new grantees do appear (17 new recipients in the latest year and 38 in 2023), but the foundation states it funds only preselected applicants; combined with an invitation-driven pattern, unsolicited organizations are unlikely to enter the portfolio without introductions or nomination.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
