The Virginia B Hirsh Foundation
The organization is a private foundation dedicated to supporting various charitable causes. Its mission focuses on providing general support to community organizations, educational institutions, and human services, reflecting a commitment to community development and addressing social needs. The foundation funds a diverse range of recipients, including food banks, educational nonprofits, and health-related initiatives, indicating a broad interest in enhancing community welfare. While it primarily operates in California, its funding extends to organizations across multiple states.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A small or mid-sized community nonprofit seeking modest general operating support, ideally with a local connection to the foundation’s California base (or to communities in states the foundation has funded), and able to be identified or recommended rather than relying on a public RFP.
Good Fit
- • Requests for general operating or program support rather than large capital projects
- • Modest ask sizes in the $500–$11,000 range
- • Local presence or credibility in the Truckee/California region (or a clear link to other states the funder has supported)
- • Reputation or referral from existing grantees or local intermediaries
- • Programs serving community centers, education, food security, or human services
- • Willingness to receive single-year, modest grants rather than multi-year core funding
Geography
Observed grants in 2024 went to organizations in four states, with a clear concentration in California (44% of dollars) rather than a single-city footprint.
Recipient Variety
The foundation funded a fairly broad set of independent recipients across years (26 distinct recipients in 2022 and 12 in 2024), indicating a wide institutional spread despite some dollar concentration.
New Applicants
Direct evidence shows many new recipients in the latest year (9 of 12 in 2024), but the foundation also declares it funds only preselected organizations and has no public website, so new entrants may be added but likely via invitation or referral rather than an open application process.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
