The Barrios Trust
The Barrios Trust is a private foundation based in Oakland, CA that provides grants to youth-centered programs in the Oakland metropolitan area. The site lists grant focus areas, grant ranges ($1,000–$10,000), twice-yearly review deadlines, and an application process (currently limited to current and past grantees).
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A local Oakland-area youth-serving nonprofit offering after-school, leadership, arts, environmental education, or foster-youth programs with need for modest operating or program support in the typical $5k–$15k range.
Good Fit
- • Organization primarily serves Oakland-area youth or runs programs in the Oakland metro.
- • Program focus matches listed areas (after-school, arts, leadership, environmental education, foster-youth supports).
- • Track record or prior relationship with the foundation (current or past grantee status).
- • Project budget and ask size align with the foundation’s typical grants (several thousand to low five-figure amounts).
- • Clear, measurable local impact and demonstrated fiscal stewardship.
Geography
Giving is heavily concentrated in California and the Oakland metro: about 98% of dollars and nearly all grant counts were in-state in the latest year.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows a broad recipient set (43 grants to 42 distinct organizations) across many youth program types, and dollars are not dominated by a few recipients (top five ≈14%).
New Applicants
Behavioral data show many new grantees in the latest year (27 new recipients), indicating turnover, but the foundation’s public guidance limits applications to current and past grantees and declares grants are preselected, so an unfamiliar applicant is unlikely to enter via an open application process.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
