Barn Road Foundation is a private foundation that gives to Jewish community organizations based in northern California as well as left-of-center advocacy groups including Color of Change Education Fund, Voter Registration Project, and subsidiaries of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. ¹

It has been closely associated with the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. ²

History

Barn Road Foundation was founded in 1998 as the Scher-Altman Family Foundation and changed its name to Barn Road Foundation in 2004. ³ It was originally founded with a supporting organization tax status, and in 2017 amended its articles of incorporation with the state of California to become a private foundation. ⁴

Up until 2017, the statement of program services on Barn Road Foundation’s tax returns read “operates exclusively” to support “activities for the benefit of or carry out the purposes of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties.” In some years, it changed the wording of its statement to say it held assets as a means to support the Jewish Community Federation, but maintained it “operates exclusively” to support the group. ⁵

According to Barn Road Foundation’s 2004 tax returns, Phyllis Cook, secretary and treasurer of Barn Road Foundation, was also the executive director of the Endowment Fund at Jewish Community Federation where she received a salary of $176,000. ⁶

Up until 2017, Barn Road Foundation shared offices with Jewish Community Federation. ⁷

Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties

The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties is a Jewish-affiliated community foundation based in northern California. ⁸ In 2021, the Jewish Community Federation reported having $1.4 billion in assets and distributing over $85 million in grants. ⁹

Jewish Community Federation gives to local Jewish community groups that it argues empower the Jewish community at large. ¹⁰ It has a program titled “LGBTQ Pathways to Jewish Leadership” through which it trains individuals to combine their LGBT and Jewish activism. ¹¹

In March 2023, Jewish Community Federation published a blog post discussing its support of environmentalist groups and goals for the advocacy it supports. The post states that its advocacy for environmentalist policies is more important than influencing agricultural practices or engaging in carbon capture programs. It states that it seeks to “fundamentally shift the way that the majority views the world and the relationships we have with one another and our planet.” ¹²

Grants

In 2003, its last year as Scher-Altman Family Foundation, Barn Family Foundation gave $2,000 to Bernard Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, $5,000 to Congregation Emanu-El, $25,000 to Jewish Community Federation, $25,000 to Jewish Family and Children’s Services, $1,000 to Jewish Home, $12,500 to Marin County Day School, $1,000 to New Israel Fund, $5,000 to Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, and $10,000 to Yale University. ¹³ Its grants totaled $86,500, composing of all of its program service expenses, and it reported total annual expenses of $111,000. ¹⁴

In 2004, Barn Road Foundation’s first year after the name change, it gave $2,500 to Global Fund for Women, $10,000 to Jewish Community Federation, $25,000 to Jewish Family and Children’s Service, $22,500 to Marin County Day School, and $70,000 to Planned Parenthood Golden Gate. ¹⁵ Barn Road Foundation’s total expenses for 2004 was $173,000 and its $130,000 in grants distributed was the entirety of its program services expenses. ¹⁶

In 2020, Barn Road Foundation distributed over $1.6 million in grants. ¹⁷ Notable grants include $350,000 to Planned Parenthood Norcal, $125,000 to Yale University, $25,000 to Color of Change Education Fund, and $25,000 to Voter Registration Project. ¹⁸

Financials

In 2020, Barn Road Foundation reported $1.7 million in total revenue, which came from earned interest, dividends from securities, and sale of assets. ¹⁹ It also reported having $33.2 million in total assets. ²⁰ Additionally, Barn Road Foundation reported having $1.9 million in total expenses in 2020, with $1.6 million coming in the form of grants paid. ²¹

Leadership

Laura Scher has been listed as Barn Road Foundation’s vice president or president on its tax returns since its oldest publicly available tax return in 2000. ^{22 23} In 1985 she co-founded Working Assets, a credit card company that gives to left-wing organizations, including over $20 million to Greenpeace, Oxfam America, Amnesty International, Planned Parenthood, and the Children’s Defense Fund. ²⁴

1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF). Barn Road Foundation. 2020. Part XV.
2. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2000-2017. Part III.
3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2004. Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation.
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2017. Part VI, Section A, Line 4.
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2000-2017. Part III.
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2004. Miscellaneous Statement.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2000-2017.
8. “Resilient and Secure Jewish Communities.” Jewish Community Federation. Accessed June 18, 2023. https://jewishfed.org/how-we-help/our-goals/resilient-and-secure-jewish-communities.
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma. 2021. Part I, Lines 18-22.
10. “Our Goals.” Jewish Community Federation. Accessed June 18, 2023. https://jewishfed.org/how-we-help/our-goals.
11. “LGBTQ Pathways to Jewish Leadership.” Jewish Community Federation. Accessed June 18, 2023. https://jewishfed.org/how-we-help/leadership-development/lgbtq-pathways-jewish-leadership.
12. Weksler, Bella. “Pursuing Climate Justice, One Conversation at a Time.” Jewish Community Federation, March 24, 2023. https://jewishfed.org/news/blog/2023-03-24-pursuing-climate-justice-one-conversation-time.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2003. Supporting Statement of Part II, Line 22.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2003. Part I, Lines 13-17.
15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2004. Supporting Statement of Part II, Line 22.
16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2004. Part I, Lines 13-17.
17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF). Barn Road Foundation. 2020. Part I, Line 25.
18. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF). Barn Road Foundation. 2020. Part XV.
19. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF). Barn Road Foundation. 2020. Part I, Lines 1-12.
20. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF). Barn Road Foundation. 2020. Part I, Line 16.
21. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF). Barn Road Foundation. 2020. Part I, Lines 25-26.
22. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Barn Road Foundation. 2000-2017. Part V.
23. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF). Barn Road Foundation. 2018-21. Part VIII.
24. “Laura Scher.” Urban Studies. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://urbanstudies.stanford.edu/people/laura-scher.