Mental Insight Foundation

Mental Insight Foundation was established by hotel founder Bill Klimpton to fund research projects into mental illness and into using therapy as an alternative to prescription drugs. The organization has expanded to fund left-of-center environmentalist causes and art programs. The Mental Insight Foundation was previously guided by two consultant groups that have worked with left-of-center philanthropy groups in the past. As of April 2024, the Foundation was liquidating funds and assets to cease operations in 2025. 1 2 3

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3), Private Foundation
Issue Areas: Drug Policy
Formation:

1996

Founder:

Bill Kimpton

Executive Director:

Julie Diamond

Location: Sonoma, CA View on map
Tax ID: 94-3256579
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $106,375 Revenue: $325,406 Expenses: $5,755,734

Contents

    History

    The Mental Insight Foundation was founded in 1996 by Klimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group founder Bill Klimpton. The Foundation was originally established to fund research projects into forms of mental illness with an emphasis of treating depression using therapy as an alternative to prescription drugs. 1

    The Mental Insight Foundation later broadened its scope to fund left-of-center environmental groups and arts programs. 2 As of April 2024, the Mental Insight Foundation is scheduled to cease operations in 2025. 3

    Advisors

    The Mental Insight Foundation is a client of Diamond Philanthropy Advisors. In 2022, Diamond Philanthropy Advisors received $474,500 in management fees from the Mental Insight Foundation. 4

    Virginia Hubbell Associates lists Mental Insight Foundation among its “representative clients,” though the foundation reported no expenditures to the consultancy in 2022. Other “representative clients” of Virginia Hubbell Associates include the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, California Community Foundation, East Bay Community Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, Sonoma County Community Foundation, Levi Strauss Foundation, City of San Francisco Fund for the Arts, California Arts Council, and National Endowment for the Arts. 5

    Grants to Organizations

    In 2022, the Mental Insight Foundation provided almost $3.9 million in grants. Recipients included Amazon Watch, Earth Island Institute, Protect Our Winters, Forever Free Horse Rescue, Riverkeeper, Homeless Children’s Network, Clean Ocean Action, California Association of Resource Conservation, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Regeneration Project, Feast Food Pantry, Upstream Policy Institute, Ketamine Research Foundation, Feeding Pets of the Homeless, Green Forests Work, DC Green Spaces Alliance, Prison Yoga Project, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Friends of Palm Springs Animal Shelter, Centers for Climate Energy, Plastics Oceans Foundation, and Ocean Conservation Research. 4

    The Mental Insight Foundation also provided grants to artist groups including Immediate Medium, Soho Think Tank, Performance Zone, Flux Foundation, Mint Theater Company, Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble, Art of Yoga Project, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Brick Theater, Dance To Be Free, and American Opera Projects. 4

    In 2022, the Mental Insight Foundation approved future payments of $50,000 each to left-of-center environmental groups Carbon Cycle Institute, Clean Ocean Action, Regeneration Project, Upstream Policy Institute, and Kiss the Ground. 4

    Finances

    In 2022, the Mental Insight Foundation reported net assets of $9,311,204. 4 According to the organization’s tax returns, in 2022 Mental Insight Foundation reported $505,786 in revenue and $3,499,304 in expenses. 4 In 2021, Mental Insight Foundation reported $2,232,562 in revenue and $3,500,872 in expenses. 6

    Leadership

    Julie Diamond has been the executive director of the Mental Insight Foundation since 2020. 7 Diamond formed and is the CEO of Diamond Philanthropy Advisors. 7 Prior to forming Diamond Philanthropy Advisors and working as executive director of the Mental Health Foundation, Diamond worked for Virginia Hubbell Associates. 5

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $106,375 $325,406 $5,755,734 View
    2023 $6,359,523 $1,652,147 $3,776,330 View
    2022 $9,311,204 $505,786 $3,499,304 View
    2021 $16,321,562 $2,232,562 $3,500,872 View
    2020 $18,100,226 $1,389,317 $5,314,963 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Robert P BunjeTreasurer$10,197
    Barry BunshoftDirector$10,197

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $2,000
    • Number of Grants: 2
    • Number of Funders: 2

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $27,866,945
    • Number of Grants: 848
    • Number of Recipients: 279

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $856,2832024 San Francisco FoundationCharitable
    $240,0002024 Regents of the University of California, San FranciscoCharitable
    $230,0002024 Earth Island Institutecharitable
    $150,0002024 Riverkeeper IncCharitable
    $150,0002024 SPIRIT ROCK MEDITATION CENTERCharitable
    $150,0002024 Stand.earthCharitable
    $150,0002023 Riverkeeper IncCharitable
    $150,0002022 Inquiring Systems, Inc.Charitable
    $150,0002021 Inquiring Systems, Inc.Charitable
    $145,0002020 Earth Island Institutecharitable
    $140,0002022 Regents of the University of California, San FranciscoCharitable
    $125,0002024 Ketamine Research Foundationcharitable
    $120,0002024 Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless IncCharitable
    $120,0002024 Nova Institute for Health IncCharitable
    $120,0002021 Ketamine Research Foundationcharitable
    $115,0002023 Regents of the University of California, San FranciscoCharitable
    $110,0002020 Ketamine Research Foundationcharitable
    $100,0002024 Friends of Children Inccharitable
    $100,0002024 Hoffman Institute Supporting FoundationCHARITABLE
    $100,0002024 Inquiring Systems, Inc.Charitable
    $100,0002024 My Stuff Bags FoundationCharitable
    $100,0002024 OCEAN VOYAGES INSTITUTECharitable
    $100,0002024 Ocean Conservation ResearchCharitable
    $100,0002024 The Bridge Fund of New York IncCharitable
    $100,0002023 Inquiring Systems, Inc.Charitable

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Bill Klimpton, Founder and Chairman of Klimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, Dies.” Klimpton Group. April 1, 2001. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2001_2nd/Apr01_BKimpton.html.
    2. Mental Insight Foundation, Return of a Nonprofit Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022; Mental Insight Foundation, Return of a Nonprofit Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2021.
    3. “Mental Insight Foundation.” Candid. February 17, 2024. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=MENT012.
    4. Mental Insight Foundation, Return of a Nonprofit Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2022.
    5. “List of Representative Clients.” Virginia Hubbell Associates. Accessed March 28, 2024. http://www.virginiahubbell.com/clients.html.
    6.  Mental Insight Foundation, Return of a Nonprofit Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2021.
    7. “Julie Diamond.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-diamond-66513510/.