Rio Vista Foundation

Rio Vista Foundation is a grantmaking foundation that is primarily funded by Jess Yawitz, co-founder and CEO of NISA Investment Advisors. 1 2 It funds colleges and environmentalist groups such as Carbon 180, which advocates for public funding of removing carbon from the atmosphere and advocates for regulations to restrict carbon emissions. 1 3 4

Read More

At-A-Glance

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

2016

Treasurer:

Daniel Yawitz

Location: Saint Louis, MO View on map
Tax ID: 47-5213534
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $95,287,108 Revenue: $4,106,785 Expenses: $4,463,823

Contents

    In 2020, Rio Vista Foundation founded Climate Pathfinders Foundation, also known by the legal name Climate Pathfinder Foundation, LLC. 5 6 It operates as a grantmaking organization, donating to environmentalist organizations that advocate for government funding of businesses that remove carbon and methane from the atmosphere. 7

    Background

    Founded in 2016, Rio Vista Foundation is a private foundation that is primarily funded by the Jess Yawitz Revocable Trust. 1 During its first two years in operation, it was exclusively funded by a Missouri-based business named Adams Street 2 LLC, which was formed in 2015 and dissolved in 2019. 8 9

    Rio Vista Foundation does not publicize its work either via website or through media appearances or otherwise. Its grantees include a mixture of environmentalist groups and colleges. 10

    Funding

    In 2021, Rio Vista Foundation made a total of $1.4 million in grants. This included $200,000 to Carbon 180, $200,000 to WePower, $25,000 to Social Good Fund, $425,000 to Silver Lining, and $200,000 to Clean Air Task Force. 11

    Rio Vista Foundation received $2 million in 2016, $5 million in 2017, and $3 million in 2018 from West Adams Street 2 LLC. 12 In 2018, it received $2.3 million, $16.4 million in 2019, $9.5 million in 2020, and $7.6 million from Jess Yawitz Revocable Trust. 13

    According to its tax returns, in 2021, Rio Vista Foundation reported $8.9 million in revenue and $1.7 million in expenses for the year, $1.4 million of which were grants paid. 14 It also reported having $56 million in assets. 15

    Leadership

    Daniel Yawitz is listed on Rio Vista Foundation’s tax returns as its treasurer and secretary. 16 Yawitz began working for the United States Department of Energy in August 2022 as a portfolio strategist in its Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. He also co-founded and was a director for Climate Pathfinders Foundation from January 2020 to August 2022 and was a launch committee member for Carbon Gap from January 2021 to August 2022. He previously worked in client services for NISA Investment Advisors, an investment firm co-founded by Yawitz’s father, Jess Yawitz. 17 2 18

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $95,287,108 $4,106,785 $4,463,823 View
    2023 $82,158,366 $26,061,976 $2,271,243 View
    2022 $49,120,136 $3,088,757 $2,471,061 View
    2021 $56,332,689 $8,971,736 $1,721,767 View
    2020 $42,615,462 $11,443,251 $1,368,135 View

    Prior year filings: 2015

    Expenses Detail

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $7,288,352
    • Number of Grants: 52
    • Number of Recipients: 30

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

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $650,0002023 WEPOWERACTIVATE COMMUNITY POWER TO RE-DESIGN EDUCATION,HEALTH,JUSTICE SYSTEMS-EQUITABLE FOR ALL
    $500,0002024 Hosco Shift IncFUND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $275,0002021 Silver LiningTO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $250,0002024 Greater St Louis Inc FoundationFUND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $250,0002024 Neighborhood Solidarity FundFUND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $250,0002024 WEPOWERACTIVATE COMMUNITY POWER TO RE-DESIGN EDUCATION,HEALTH,JUSTICE SYSTEMS-EQUITABLE FOR ALL
    $250,0002023 Greater St Louis Inc FoundationFUND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $250,0002023 Hosco Shift IncFUND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $250,0002023 Neighborhood Solidarity FundFUND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $250,0002022 Hosco Shift IncFUND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $250,0002022 WEPOWERACTIVATE COMMUNITY POWER TO RE-DESIGN EDUCATION,HEALTH,JUSTICE SYSTEMS-EQUITABLE FOR ALL
    $200,0002023 Jewish Federation of St LouisST. LOUIS KAPLAN FELDMAN HOLOCAUST MUSEUM CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
    $200,0002021 CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE INCTO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $200,0002021 WEPOWERTO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $200,0002020 WEPOWERTO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $150,0002021 Silver LiningTO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $100,0192022 Carbon Gap LtdSUPPORT CHARITABLE, SCIENTIFIC, AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS
    $100,0002024 Jewish Federation of St LouisST. LOUIS KAPLAN FELDMAN HOLOCAUST MUSEUM CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
    $100,0002024 Jewish Federation of St LouisFUND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $100,0002024 River Relief, Inc.FUND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $100,0002023 CINEMA ST LOUISTO FUND THE CINEMA ST. LOUIS'S PROJECT TO SAVE THE HI-POINTE THEATRE IN ST.LOUIS, MO.
    $100,0002023 Cornell UniversityCORNELL WILL DESIGN, CONDUCT, AND ANALYZE CLIMATE MODEL SIMULATIONS WITH THE GOAL OF MORE SYSTEMATICALLY ASSESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF DIFFERENT PHYSICAL STRATOSPHERIC PROCESSES IN CONTRIBUTING TO OVERALL UNCERTAINTY IN PROJECTING THE EFFECTS OF STRATOSPHERIC AEROSOL INJECTION (SAI); A FORM OF SOLAR GEOENGINEERING. SIMULATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED WITH THE CLIMATE MODEL CESM(WACCM) DEVELOPED BY NCAR. POTENTIAL SOURCES OF UNCERTAINTY TO BE EXPLORED INCLUDE THE ROLE OF STRATOSPHERIC AEROSOL HEATING, AEROSOL MICROPHYSICAL GROWTH ASSUMPTIONS, AND STRATOSPHERIC TRANSPORT. FUTURE DECISIONS SURROUNDING THE USE OF SAI TO DELIBERATELY COOL THE CLIMATE AND OFFSET SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE WILL BE INFLUENCED NOT ONLY BY BEST-ESTIMATE PROJECTIONS OF THE EFFECTS, BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT BY ASSESSMENTS OF THE CONFIDENCE IN THOSE PROJECTIONS. A SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT OF CONFIDENCE IS CURRENTLY LACKING, AND THIS PROJECT WILL LAY ESSENTIAL GROUNDWORK TOWARDS THAT END.
    $100,0002023 River Relief, Inc.FUND GENERAL OPERATIONS TO FURTHER THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE TAX EXEMPT RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION
    $100,0002023 The Tower Grove Park FoundationSUPPORT FOR BUILDING OF NEW BASKETBALL COURTS
    $100,0002022 American Friends of Heriot-Watt UniversitySCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF CREATING NOVEL MATERIALS SPECIFICALLY FOR INCREASING OCEAN ALKALINITY

    Contact InfluenceWatch to report errors, suggest edits, or provide tips for additional profiles.

    Contact Us

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

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rio Vista Foundation. 2021. Schedule B.
    2. “Jess B Yawitz, Nisa Investment Advisors, LLC: Profile and Biography.” Bloomberg.com. Accessed May 27, 2023. https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/3091633#xj4y7vzkg.
    3. “Carbon180 Unveils Carbon Removal Policy Roadmap for 2021 and Beyond.” GlobeNewswire News Room. Last modified May 26, 2023. https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/05/13/2228898/0/en/Carbon180-Unveils-Carbon-Removal-Policy-Roadmap-for-2021-and-Beyond.html.
    4. Research Corporation for Science Advancement. “SCIALOG® – Negative Emissions Science.” Research Corporation for Science Advancement. Accessed May 27, 2023. https://rescorp.org/scialog/negative-emissions-science.
    5. Missouri Secretary of State. Registration of Fictious Name.2020.  Rio Vista Foundation. https://bsd.sos.mo.gov/Common/CorrespondenceItemViewHandler.ashx?IsTIFF=true&filedDocumentid=123802106&version=2
    6. Missouri Secretary of State. Amendment of Articles of Organization. 2020. Climate Pathfinder Foundation, LLC. https://bsd.sos.mo.gov/Common/CorrespondenceItemViewHandler.ashx?IsTIFF=true&filedDocumentid=124287053&version=3
    7. About Us. Accessed May 27, 2023. https://www.sparkclimate.org/about-us.
    8. “Missouri Business Filings.” Missouri Secretary of State. Accessed May 27, 2023. https://bsd.sos.mo.gov/BusinessEntity/BusinessEntityDetail.aspx?page=beSearch&ID=3762194.
    9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rio Vista Foundation. 2016-2017. Schedule B.
    10. [1] Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rio Vista Foundation. 2021. Part XIV.
    11. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rio Vista Foundation. 2021. Part XIV.
    12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rio Vista Foundation. 2016-2018. Schedule B.
    13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rio Vista Foundation. 2018-2021. Schedule B.
    14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rio Vista Foundation. 2021. Part I, Lines 12-26.
    15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rio Vista Foundation. 2021. Part II, Line 16.
    16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Rio Vista Foundation. 2021. Part VII.
    17. “Daniel Yawitz, CFA.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 27, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/danyawitz/details/experience/.
    18. “Jean Yawitz Obituary (2006) .” Legacy.com, 2006. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/stltoday/name/jean-yawitz-obituary?id=2860743.