S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation

The S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation was a private grant maker started in 1957 by Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr, grandson of the founder of the engineering firm Bechtel Corporation, and CEO for 30 years. The Foundation concluded operations on December 31, 2020. 1 Bechtel passed away on March 15, 2021. 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3), Private Foundation
Issue Areas: Multi-Issue Advocacy
Website: sdbjrfoundation.org
Founded:

1957

Chairman:

Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr.

Location: San Francisco, CA View on map
Tax ID: 20-3759208
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $106,633,278 Revenue: $10,616,592 Expenses: $20,232,777

Contents

    In 2009, Bechtel and the foundation board decided to spend down all assets by the end of 2020, and to focus on K-8 STEM education and land and water conservation in California. They also funded policy advocacy on a variety of California issues, including immigration.

    Background

    The S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation was started in 1957 by Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr. 3 Bechtel was the grandson of the founder of the engineering firm Bechtel Corporation and was its CEO for 30 years. 4

    The foundation started small and supported local efforts in California’s Bay Area. In the 1990s, the size and breadth of its donations and grants grew. 5

    In 2009, Bechtel made the decision to focus the foundation’s donations and grants on California issues. 4 Also in 2009, the board decided to spend down the foundation’s assets by the end of 2020, citing California’s immediate needs as the reason. 6

    As a result of these 2009 decisions, the foundation designed a program that focused on education, primarily K-8 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and the environment, primarily water and land conservation. 7 An additional area of special project funding during the spend-down years focused on making grants to support policy and advocacy that would impact perceived threats to California’s democratic institutions, based on the current policies and events. 8 Examples of these included contributions to Public Advocates, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF),  and National Immigration Law Center. 9

    Public Advocates is a left-of-center advocacy group and public interest law firm located in San Francisco, California that focuses on issues such as education, housing, transportation, and climate. 10 Environmental Defense Fund is a nonprofit environmental group known for its advocacy for a liberal expansion of environmentalist policies, such as a federally mandated decrease in carbon emissions. 11 National Immigration Law Center is a nonprofit advocacy group located in Los Angeles, CA that advocates for liberal expansionist immigration policies. 12

    In 2018, the foundation formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to oversee grantmaking as relates to women, and racial and ethnic minorities. 8

    On December 31, 2020, the foundation concluded operations. 1

    Financials and Contributions

    In 2009, Bechtel decided he wanted the foundation to focus on what he felt were pressing issues in California. At that time, the foundation had $182 million and gave away $17 million. Since then, the foundation increased the size of its grants and became more focused on identifying recipients that would provide the most impact in the areas the foundation supported. 4

    From 2009, when the spend-down decision was made, to 2020, when it closed, the foundation gave out over $1 billion. 13 The 2019 tax return indicates that the foundation paid out grants and contributions of $88,681,764. 14

    The largest contributions in education included $8,820,603 to Wested in San Francisco and $3,409,910 to Learning Policy Institute in Palo Alto, California. 9 WestEd is a nonprofit research, development, and service agency focused on education. 15 Learning Policy Institute is a research organization focused on shaping education policy. 16

    The largest contributions in the environment space included $7,914,171 to Windward Fund in Washington, D.C., and $3,624,994 to The Nature Conservancy located in San Francisco. 9 Windward Fund is a fiscal sponsor of various community-based environmentalist projects associated with the left-leaning Arabella Advisors advocacy network. 17 The Nature Conservancy is the world’s largest conservation organization, with a goal to impact government policy relating to climate change and land and water preservation. 18

    Leadership

    Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr was chairman of the board of directors. Bechtel was born in 1925 and passed away on March 15, 2021. Bechtel was former chairman and CEO of the Bechtel Corporation, a major global engineering and construction company. 19

    Lauren B. Dachs was president of the foundation, and vice chair or the board of directors. 20 Dachs is Bechtel’s daughter. 21

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $106,633,278 $10,616,592 $20,232,777 View
    2023 $113,835,558 $3,442,920 $14,814,574 View
    2022 $113,812,433 $34,026,394 $13,726,543 View
    2021 $108,201,675 $116,085,153 $11,694,342 View
    2020 $6,395,587 $35,282 $44,254,341 View

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

    Expenses Detail

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $570,846,475
    • Number of Grants: 1,953
    • Number of Recipients: 676

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

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $4,000,0002024 Laural FoundationFOUNDATION GIFT
    $4,000,0002024 Ramsay Family FoundationFOUNDATION GIFT
    $4,000,0002024 Riley & Susan Bechtel FoundationFOUNDATION GIFT
    $4,000,0002024 Shenandoah Foundation C/o Frank Rimerman & Co LLPFOUNDATION GIFT
    $4,000,0002020 PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIAFUNDS FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA'S WATER POLICY CENTER
    $3,000,0002020 Parks CaliforniaFUNDS FOR THE LAUNCH OF A NEW NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING STATE PARKS TO AMPLIFY THE VISION OF CALIFORNIAS PARKS TO A BROADER AUDIENCE, IMPLEMENT MAJOR PROJECTS, AND BRING ON NEW SUPPORTERS
    $2,750,0002020 Water FoundationFUNDS TO SUSTAIN MOMENTUM ON KEY PROGRAM AREAS, SUPPORT WATER FOUNDATION'S ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND ATTRACT ADDITIONAL REVENUE
    $2,500,0002020 Windward FundFUNDS TO ADVANCE THE WATER TABLE AS A FORUM FOR WATER FUNDERS TO WORK TOGETHER TO ALIGN FUNDING ANDTOINCENTIVIZE GREATER PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENT IN WATER
    $2,268,0002020 Windward FundFUNDS TO ADVANCE AND INSTITUTIONALIZE MULTI-BENEFIT PLANNING AND ADVANCE MITIGATION INTO REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE LAND USE AND INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING IN ORDER TO BETTER PROTECT WILDLIFE AND BIODIVERSITY
    $2,175,0002020 Water FoundationFUNDS FOR SUPPORTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT ACT AND THE SAFE AND AFFORDABLE DRINKING WATER FUND, WITH A FOCUS ON THE CENTRAL VALLEY
    $2,000,0002023 Laural FoundationFOUNDATION GIFT
    $2,000,0002023 Ramsay Family FoundationFOUNDATION GIFT
    $2,000,0002023 Riley & Susan Bechtel FoundationFOUNDATION GIFT
    $2,000,0002023 Shenandoah Foundation C/o Frank Rimerman & Co LLPFOUNDATION GIFT
    $2,000,0002023 The Foothills FoundationFOUNDATION GIFT
    $2,000,0002022 Laural FoundationTO SUPPORT THE GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF GRANTEE
    $2,000,0002022 Ramsay Family FoundationTO SUPPORT THE GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF GRANTEE
    $2,000,0002022 Riley & Susan Bechtel FoundationTO SUPPORT THE GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF GRANTEE
    $2,000,0002022 Shenandoah Foundation C/o Frank Rimerman & Co LLPTO SUPPORT THE GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF GRANTEE
    $2,000,0002022 The Foothills FoundationTO SUPPORT THE GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF GRANTEE
    $2,000,0002021 Laural FoundationTO SUPPORT THE GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF GRANTEE
    $2,000,0002021 Ramsay Family FoundationTO SUPPORT THE GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF GRANTEE
    $2,000,0002021 Riley & Susan Bechtel FoundationTO SUPPORT THE GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF GRANTEE
    $2,000,0002021 Shenandoah Foundation C/o Frank Rimerman & Co LLPTO SUPPORT THE GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF GRANTEE
    $2,000,0002021 The Foothills FoundationTO SUPPORT THE GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF GRANTEE

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

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Accessed September 30, 2021. http://sdbjrfoundation.org/
    2. “Retired Chairman and CEO Stephen D. Bechtel Jr. dies at 95.” Yahoo – Finance. March 15, 2021. Accessed October 2, 2021. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/retired-chairman-ceo-stephen-d-024500097.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMBFo5zqTmAwzbzBtWygwTp09iizgHOEcIdiwtvb_4r9adp13vrelTv7bPt3lDzjfVP3DLJZs27zDZYdVRqJG-q5YKEYKVm6ESHpDHi3BzV6XqoUa1vJZHHnnVHX4AdYfzPO6dOP04SIEPP4WWC2BBGwpFOk80uKpoohUCYxRRA1
    3. “History.” S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Accessed September 29, 2021. http://sdbjrfoundation.org/the-foundation/history/
    4. “A New Generation Seeks to Give It All Away Now.” New York Times. January 17, 2020. Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/17/your-money/philanthropy-family-foundations.html?searchResultPosition=1
    5. “Sooner Rather Than Later, Prologue: 1957 to 2008.” S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation – The Foundation – Spending Down. Accessed October 1, 2021. http://sdbjrfoundation.org/the-foundation/spending/
    6. “Financials.” S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Accessed September 30, 2021. http://sdbjrfoundation.org/the-foundation/financials/
    7. “Sooner Rather Than Later, Chapter 1: 2009 to 2013.” S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation – Financials – Spend Down Story. Accessed September 30, 2021. http://sdbjrfoundation.org/the-foundation/financials/
    8. “Sooner Rather Than Later, Chapter 3: 2018 to 2020.” S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation – Financials – Spend Down Story. Accessed September 30, 2021. http://sdbjrfoundation.org/the-foundation/financials/
    9. S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF, Part XV). 2019.
    10. Public Advocates. Accessed October 2, 2021. https://www.publicadvocates.org/
    11. “Blue Print 2020.” EDF. Accessed October 2, 2021. https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/content/strategicplan_blueprint2020_interactive.pdf
    12. National Immigration Law Center – About Us – What We Do. Accessed August 23, 2021. https://www.nilc.org/about-us/what_we_do/
    13. “Sooner Rather Than Later: Chapter 3: 2018 to 2020.” S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation – Financials – Spend Down Story. Accessed October 2, 2021. http://sdbjrfoundation.org/the-foundation/financials/
    14. S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF, Part I). 2019.
    15. LinkedIn – WestEd. Accessed October 2, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/company/wested/
    16. “About the Institute.” Learning Policy Institute. Accessed October 2, 2021. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/about
    17. Windward Fund. Accessed October 2, 2021. https://www.windwardfund.org/
    18. “Our Federal Policy Work in the United States.” The Nature Conservancy. Accessed October, 2, 2021. https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/how-we-work/policy/conservation/
    19. [1] “Remembering Steve Jr.” Bechtel. Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.bechtel.com/stephen-bechtel-jr/
    20. “Staff.” Lauren B. Dachs bio. Accessed October 2, 2021. http://sdbjrfoundation.org/board-and-staff/
    21. “Conversations with Distinguished Citizens: Lauren Dachs and The S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.” Commonwealth Club. https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/archive/podcast/conversations-distinguished-citizens-lauren-dachs-and-s-d-bechtel-jr