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Non-profit

SJS Partners

Location:

Sacramento, CA
Tax ID:

37-1907260
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $238,982
Expenses: $653,643
Assets: $67,912,977
Type:

Left-of-center Grantmaking Organization
Formation:

2019
President:

Steve Daetz
Budget (2022):

Revenue: $2,011,419

Expenses: $1,535,864

Assets: $67,134,613 1

References

  1. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202322849349302062/full.

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SJS Partners is a left-of-center grantmaking organization with close ties to the Sandler Foundation. 1 SJS Partners was founded in 2019 by James Sandler and his late sister, left-wing activist and philanthropist Susan Sandler. 2

In 2022, SJS Partners gave $1.5 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which is managed by left-of-center dark money group Arabella Advisors. 3 SJS Partners made grants of $500,000 to Sixteen Thirty Fund in 2021. 4 SJS partners also gave $1 million to the Fund for a Better Future, and $500,000 to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the Center for American Progress Action Fund in 2020. 5

History and Leadership

SJS Partners was founded in 2019 and received tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in June 2019. 6

Steve Daetz is the president and secretary of SJS Partners. Daetz also is the president of the left-of-center Sandler Foundation, where he has overseen the organization’s grantmaking activities and operations since 2007. 7 Daetz is on the board of directors of the Center for American Progress, 8 ProPublica, 9 EarthJustice, 10 and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. 11

James Sandler and his late sister, 12 left-wing activist and philanthropist Susan Sandler, were vice presidents of SJS Partners in the group’s tax return from December 2022. 13 Both James Sandler and Susan Sandler were the directors of the Sandler Foundation, which has given approximately $1 billion to support left-of-center groups like the Center for American Progress and ProPublica. 14 15 16

SJS Partners co-founder Susan Sandler supported critical race theory-influenced social justice. She also chaired the Susan Sandler Fund, which makes racial justice-related grants, and was a founding member of the left-of-center Democracy Alliance (DA). 17 She helped create the left-of-center Learning Policy Institute and was an early backer of then-Senator Barack Obama’s (D-IL) 2008 presidential campaign. Sandler was an early financial supporter of the political careers of Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Georgia Democratic Party activist Stacey Abrams. 18

Jim Sandler focuses his efforts with SJS Partners on left-of-center environmentalist and criminal justice-related activities. 19

Activities and Funding

SJS Partners is a grantmaking organization with close ties to the left-of-center Sandler Foundation. 20 The organization also does business as SJS Partners Action Fund Inc. 21

Grantmaking

SJS Partners primarily operates as a grantmaking organization to support and advance left-of-center social causes and initiatives. In 2022, SJS Partners spent at least $1.5 million on initiatives to support what it considers to be a “well-functioning democracy.” 22

SJS partners gave $1.5 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which is managed by left-of-center dark money group Arabella Advisors, in 2022. 23 In 2021, SJS Partners made grants of $500,000 to Sixteen Thirty Fund and $150,000 to Defending Democracy Together. 24

In 2020, SJS Partners made grants of $1,000,000 to the left-of-center Fund for a Better Future, $500,000 to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and $500,000 to the Center for American Progress Action Fund. 25

Funding

In 2019, SJS Partners received a grant of $70 million to start its operations. 26 As of 2022, SJS Partners’ revenue comes entirely from investment income. 27

In 2022, SJS Partners reported revenue of $2,011,419 and expenses of $1,535,864. The organization’s revenue came from investment income. In 2021, the organization reported revenue of $238,982 and expenses of $653,643. 28

References

  1. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202322849349302062/full.
  2. “Letter of Determination.” Department of Treasury. Internal Revenue Service. June 24, 2019. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/dl/FinalLetter_37-1907260_SJSPARTNERSINC_08272018_01.tif.
  3. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202322849349302062/full.
  4. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2021. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202203159349303100/full.
  5. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202123079349303067/full.
  6. [1] “Letter of Determination.” Department of Treasury. Internal Revenue Service. June 24, 2019. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/dl/FinalLetter_37-1907260_SJSPARTNERSINC_08272018_01.tif.
  7. “Steve Daetz.” Pro Publica. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://www.propublica.org/people/steve-daetz.
  8.  “Board of Directors.” Center for American Progress. Accessed April 21, 2024. https://www.americanprogress.org/about-us/c3-board/.
  9. “Leadership.” ProPublica. Accessed April 21, 2024. https://www.propublica.org/leadership/.
  10.  “Honorary Life Trustees.” EarthJustice. Accessed April 21, 2024. https://earthjustice.org/about/honorary-life-trustees.
  11. Steve Daetz.” Washington Center for Equitable Growth. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://equitablegrowth.org/people/steve-daetz/.
  12. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. Part VI, Section A, Line 2. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202043149349303264/full.
  13. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202322849349302062/full.
  14. “Sandler Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2021. Part III. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943147856/202320959349300902/full.
  15. “Steve Daetz.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-daetz-15613411/.
  16. Kline, Alan, and Kate Berry. “Golden West co-founder Herb Sandler dies at 87, leaving complicated legacy.” American Banker. June 05, 2019. Accessed May 3, 2022. https://www.americanbanker.com/news/golden-west-co-founder-herb-sandler-dies-at-87-leaving-complicated-legacy.
  17.  Vogel, Kenneth P. “Donors seek to harness Hollywood to boost liberal causes.” Politico. April 9, 2016. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/democratic-donors-hollywood-conference-221764.
  18. “Susan.” Sandler Phillips Center. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://www.sandlerphillipscenter.com/susan.
  19. Interviews conducted by Martin Meeker. “Jim Sandler Commitment to the Environment in the Sandler Foundation.” The Marion and Herbert Sandler Oral History Project. 2018. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/roho/ucb/text/sandler_jim_2019.pdf.
  20. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202322849349302062/full.
  21. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Schedule I. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202322849349302062/full.
  22. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part III. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202322849349302062/full.
  23. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202322849349302062/full.
  24. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2021. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202203159349303100/full.
  25.  “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202123079349303067/full.
  26.  “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202043149349303264/full.
  27. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202322849349302062/full.
  28. “SJS Partners Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371907260/202322849349302062/full.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: June 1, 2019

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Dec Form 990 $238,982 $653,643 $67,912,977 $0 N $0 $0 $239,524 $0
    2020 Dec Form 990 $439,512 $2,014,851 $68,964,208 $0 N $0 $0 $439,512 $0
    2019 Dec Form 990 $70,552,225 $12,678 $70,539,721 $174 N $70,000,000 $0 $552,225 $0 PDF

    SJS Partners

    400 Capitol Mall 2150
    Sacramento, CA 95814-4424