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Non-profit

Y & H Soda Foundation

Website:

www.yhsodafoundation.org/
Location:

MORAGA, CA
Tax ID:

94-1611668
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)-PF

Budget (2015):

Revenue: $5,925,951
Expenses: $8,632,476
Assets: $127,791,049

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The Y and H Soda Foundation is a left-of-center grantmaking foundation that supports liberal expansionist immigration, left-progressive social policy, and liberal social welfare organizations located in California. Originally founded to improve education in the East Bay region of northern California, the organization’s focus has shifted to promoting statewide and nationwide immigration expansion activism efforts and left-progressive social policy.

Background

The Y and H Soda Foundation was founded by East Bay residents Y. Charles and Helen Soda in 1964 for the purpose of supporting charitable work in their neighborhood,1 and more specifically for the purpose of advancing education. The Organization’s co-founder Y. Charles (Chet) Soda was co-owner of the Oakland Raiders and a Vatican Appointee to The Knights of Malta, a Catholic sovereign order now under investigation due to political and financial scandal. 2  Y. Charles Soda passed away in 1989, leaving the foundation to its Board of Directors. Under new leadership, the Y&H Soda Foundation has expanded the scope of its grantmaking agenda, focusing much of its efforts on immigration activism.

In 2018, Louis Arteaga, who previously oversaw grant-making for the Levi Strauss Foundation, a multi-million dollar left-of-center corporate foundation, was added as a program officer to the Y and H foundation. 3

Expenses

The Y and H Soda foundation prioritizes the East Bay area of northern California, specifically organizations working in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. In 2017, the Y and H Soda Foundation spent its entire income on overhead, liquidating its assets to support its grantmaking mission. Of the $10,379,080 spent,4 $5,121,3455 was spent on operational and administrative expenses, including $873,4846 spent on salaries, and $1,714,857 spent on Portfolio Expenses. 7  As such the organization only spent $5,257,735 on grantmaking.

Assets and Investments

The Y and H Soda Foundation does not solicit contributions, relying almost entirely investment income and principal assets. The Foundation earned $4,892,518 investment income in 20178 and supported its grantmaking efforts for the year by liquidating $30,470,352 in assets from the principal of the foundation. 9

Robert Uyeki

Robert Uyeki, the CEO of The Y and H Soda Foundation, received an annual salary of $295,000 in the 2015 fiscal year,10  and has received a raise every year since, with his salary currently at $316,000. 11  Uyeki is also a board member of the Regional Anti-poverty Coalition “Rise Together,” along with leaders of other regional funders such as the San Francisco Foundation and the Marin Community Foundation.

Robert Uyeki was also a signer of a Philanthropy California Letter opposing the addition of a new question to the 2020 U.S. Census regarding citizenship status. 12

Luis Artega

As of 2018, Luis Artega is the Chief Program Officer for the Y and H Soda Foundation. Before coming on to the senior staff of the foundation, Luis Artega was a program officer for The Levi Strauss Foundation, focusing on issues of social justice activism and expanding immigration. 13

Grantmaking

Y and H Soda Foundation provided $70,000 in operating support to the left-wing advocacy group ACCE Institute. 14

Immigration advocacy groups received substantial sums from the Foundation. It provided Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees with $30,500 in grants for immigration initiatives. 15 The Foundation awarded $35,000 in operating support to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF). 16 The Y and H Soda Foundation has provided $30,000 in 2018, and $32,500 in 2017 to the San Francisco-based lobbying firm and immigration activist group OneJustice. 17

Y and H Soda Foundation funded Oakland Based non-profit focused on immigration law, Freedom for Immigrants, providing a $75,000 donation. 18  In 2018, Freedom for Immigrants supported the controversial Non-Profit “Pueblo Sin Fronteras,” a far-left group which lobbies in favor or illegal immigration and organizes “migrant caravans” as a way to facilitate and increase illegal immigration. Pueblo Sin Fronteras claims that Freedom for Immigrants has directly funded the group, while Freedom for Immigrants denies this, claiming that it only raised funds for Pueblo Sin Fronteras. 19

A $25,000 grant was given to the Oakland-based LGBT activism organization Brown Boi Project. 20  The organization promotes itself as a “community that supports the lives of masculine of center womyn (meaning gender non-confirming), queer, transmen, trans people of color and their allies committed to changing the way that communities of color talk about gender.” 21

A $10,000 grant was issued in 2017 to left leaning Peace Development Fund for “Rapid Response Planning.” 22

The Y and H Soda foundation made a $2,000 grant in both 2018 and 2017 to the Regents of the University of California for the Berkeley-based Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society. 23

The Foundation provided $40,000 to the Movement Strategy Center in 2018 for the Bay Area Black Worker Center. 24

In 2018, The Tides Center was given a $50,000 grant for its LeaderSpring initiative.  During the 2017 fiscal year, the Y and H Soda foundation provided the Tides Center with $82,000 in grants for a “Civic Engagement table,” among other purposes. 25

References

  1. “Our Founders” Y & H Soda Foundation. https://www.yhsodafoundation.org/our-founders
  2. “Why the pope has taken control of the Knights of Malta”. The Economist. https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2017/02/07/why-the-pope-has-taken-control-of-the-knights-of-malta February 7, 2017.  Accessed October 10, 2019.
  3. “Y & H Soda Foundation Announces Luis Arteaga as its New Senior Program Officer” Northern California Grantmakers.  https://ncg.org/news/y-h-soda-foundation-announces-luis-arteaga-its-new-senior-program-officer. Accessed 24 May 2018.
  4. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.” Guidestar.org. Accessed August 10, 2019, Part I Line 26(a)
  5. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.” Guidestar.org. Accessed August 10, 2019, Part I Line 24(a)
  6. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.” Guidestar.org. Accessed August 10, 2019, Part I Line 14(a)
  7. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.” Guidestar.org. Accessed August 10, 2019, Part I Line 16(c): Statement 4.
  8. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.” Guidestar.org. Accessed August 10, 2019, Part I Line 14(a)
  9. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.” Guidestar.org. Accessed August 10, 2019, Part I Line 27
  10. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.” Guidestar.org. Accessed August 10, 2019, Part VIII 2(c)
  11. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.” Guidestar.org. Accessed August 10, 2019, Part VIII 2(c)
  12. Comments on Proposed Information Collection on 2020 Census to Department of Commerce, Philanthropy California 2019,  https://www.philanthropyca.org/node/113
  13. “Y & H Soda Foundation Announces Luis Arteaga as its New Senior Program Officer” Northern California Grantmakers. https://ncg.org/news/y-h-soda-foundation-announces-luis-arteaga-its-new-senior-program-officer May 24, 2019. Accessed October 10, 2019.
  14. “Grants – List of 2018 Grants” Y & H Soda Foundation. Page 3. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5511d040e4b0b2a9ab8dba4c/t/5ca680c553450a53329e419e/1554415813528/2018+Grants+Awarded.pdf
  15. “Grants – List of 2018 Grants” Y & H Soda Foundation. Page 4. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5511d040e4b0b2a9ab8dba4c/t/5ca680c553450a53329e419e/1554415813528/2018+Grants+Awarded.pdf
  16. “Grants – List of 2018 Grants” Y & H Soda Foundation. Page 3. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5511d040e4b0b2a9ab8dba4c/t/5ca680c553450a53329e419e/1554415813528/2018+Grants+Awarded.pdf
  17. “Grants – List of 2018 Grants” Y & H Soda Foundation. Page 4. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5511d040e4b0b2a9ab8dba4c/t/5ca680c553450a53329e419e/1554415813528/2018+Grants+Award.ed.pdf
  18. “Grants – List of 2018 Grants” Y & H Soda Foundation. Page 4. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5511d040e4b0b2a9ab8dba4c/t/5ca680c553450a53329e419e/1554415813528/2018+Grants+Awarded.pdf
  19. Linthicum, Kate.  “Pueblo Sin Fronteras uses caravans to shine light on the plight of migrants — but has that backfired?” Los Angeles Times.  https://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-mexico-caravan-leaders-20181206-story.html December 6, 2018. Accessed 30 Oct. 2019.
  20. “Grants – List of 2018 Grants” Y & H Soda Foundation. Page 1. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5511d040e4b0b2a9ab8dba4c/t/5ca680c553450a53329e419e/1554415813528/2018+Grants+Awarded.pdf
  21. “Mission and Values” Brown Boi Project, http://www.brownboiproject.org/mission-and-values
  22. “Grants – List of 2018 Grants” Y & H Soda Foundation. Page 4. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5511d040e4b0b2a9ab8dba4c/t/5ca680c553450a53329e419e/1554415813528/2018+Grants+Awarded.pdf
  23. “Grants – List of 2018 Grants” Y & H Soda Foundation. Page 4. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5511d040e4b0b2a9ab8dba4c/t/5ca680c553450a53329e419e/1554415813528/2018+Grants+Award.ed.pdf
  24. “Grants – List of 2018 Grants” Y & H Soda Foundation. Page 3. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5511d040e4b0b2a9ab8dba4c/t/5ca680c553450a53329e419e/1554415813528/2018+Grants+Award.ed.pdf
  25. “Grants – List of 2018 Grants” Y & H Soda Foundation. Page 3. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5511d040e4b0b2a9ab8dba4c/t/5ca680c553450a53329e419e/1554415813528/2018+Grants+Award.ed.pdf
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: June 1, 1968

    • 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
    2015 Dec Form PF $5,925,951 $8,632,476 $127,791,049 $478,745 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form PF $9,660,640 $10,397,115 $135,488,052 $1,397,014 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form PF $2,858,879 $9,680,359 $129,936,003 $873,887 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form PF $19,526,828 $8,097,649 $133,287,725 $592,828 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form PF $4,414,194 $6,187,933 $123,557,995 $792,400 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Y & H Soda Foundation

    1635 SCHOOL ST
    MORAGA, CA 94556-1118