The Yavanna Foundation is a left-of-center grantmaking foundation that supports a variety of environmentalist groups that advocate for “degrowth” and radical changes to human societies in the name of environmental concerns and equity. It was founded in 2008 by its sole board member, Phillip H. Jensen. The foundation does not have a website and is managed by Foundation Source. ^{1 2 3}

Founding and History

The Yavanna Foundation was founded in 2008 by Phillip H. Jensen, who provided $10,171,520 in Google stock as the starting capitalization for the organization. Since the organization’s founding, Jensen has been listed as the only board member. ^{4 5} The foundation is managed by Foundation Source, a provider of foundation management services with over 2,000 foundations under its management. ^{6 7}

The name Yavanna is apparently a reference to the J.R.R. Tolkien character Yavanna, one of the class of demi-god characters known as the Valar, from The Silmarillion. Yavanna, which means “giver of fruits” in Tolkien’s “Quenya” language, is the demi-god associated with the act of growing things such as trees and plants. ^{8 9}

Financials

In 2022 the Yavanna Foundation reported $251,204 in revenue, of which the entire amount was derived from dividends from investment holdings. It reported $461,885 in expenses, of which $386,000 was disbursed as grants, with $75,885 in operating and administrative expenses. It ended the year with $8,092,350 in net assets, down from $8,303,031 at the start of the year. ¹⁰

Grantmaking

The Yavanna Foundation provides grants to a variety of left-of-center organizations, especially organizations focused on environmental and climate issues. These climate-related organizations often embrace “degrowth” and radical changes to human society. ¹¹

The largest recipient of annual funding from the Yavanna Foundation is the Post Carbon Institute (2022: $70,000, 2021: $75,000, 2020: $100,000, 2019: $125,000, 2018: $100,000). ¹² The Post Carbon Institute is focused on environmental issues and asserts that current levels of development are not sustainable, opposes the use of conventional fuels, and pushes the “degrowth” movement and a complete reorganization of human society. ¹³

Another foundation supported radical “degrowth” organization that seeks to alter all of human society via a “great simplification” is the Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future. Between 2018 and 2022, the Yavanna Foundation provided grants totaling $356,000. ¹⁴

Other notable recipients of grants include Media Matters ($25,000 in 2022), the Secular Students Alliance ($25,000), and Transition US ($40,000). ¹⁵

Leadership

The Yavanna Foundation does not have a website. The foundation only lists a single board member, Phillip H. Jensen, who is listed as exercising the roles of president, director, and secretary. ¹⁶ In 2008, Phillip H. Jensen provided $10,171,520 in Google stock as the original capitalization of the foundation. ¹⁷

The Post Carbon Institute, a major recipient of Yavanna Foundation grants, lists Phillip Jensen, a former computer programmer, as its board chief financial officer. Jensen previously worked at Google. ¹⁸

1. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Attachment, 2008.
2. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Part XV, 2018-2022.
3. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Part I, 2022.
4. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Schedule B, 2008.
5. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Attachment, 2008.
6. ^[1] Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Part I, 2022.
7. “About Foundation Source.” Foundation Source. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://foundationsource.com/about-us/.
8. “Yavanna.” The One Wiki to Rule Them All, March 7, 2024. Accessed March 9, 2024.  https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Yavanna.
9. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Part XIV, 2022.
10. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Part I, 2022.
11. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Part XV, 2022.
12. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Part XV, 2018-2022.
13. “About Us.” Post Carbon Institute. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.postcarbon.org/about-us/.
14. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Part XV, 2018-2022.
15. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Part XV, 2022.
16. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Part VII, 2022.
17. Yavanna Foundation, Return of an organization exempt from taxation (PF Form 990) Schedule B, 2008.
18. “Philip Jensen.” Post Carbon Institute. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.postcarbon.org/our-people/philip-jensen/.