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TomKat Foundation
TomKat Foundation was established in 2022 by Tom Steyer, the billionaire former hedge fund manager who founded Farallon Capital, and Kat Taylor, co-founder of...
TomKat Foundation
TomKat Foundation was established in 2022 by Tom Steyer, the billionaire former hedge fund manager who founded Farallon Capital, and Kat Taylor, co-founder of Beneficial State Bank. The couple signed the Giving Pledge in 2010, committing to donate the majority of their wealth during their lifetimes. TomKat consolidates a portfolio of philanthropic and impact-investing activities the two had built over decades, including the TomKat Ranch in Pescadero, an 1,800-acre working cattle operation that serves as a research site for regenerative agriculture. The foundation's investment strategy blends direct programmatic spending with mission-aligned capital deployment across climate resilience, sustainable food systems, and energy transition. Through the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy at Stanford, it funds early-stage research and translates academic work into commercial ventures. The family's parallel vehicle, Galvanize Climate Solutions — co-chaired by Steyer alongside former Secretary of State John Kerry — operates as a dedicated climate investment firm, allowing TomKat to maintain distinct philanthropic and for-profit lanes while attacking the same systemic problems. The foundation also supports Beneficial State Foundation, the advocacy arm tied to Taylor's community-banking network. TomKat Foundation operates from San Francisco and the TomKat Ranch in Pescadero, California. Erin Eisenberg serves as Director of Philanthropy and represents the foundation on the board of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders. The foundation is also a donor and partner to SPUR, the San Francisco-based urban policy organization. Steyer's political vehicle, NextGen America, sits adjacent to the foundation's 501(c)(3) structure, reflecting a broader architecture that treats policy advocacy and direct investment as complementary tools. TomKat departs from a typical endowment model by embedding an operating ranch and a university research center directly under the foundation's umbrella. This structure allows it to demonstrate regenerative agriculture practices on its own land and fund proof-of-concept energy research, creating a pipeline from academic lab to investable startup that most foundations cannot replicate. The Steyer-Taylor approach treats philanthropy, political advocacy, and venture investment as three legs of the same stool, with the foundation functioning as the permanent institutional chassis.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
2022
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Francisco
Corporate office
San Francisco, CA, United States
Additional offices
Pescadero, CA
Principals
Tom Steyer
Founder
Kat Taylor
Founder and President
Erin Eisenberg
Director of Philanthropy
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at TomKat Foundation?
Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor are the ultimate decision-makers, with Steyer bringing his Farallon Capital investment background to bear on allocation strategy. Day-to-day philanthropy is directed by Erin Eisenberg, who manages grantmaking and partner relationships. The foundation does not publish an investment committee roster publicly.
How does TomKat Foundation source its deals and grants?
The foundation sources through its embedded operating assets — TomKat Ranch generates relationships in regenerative agriculture, while the TomKat Center at Stanford provides a university pipeline for energy transition research. Aligned climate ventures often flow through Galvanize Climate Solutions, co-chaired by Steyer and John Kerry, which operates as a separate for-profit investment firm.
Is TomKat a single-family foundation or does it take outside capital?
TomKat Foundation is a private foundation funded entirely by Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor's wealth. It does not accept outside donations or manage external LP capital. The Steyers' parallel for-profit investment activity, including Galvanize Climate Solutions, does raise third-party capital but sits outside the foundation structure.
What is the relationship between TomKat Foundation and Galvanize Climate Solutions?
Galvanize Climate Solutions is a separate for-profit investment firm co-founded by Tom Steyer and Katie Hall in 2021, with John Kerry joining as co-chair. It is not legally part of the TomKat Foundation, but Steyer's role in both entities creates a natural alignment between the foundation's philanthropic climate work and Galvanize's venture and growth-stage investing. The foundation can make program-related investments or grants that complement Galvanize's for-profit portfolio without commingling funds.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
Tom Steyer built his fortune as the founder of Farallon Capital Management, a San Francisco-based hedge fund he started in 1986. Kat Taylor is a co-founder of Beneficial State Bank, a community-development bank serving California, Oregon, and Washington. The couple signed the Giving Pledge in 2010, publicly committing to distribute the majority of their wealth philanthropically.
Does TomKat Foundation maintain separate philanthropic structures for 501(c)(3) and advocacy work?
Yes. The TomKat Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation. Steyer's political advocacy — including NextGen America, which he founded in 2013 — operates as a separate 501(c)(4) entity. Kat Taylor's Beneficial State Foundation, the advocacy arm tied to Beneficial State Bank, is also a distinct nonprofit. The Steyers intentionally compartmentalize charitable grantmaking, political spending, and impact investing across independent legal structures.
What is TomKat Ranch's role in the foundation's overall strategy?
TomKat Ranch is an 1,800-acre working cattle operation in Pescadero, California, owned directly by the foundation. It functions as a living laboratory for regenerative agriculture practices, producing grass-fed beef while hosting researchers, ranchers, and policy groups. The ranch allows the foundation to demonstrate soil-carbon sequestration and sustainable grazing methods rather than simply funding academic studies from a distance.
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