What Campbell Foundation does

The Campbell Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established in 1998 by Keith Campbell, an investment advisor who founded Baltimore-based Campbell & Company in 1973. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland with a second office in San Francisco, California opened in October 2003, the Foundation funds the conservation of two of America's largest estuary systems — the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays and the San Francisco Bay / San Joaquin Valley watersheds. Its portfolio spans eight program areas (Agriculture, Cannabis, Capacity Building, Community Engagement, Drinking Water, Water Management, Watershed Advocacy, and Unsolicited Requests) and awards competitive unsolicited grants (up to $25,000 each, two cycles per year), multi-year grants, general support grants, and capacity-building grants to 501(c)3 nonprofits and fiscally sponsored projects operating in Maryland's Eastern Shore, Lancaster County PA, the California Central Valley, and the San Francisco Bay watershed. In 2025 the Foundation provided more than $28 million in grants to 7,716+ historical grantees, financed by an endowment that has historically distributed more than 8% of its asset base annually.

The Foundation is led by President Samantha Campbell, daughter of the founder, who assumed the role in January 2009, with Keith Campbell remaining involved as Chairman. Operations are run by a 12-person staff split between the two offices, including a Chief of Staff, Program Directors for Watershed Advocacy and Community Engagement, a Program Strategist for Agriculture, Program Officers for the Pacific region, a Tech Specialist, a Communications Director (the first such role, created in 2025), Grants Management staff, and a Fellow. The Foundation has a custom Salesforce-based Grants Management System with a Grantee Portal on Salesforce Experience Cloud, plus integrations for Smartsheet, GridBuddy, SuperClone Pro, Bill.com, MailChimp, Creative Mail, Adobe Sign, Zoom, RingCentral, WordPress, BambooHR, Breezy, Checkr, Nintex/Drawloop, and Zapier.

The Foundation's go-to-market is a structured grantmaking motion: prospective applicants use a SurveyMonkey prescreen tool and eligibility checklist, submit through the unsolicited grant cycle, and existing grantees access a portal. Distribution is exclusively grantmaking — the Foundation generates no operational revenue and does not seek fundraising — with a value proposition centered on operational (not just programmatic) support, including technology upgrades, professional development, DEIJ grants, tax and audit preparation, and office improvements for current roster grantees. Selection criteria for the unsolicited cycle require US 501(c)3 or fiscally sponsored status, a minimum of five years operating, an operating budget between $1M and $12M, at least five funders of $5,000 or more, and at least five board members; previously declined organizations face a two-year waiting period.

Name

Campbell Foundation

Legal name

The Campbell Foundation

Website

https://campbellfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Campbell Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established in 1998 that awards more than $28 million annually across eight program areas to 501(c)3 nonprofits working on environmental conservation, watershed health, and community equity in the Chesapeake and Pacific (San Francisco Bay and San Joaquin Valley) regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Philanthropy and Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Environmental philanthropy
• Watershed conservation grants
• Capacity building grants
• Community engagement funding
• Nonprofit grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grantmaking: As a private foundation established in 1998, The Campbell Foundation generates no revenue from operations. The Foundation's endowment funds its grantmaking activities. In 2025, the Foundation provided more than $28 million in grants. The Foundation historically allocates greater than 8% of its asset base to grants annually. Revenue is derived from endowment investment returns and distributed through competitive unsolicited grants, multi-year grants, general support grants, and capacity building grants to nonprofit organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Campbell Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that makes grants to nonprofit organizations working to create more equitable and livable communities in watershed regions. It funds eight program areas (Agriculture, Cannabis, Capacity Building, Community Engagement, Clean/Safe Drinking Water, Water Management, Watershed Advocacy, and Unsolicited Grants) across the Chesapeake Bay and California watershed regions including the San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Bay. In 2025, the Foundation provided more than $28 million in grants from an endowment that historically allocates greater than 8% of its asset base annually.

Product overview

The Campbell Foundation is a philanthropic organization, not a technology product company. Its primary offerings are grant programs rather than software products. The Foundation operates grant programs across eight areas (Agriculture, Cannabis, Capacity Building, Community Engagement, Clean/Safe Drinking Water, Water Management, Watershed Advocacy, and Unsolicited Grants), a Fellowship Program, and an annual Unsolicited Grants Cycle offering up to $25,000 per award. The Foundation's operational infrastructure includes a custom Salesforce-based Grants Management System (GMS) for internal grantmaking processes, a Grantee Portal for existing recipients, a Prescreen Tool for prospective applicants, and a searchable Grants Awarded Database containing over 7,700 historical grant records. The Foundation does not offer external-facing technology products or services to the public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grants Awarded Database A searchable public database of all Campbell Foundation grant recipients organized by organization, amount, year, and region (Chesapeake or Pacific). Contains over 7,700 entries of historical grants awarded since 1999.
• Unsolicited Grants Program Competitive grantmaking program offering two unsolicited grant cycles per year for 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that have not previously received Campbell Foundation funding. Maximum award of $25,000 for general support. Includes eligibility checklist and prescreening tools. Cycle 2-2026 proposals due July 31, 2026.
• Capacity Building Grants Operational support grants for current Campbell Foundation grantees including Tech Assessment, Tech Capacity Building, Tech Deep Dive, Professional Development, DEIJ initiatives, Tax & Audit Prep, Nonprofit Compensation Report, and Office Beautification. Priority given to smaller-budget organizations. Provided nearly $500,000 to more than 60 organizations for DEIJ grants.
• Fellowship Program Program area supporting emerging professionals in philanthropy through fellowship positions in areas such as Watershed Advocacy and Community Engagement. The Foundation's first Community Engagement Fellow joined in June 2026.
• Program Area Grants Focused grant programs across eight areas: Agriculture, Cannabis, Capacity Building, Community Engagement, Clean/Safe Drinking Water, Water Management, Watershed Advocacy, and Unsolicited Requests. Each program targets specific geographic regions and environmental/social issues. The Community Engagement Program was launched in 2024 with $2.5 million in initial funding.
• Grantee Portal Salesforce-based online portal for existing Campbell Foundation grantees to manage grant requests, submit reports, and access resources. Accessible at campbell.my.site.com/Grantee/.
• Prescreen Tool SurveyMonkey-based questionnaire to help prospective applicants gauge the likelihood of being awarded an unsolicited grant before completing the full proposal. Takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.
• Grants Management System (GMS) Custom Salesforce-based system for managing the complete grants lifecycle including applications, reviews, approvals, reporting, and payments. Built with extensive integrations including Smartsheet, GridBuddy, Candid, and Bill.com.
• General Support Grants Multi-year, general support grants offered to organizations within the Foundation's program areas and geographic focus. Includes unrestricted operational support for nonprofits.
• San Joaquin Valley Portfolio Specialized grantmaking in California's San Joaquin Valley addressing economic development, farmworker support, health equity, immigrant rights, investigative journalism, leadership development, LGBTQ+ advocacy, public participation, and water management in Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties. Awarded $4.1 million to more than 40 groups in recent years. The Foundation first began funding in the San Joaquin Valley in 2018 to support SGMA implementation.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than $28 million in grants provided in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and moderate.

• Blue Sky Funders ForumminorOthersAffinity group membership providing access to environmental philanthropy network and best practices sharing.
• Chesapeake Bay Funder's NetworkcoreOthersRegional network of funders focused on Chesapeake Bay restoration. The Foundation has been active in this network for strategic coordination on watershed restoration funding.
• Children & Nature NetworkminorOthersAffinity group membership connecting the Foundation with broader community engagement and youth outdoor education initiatives.
• Conservation Measures PartnershipmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on conservation measurement and effectiveness. Supports the Foundation's data-driven approach to evaluating environmental grantmaking outcomes.
• Environmental Grantmakers AssociationmoderateOthersAffinity group membership providing peer network among environmental funders for knowledge sharing and collaborative initiatives.
• Exponent PhilanthropyminorOthersAffinity group membership for small and mid-size philanthropies. Provides peer resources and professional development for lean foundation operations.
• Farm FoundationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting sustainable agriculture and food systems. Aligns with Foundation's Agriculture Program focus on Lancaster County and Delmarva, seeking common ground between agriculture and conservation.
• Funders for Regenerative AgricultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffinity group connecting the Foundation with regenerative agriculture funding initiatives, supporting its Agriculture Program's goal of sustainable farm viability.
• Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and RefugeesminorOthersAffinity group membership supporting the Foundation's Community Engagement Program which includes immigrant rights and legal services organizations in its San Joaquin Valley portfolio.
• Health and Environmental Funders NetworkminorOthersAffinity group connecting health and environmental funders, relevant to Foundation's work on clean drinking water and health equity in San Joaquin Valley.
• Maryland Association of Non-Profit Organizations Inc.minorOthersState affinity group membership supporting the Foundation's Chesapeake Initiative operations and regional nonprofit community relationships.
• Maryland Philanthropy NetworkmoderateOthersRegional philanthropy network for Maryland, supporting the Foundation's Chesapeake programming and relationships with Maryland-based nonprofits.
• PEAK GrantmakingminorOthersAffinity group membership focused on grantmaking best practices and professional standards, relevant to the Foundation's grants management operations.
• Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit OrganizationsminorOthersState affinity group membership supporting Foundation's Lancaster County, PA programming within its Agriculture and Community Engagement Programs.
• Pleiades Network Inc.minorOthersAffinity group membership, nature and scope of collaboration not specified in available sources.
• Soil and Water Conservation SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional society supporting the Foundation's Agriculture Program and watershed advocacy efforts through technical and scientific resources on soil and water conservation.
• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems FundersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffinity group connecting funders of sustainable agriculture, supporting the Foundation's Agriculture Program in Chesapeake and Pacific regions.
• Technology Association of Grantmakers, Inc.minorOthersAffinity group for philanthropy technology, relevant to the Foundation's Salesforce-based grants management system and technology operations.
• Urban Water FundersmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder network focused on urban water issues, supporting the Foundation's Water Management and Clean, Safe Drinking Water programs in California and Maryland.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Heinz Endowments: Pittsburgh-based family foundation supporting environment and community vitality; comparable because both fund watershed health, sustainable agriculture, and community equity in defined geographies.
• William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: Major California-based foundation with a substantial environment program; comparable because both fund California environmental and water issues with multi-year general operating support, though at far greater scale.

Regional players

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Direct regional peer operating in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; comparable to Campbell Foundation because both fund and operate programs focused on Chesapeake water quality, agriculture-environment common ground, and watershed advocacy.
• The San Francisco Foundation: Large regional community foundation serving the Bay Area; comparable because both make grants in San Francisco Bay watershed with attention to community equity and environmental justice.
• Chesapeake Bay Trust: Maryland-based state-chartered nonprofit that provides grant funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration; comparable because both operate in the Chesapeake region funding watershed, agriculture, and youth-engagement programs.

Direct peers

• Park Foundation: Family-controlled foundation supporting environmental and social justice causes in specific U.S. regions; comparable because both are family foundations offering broad grant types including capacity building, and focus on environmental and equity issues.
• Pisces Foundation: California-based private foundation that funds water, climate, and environmental initiatives; comparable because both are smaller private foundations focused on California water and environmental grantmaking with operations and capacity-building orientations.
• Resources Legacy Fund: Mid-sized philanthropic fund focused on California environment, water, and equity; comparable because both make multi-year, capacity-building, and general-support grants in California watershed regions.
• Marisla Foundation: Long Beach-based private foundation focused on environmental protection including marine resources and water quality; comparable because both fund California watershed and coastal environmental work.
• Water Foundation: Foundation dedicated to freshwater issues in the western United States, particularly California and the Colorado River Basin; comparable because both fund clean drinking water, water management, and watershed advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-keith-campbell-foundation-for-the-environment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Campbell Foundation