One PacificCoast Foundation

What One PacificCoast Foundation does

Beneficial State Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 by Kat Taylor and Tom Steyer, headquartered in Oakland, California, with a small team of approximately 20 staff. The Foundation operates as a financial justice nonprofit and as the primary nonprofit shareholder of Beneficial State Bank, a certified B Corporation and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) whose economic rights are 100% owned by nonprofit entities. Distributed bank profits are reinvested into communities, and the Foundation is funded primarily through philanthropic foundation grants alongside these shareholder distributions.

The Foundation's core products are advocacy frameworks and programs rather than commercial offerings. The flagship is the Equitable Bank Standards, a measurable, three-tiered framework (Essential, Emerging, Industry-Leading) covering five areas — Governance, Lending and Investments, Products and Services, Operational Practices, and Corporate Citizenship — developed with partners including NCRC, GABV, social impact bankers, and academic researchers. The Underwriting for Racial Justice (URJ) program convenes over 60 underwriters, regulators, alternative-credit innovators, and borrowers, and runs a Lender Pilot Program (originally 19 lenders, now four) using Stratyfy's AI-assisted credit decisioning software. The Foundation also administered the Clean Vehicle Assistance Program (CVAP) from 2018 to 2024 in partnership with Beneficial State Bank and CARB, distributing over $25 million in grants to income-qualified Californians across 5,016 vehicles via 450+ dealerships.

The Foundation's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven rather than commercial sales: direct engagement with bank leaders, regulators, and industry associations; convenings and speaking engagements at conferences including the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, SOCAP, and the Community Development Bankers Association; and content distribution via the Perspectives blog, email newsletter, and social channels. The Foundation's primary customer segments are banks and financial institutions, advocates and campaigners, policymakers and regulators, and — for CVAP — income-qualified California residents. Recognition by the American Bankers Association Foundation in February 2026 for the Equitable Bank Standards and URJ program materially elevated the Foundation's standing within mainstream U.S. banking.

Name

One PacificCoast Foundation

Legal name

Beneficial State Foundation

Website

https://beneficialstate.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Beneficial State Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the Equitable Bank Standards framework, the Underwriting for Racial Justice program, and the Clean Vehicle Assistance Program, serving banks, financial institutions, advocates, policymakers, and California consumers to advance equitable banking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equitable Banking Advocacy

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Equitable banking advocacy
• Banking standards framework
• Financial justice nonprofit
• Community development banking
• Triple-bottom-line banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Causeway Bay

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Foundation Grants: Revenue primarily from foundation grants and charitable contributions to support advocacy, policy work, and program administration.
2. Nonprofit Shareholder Returns: As nonprofit shareholder of Beneficial State Bank, receives distributed profits that are reinvested back into communities to promote thriving people, healthy economy, and prosperous planet.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

One PacificCoast Foundation (Beneficial State Foundation) operates as a financial justice nonprofit and bank owner that develops and advances equitable banking standards, convenes national working groups on racial justice in lending, and administers public-interest programs such as clean vehicle grants for income-qualified consumers. Its core offerings include the Equitable Bank Standards framework for U.S. banks, the Underwriting for Racial Justice program with lender pilots, and the Clean Vehicle Assistance Program for California residents.

Product overview

Beneficial State Foundation operates as a financial justice nonprofit offering a portfolio of programs and standards for equitable banking. Its core offerings include the Equitable Bank Standards (a framework for banks to implement ESG strategies), the Underwriting for Racial Justice program (a national working group with an AI-assisted Lender Pilot Program), and the Clean Vehicle Assistance Program (grants and financing for clean vehicles in California). The Foundation also provides research, policy advocacy, field building, and industry relations services to advance its mission of changing the banking system for good.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Equitable Bank Standards: A triple-bottom-line banking standards framework developed by Beneficial State Foundation to provide U.S. banks with measurable, step-by-step pathways for fostering transformational change in their communities across five key areas: Governance, Lending and Investments, Products and Services, Operational Practices, and Corporate Citizenship.
• Underwriting for Racial Justice (URJ)
• Clean Vehicle Assistance Program (CVAP)

Products and services

• Equitable Bank Standards A measurable, step-by-step framework providing banking leaders with actionable, research-backed guidelines to integrate equity into daily operations while maintaining financial performance. The Standards are categorized into three levels (Essential, Emerging, and Industry-Leading) covering five key areas: Governance, Lending and Investments, Products and Services, Operational Practices, and Corporate Citizenship. For U.S. banks seeking to advance equitable banking practices.
• Underwriting for Racial Justice (URJ) A national working group convening over 60 underwriters, impact leaders at financial institutions, regulators, innovators in alternative underwriting, and borrowers to develop solutions increasing credit access to people facing systemic inequities, particularly communities of color. Includes a Lender Pilot Program with innovative lenders using AI-assisted decisioning tools.
• Clean Vehicle Assistance Program (CVAP) A program providing grants and affordable financing (non-predatory auto loans capped at 8% interest through Beneficial State Bank) to help income-qualified Californians purchase hybrid, electric, or plug-in hybrid vehicles. From 2018 to 2024, the program funded over 5,000 vehicle grants totaling over $25 million and partnered with 450+ California dealerships.

Quantifiable outcome

• CFPB has returned $12.4 billion to 31 million consumers since establishment
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StratyfycoreTechnology or Integration · 14 May 2026Extended partnership with Stratyfy for the Underwriting for Racial Justice Lender Pilot Program. Stratyfy provides AI-assisted credit decisioning software to help participating lenders modernize underwriting frameworks and improve equity across lending portfolios. Four lenders (Beneficial State Bank, BetterFi, New Orleans Firemen's Federal Credit Union, and Working Solutions) use Stratyfy's transparent machine learning solution in the one-year program extension.
• Transform FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2023Co-authored the 'Participatory Investment in Banking' guide with Transform Finance. The guide outlines how banking institutions can commit to power shifts by redistributing decision-making over investments to stakeholders and deepening community participation.
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on developing the Equitable Bank Standards. NCRC authored the 'Racial and ethnic representation and investment framework' recommendations for Beneficial State Foundation. Key external review partner for the Standards.
• Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in developing Equitable Bank Standards. GABV represents a network of the world's leading values-based banks. Beneficial State Foundation is a member and draws on GABV's research reinforcing the business case for values-based banking.
• Beneficial State BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeneficial State Foundation is the primary and founding shareholder of Beneficial State Bank. The bank serves as the primary testing ground for equitable banking practices and standards. 100% of the bank's economic rights are owned by nonprofit organizations including the foundation. Foundation evaluates the bank's social and environmental impact while engaging in policy advocacy for systemic change.
• Beneficial State Bank (CVAP Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided non-predatory auto loans capped at 8% interest for the Clean Vehicle Assistance Program. Demonstrated mission-driven bank's ability to deliver complex public programs at scale while offering fair auto loans that conventional lenders deny to low-income borrowers.
• California Public Banking AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of public bank advocates working to create socially- and environmentally-responsible public banks that are democratically governed. Beneficial State Foundation is an active member and helped pass the California Public Banking Act (AB 857) in 2019 and laid groundwork for California state public bank with AB 310 in 2020.
• Community Development Bankers AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMembership organization for community development banks. Beneficial State Foundation and Beneficial State Bank are members, enabling engagement with conventional and social impact banks to develop strategic relationships and strengthen the bench of mission-aligned bank leaders.
• Take On Wall StreetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Race, Gender, and Finance training to 35+ participants including bankers, impact investors, and economic justice advocates to draw connections between banking, finance, and social issues.
• Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeneficial State Foundation's Impact team played a key role in creating PCAF methodology for American and Canadian financial institutions to measure and disclose greenhouse gas contributions from their investments.
• California Reinvestment Coalition (#HereToStay campaign)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs members of the California Reinvestment Coalition #HereToStay campaign, advocate for immigrant financial inclusion, contributing research to inform public policy and better banking practices to increase immigrant economic opportunity.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heron Foundation: Philanthropic foundation pioneering 100% mission-related investing and impact-first endowment strategies. Comparable as a foundation deploying capital and advocacy for social and environmental outcomes, including in financial systems.
• RSF Social Finance: Nonprofit financial services organization supporting social enterprise and mission-aligned lending. Comparable as a values-based financial intermediary aligned with Beneficial State Foundation's equitable banking philosophy, with overlapping CDFI-adjacent activity.
• The Kresge Foundation: Philanthropic foundation supporting equitable economies and community development. Comparable programmatic focus on community development finance, climate, and racial equity, with similar grantmaking and field-building approaches.
• Ford Foundation: Major philanthropic foundation with deep focus on economic fairness and racial justice. Comparable as a large-scale grantmaker tackling financial inclusion and economic equity; potential co-funder of initiatives overlapping with Beneficial State Foundation's agenda.
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC): Coalition advancing fair and equal access to banking, credit, and capital. Core partner that authored racial and ethnic representation recommendations for the Equitable Bank Standards and works alongside Beneficial State Foundation on CRA reform and equitable banking advocacy.
• Public Welfare Foundation: Social justice grantmaking foundation focused on racial equity, criminal justice, and economic justice. Directly comparable as a mission-driven grantmaker pursuing systemic change for marginalized communities through advocacy and regranting.
• Surdna Foundation: Philanthropic foundation focused on sustainable economies and inclusive economies. Comparable grantmaking focus on community development financial institutions, equitable economic systems, and racial justice in finance.
• Open Society Foundations: Large philanthropic foundation focused on social justice, equity, and human rights. Comparable as a grantmaking foundation pursuing racial and economic justice through systemic advocacy, including financial inclusion initiatives.
• CDFI Coalition: Coalition advocating for Community Development Financial Institutions. Directly comparable mission given Beneficial State Bank's CDFI status; both organizations advocate for CDFI funding, policy reform, and equitable access to capital.
• Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV): Network of the world's leading values-based banks and their supporting organizations. Direct partner in developing Beneficial State Foundation's Equitable Bank Standards; operates in the same equitable banking advocacy and standards space with a shared constituency of mission-driven banks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BeneficialStFdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@beneficialstatefoundation?si=Cc7IdN-aB2I47W-S
• Facebookfacebook.com/BeneficialStateFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beneficial-state-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/beneficialstfdn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about One PacificCoast Foundation