5 Ryan Foundation
The 5 Ryan Foundation is a private foundation based in Tiburon, California. Founded in 1992 by Mark and Jeanne Dant after their son Ryan was diagnosed with MPS I, it raises funds for medical research aimed at finding treatments for MPS I and other rare orphan diseases.
5 Ryan Foundation at a glance
In short: 5 Ryan Foundation gave $408K across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in California. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $407,500
- +13.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 43
- -2.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,477
- +16.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,962,441
- +3.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (7 of 42, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (86% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to 5 Ryan Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1120 Mar West Street A, Tiburon, CA 94920
Phone: (415) 383-6600
Website: https://ryanfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who 5 Ryan Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Gardens of Golden Gate Park ($60K). Together the top 10 received $273K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($12,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
195 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 191 grants of 195 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in California. The remaining grant dollars were distributed among Idaho (6%), Pennsylvania (3%), Michigan (3%), and Colorado (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is 5 Ryan Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 42 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 37% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 111% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $201K (2020) to $408K (2025). In 2025 it made 43 grants totaling $408K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Gardens of Golden Gate Park San Francisco, CA | General Support | $60,000 |
| California Academy of Sciences San Francisco, CA | General Support | $39,000 |
| Soccer Without Borders Oakland, CA | General Support | $39,000 |
| Adopt a Family of Marin San Rafael, CA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Rivet School Richmond, CA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Marin County Bicycle Coalition Fairfax, CA | General Support | $24,000 |
| St John's Episcopal Church Ross Ross, CA | General Support | $22,000 |
| The California Fire Foundation Sacramento, CA | General Support | $15,000 |
| Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA | Scholarship | $12,000 |
| Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA | Scholarship | $12,000 |
Ready to take the next step with 5 Ryan Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,962,441 | $648,031 | $473,145 | $407,500 | 43 | $407,500 | $223,039 | $368,541 |
| 2024 | $5,790,410 | $1,428,219 | $436,454 | $358,970 | 44 | $358,970 | $757,991 | $327,869 |
| 2023 | $5,264,414 | $941,028 | $343,921 | $295,500 | 38 | $295,500 | $648,227 | $289,704 |
| 2022 | $4,807,346 | $300,515 | $357,534 | $298,000 | 37 | $298,000 | $253,981 | $301,593 |
| 2021 | $4,856,114 | $981,482 | $354,810 | $306,750 | 33 | $306,750 | $736,350 | $292,272 |
| 2020 | $4,401,727 | $140,117 | $243,406 | $200,750 | 31 | — | $99,371 | $233,535 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, 5 Ryan Foundation reported a distributable amount of $369K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purpose is to support medical research for MPS I and other rare orphan diseases. Its filing describes a partnership with UCLA’s LA BioMed and says that research contributions helped extend Ryan’s lifespan beyond his original expected 10 years.
The 2025 grants show support beyond medical research. For example, the California Academy of Sciences describes its mission as regenerating the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. Adopt A Family of Marin says it works to prevent and end family homelessness in Marin County. Sweetwater Spectrum describes its mission as providing community-based long-term housing for adults with autism or similar intellectual and developmental disabilities. The foundation also awarded scholarships to recipients including Lehigh University, Loyola Marymount University, and St. Ignatius College Preparatory.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 43 grants totaling $407,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $60,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest awards included $60,000 to Gardens of Golden Gate Park, $39,000 to the California Academy of Sciences, $39,000 to Soccer Without Borders, and $25,000 each to Adopt A Family of Marin and Rivet School. These grants were reported for general support. The foundation also awarded $12,000 scholarships to each of Lehigh University, Loyola Marymount University, and St. Ignatius College Preparatory.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John Stuart Ryan as president and Sarah Wright Ryan as CFO/secretary. Directors are Clare Emily Ryan, John Williams Ryan, Madelyn Ryan Campbell, Connor Campbell, and James Barron.
5 Ryan Foundation is led by John Williams Ryan, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John Williams Ryan
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clare Emily Ryan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Connor Campbell
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Madelyn Ryan Campbell
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Barron
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Wright Ryan
CFO & Sect'y
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Madelyn Stewart Ryan (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about 5 Ryan Foundation
How much does 5 Ryan Foundation give each year?
5 Ryan Foundation gave $408K across 43 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $359K across 44 grants.
What is 5 Ryan Foundation's typical grant size?
5 Ryan Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,477, across 43 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from 5 Ryan Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does 5 Ryan Foundation give grants?
5 Ryan Foundation gives mostly in California: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Idaho (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (3 grants), Oakland, CA (3 grants), Hailey, ID (3 grants) and Sausalito, CA (3 grants).
Does 5 Ryan Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 88% of 5 Ryan Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 43) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (5 grants).
Who are 5 Ryan Foundation's largest grantees?
5 Ryan Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Gardens of Golden Gate Park ($60,000), California Academy of Sciences ($39,000) and Soccer Without Borders ($39,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($12,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is 5 Ryan Foundation?
5 Ryan Foundation reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $408K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $369K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does 5 Ryan Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to support medical research for MPS I and other rare orphan diseases. Its filing describes a partnership with UCLA’s LA BioMed and says that research contributions helped extend Ryan’s lifespan beyond his original expected 10 years. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from 5 Ryan Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is 5 Ryan Foundation's EIN?
5 Ryan Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-1210794. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does 5 Ryan Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). 5 Ryan Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/5-ryan-foundation-morg_aa09f423d0344cc9bec83b4c298f28bd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_821210794_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{5 Ryan Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/5-ryan-foundation-morg_aa09f423d0344cc9bec83b4c298f28bd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from 5 Ryan Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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