Adams Fund

LOS ANGELES, CA EIN: 95-6015986 Website

The Adams Fund is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California, designated as a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation has been tax-exempt since October 1961. It operates as a grantmaking foundation with a focus on supporting research and providing support to various nonprofit organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$2.5M

+8.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$940K

-10.6% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$22K

-10.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Adams Fund reported a distributable amount of $807K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Adams Fund's primary funding focus areas include:

Education
Science and STEM education
Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking
Human services
Community health and medical research

Grantmaking

The foundation made 79 grants in 2024, with total giving of $939,559. Typical grant awards range from $250 to $150,000.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Adams Fund primarily funds grantees in California, Maryland, and Colorado.

Grant Distribution by State

California $3.5M (75%)

Idaho $312K (7%)

Maryland $123K (3%)

Utah $120K (3%)

Virginia $105K (2%)

Hawaii $76K (2%)

Massachusetts $75K (2%)

Michigan $58K (1%)

+12 more states

States

Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Kentucky Massachusetts Maryland Michigan Missouri North Carolina New York Pennsylvania Utah Virginia Vermont Washington

Cities

Aliso ViejoAltadenaAmericusArlingtonBooneBostonBrooklineBurbankCamarilloChicagoColorado SpringsCorona Del MarCosta MesaDeer HarborDenverDuarteEast LansingEl SegundoFrankfortGlendale

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

Total Assets: $2,506,458
Total Revenue: $1,780,648
Total Expenses: $1,027,173
Net Income: $753,475
Net Assets: $90,929

Revenue Breakdown (2024):

Contributions Received: $975,775
Interest Revenue: $38,730
Net Rental Income: $622,301
Net Gain from Sale of Non-Inventory Assets: $143,792
Miscellaneous Revenues: $50

Year-over-Year Changes (2023 to 2024):

Total grants and contributions decreased 48.5% (from $1,894,823 to $975,775)
Investment income and dividends decreased 49.6% (from $76,895 to $38,730)
Net rental income increased 4.5% (from $595,714 to $622,301)
Net gain from asset sales increased 113.9% (from $67,220 to $143,792)

Liabilities: The foundation reported total liabilities of $2.42 million as of 2024.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$2,506,458	$2,305,272	$2,372,749
Revenue	$1,780,648	$2,634,704	$2,500,934
Expenses	$1,027,173	$1,116,297	$927,685
Qualifying Distributions	$939,559	$1,050,885	$860,994
Net Investment Income	$638,279	$607,436	$521,852
Distributable Amount	$807,031	$697,290	$219,830

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

236 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Havard Westlake School ($140,000), City of Hope ($112,500), Meaning Foundation ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ADAMS COWAN FOUNDATION LOS ANGELES, CA	SUPPORT	$15,545
AMERICAN RED CROSS HONOLULU, HI	SUPPORT	$25,000
ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN PASADENA, CA	SUPPORT	$1,000
CALIFORNIA ART CLUB PASADENA, CA	SUPPORT	$1,500
ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN'S RIGHTS LOS ANGELES, CA	SUPPORT	$10,000
BREAKTHROUGH T1D HAGERTOWN, MD	SUPPORT	$35,539
CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION LOS ANGELES, CA	SUPPORT	$25,000
CHILDRENS HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES, CA	SUPPORT	$12,500
CENTER THEATRE GROUP LOS ANGELES, CA	SUPPORT	$1,000
CITY OF HOPE DUARTE, CA	RESEARCH	$112,500

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MARY ADAMS O'CONNELL	TRUSTEE	—	—
JOHN K ADAMS	TRUSTEE	—	—
RICHARD E BETH	TRUSTEE	—	—
DAVID V ADAMS	TRUSTEE	—	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Adams Fund fund?

The Adams Fund's primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Science and STEM education • Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking • Human services • Community health and medical research

How do I apply for a grant from Adams Fund?

**Grant Activity:** The foundation made 79 grants in 2024, with total giving of $939,559. Typical grant awards range from $250 to $150,000. **Recent Grants (2024):** • City of Hope: $112,500 (Research) • Meaning Foundation: $100,000 (Support) • World Business Academy: $30,000 (Support) The foundation also funds the Killebrew-Thompson Memorial Fund and other grantees.

Where does Adams Fund make grants?

The Adams Fund primarily funds grantees in California, Maryland, and Colorado.

What size grants does Adams Fund award?

In 2024, Adams Fund awarded 43 grants totaling $940K — an average of about $22K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Adams Fund required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Adams Fund reported a distributable amount of $807K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.