Arrillaga Foundation
The Arrillaga Foundation is a private foundation established in 1978 by John Arrillaga, a prominent Silicon Valley real estate developer. Based in Palo Alto, California, the foundation operates as a family foundation with a deliberate low public profile and no formal website or published application guidelines.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$50.9M
+59.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$9.5M
+12.3% YoY
Grant Count
53
+341.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$178K
-74.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Arrillaga Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports higher education, health and human services through programs operating primarily in the greater Bay Area (Menlo Park, Palo Alto, San Francisco), with additional support in Los Angeles and Hawaii. Funding priorities include general operating support and capital construction at universities.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$185,000
Review Cycle
- No published guidelines
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Primary focus on California, particularly the Bay Area (Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Francisco). Limited grants also support organizations in Hawaii and New York/Rhode Island. Grantmaking prioritizes California, with approximately one-third of grants supporting smaller organizations.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $50.9 million
- Total Revenues: $28.7 million
- Total Expenses: $9.8 million
- Total Liabilities: $5 million
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $31.8 million
- Revenue: $2.29 million
- Expenses: $3.46 million
The foundation maintains tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 94-2460896), with tax-exempt status granted in April 1978.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $50,859,228 | $31,817,642 | $38,007,483 |
| Revenue | $28,664,150 | $2,288,053 | $30,405,036 |
| Expenses | $9,787,126 | $3,457,392 | $25,683,707 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $9,451,000 | $8,415,503 | $15,528,071 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,291,706 | $1,053,163 | $1,594,282 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,423,369 | $1,584,853 | $1,607,697 |
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
97 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Foundation ($3,500,000), The Teak Fellowship ($1,000,000), Brown University ($500,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SAN FRANCISCO GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL OPERATING | $25,000 |
| SILICON VALLEY SOCIAL VENTURE FUND - SV2 REDWOOD CITY, CA | GENERAL OPERATING | $150,000 |
| SAN MATEO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOUNDATION REDWOOD CITY, CA | CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW SAN MATEO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | $3,500,000 |
| WEST MAUI IMPROVEMENT FOUNDATION LAHAINA, HI | OLOWALU FIRESTATION FUNDRAISER | $250,000 |
| SILICON VALLEY SOCIAL VENTURE FUND - SV2 REDWOOD CITY, CA | GENERAL OPERATING | $85,000 |
| CAF AMERICA - MCA AUSTRALIA MEHRETU EXHIBITION ALEXANDRIA, VA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $264,000 |
| BALLROOM MARFA MARFA, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $47,000 |
| THE TEAK FELLOWSHIP NEW YORK, NY | CATS AND SWIM PROGRAMS | $100,000 |
| THE TEAK FELLOWSHIP NEW YORK, NY | THE MARC E. BECKER ENDOWMENT FOR LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | $1,000,000 |
| CHRISTMAS BUREAU OF PALO ALTO PALO ALTO, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen - Co-President (20 hours/week, no compensation)
- John Arrillaga Jr. - Co-President (no compensation)
- Marc Andreessen - Treasurer (no compensation)
- Justine Stamen Arrillaga - Secretary (no compensation)
The foundation is led by the children of founder John Arrillaga, who passed away in January 2022. Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen also founded the Institute on Generosity (formerly the Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation) to advance philanthropy education and giving circles.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAURA ARRILLAGA-ANDREESSEN | CO-PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| JOHN ARRILLAGA JR | CO-PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| MARC ANDREESSEN | TREASURER | — | — |
| JUSTINE STAMEN ARRILLAGA | SECRETARY | 5 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 2450 Watson Court, Palo Alto, CA 94303-3216
Phone: 650-618-7000
Website: None
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Arrillaga Foundation fund?
The foundation supports higher education, health and human services through programs operating primarily in the greater Bay Area (Menlo Park, Palo Alto, San Francisco), with additional support in Los Angeles and Hawaii. Funding priorities include general operating support and capital construction at universities.
How do I apply for a grant from Arrillaga Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Annual distributions range from $8-15 million, with variations based on significant major gifts • 2024: Made 15 grants totaling approximately $8.6 million • 2023: Expenses of $3.46 million with 12 grants distributed **Grant Characteristics:** • Median grant size: $185,000 • Maximum grant: $5 million • Recent grants include $3.5 million to San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Foundation for construction, $1 million to The Teak Fellowship for an endowment, and $500,000 to Lucil…
Where does Arrillaga Foundation make grants?
Primary focus on California, particularly the Bay Area (Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Francisco). Limited grants also support organizations in Hawaii and New York/Rhode Island. Grantmaking prioritizes California, with approximately one-third of grants supporting smaller organizations.
What size grants does Arrillaga Foundation award?
In 2024, Arrillaga Foundation awarded 53 grants totaling $9.5M — an average of about $178K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Arrillaga Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Arrillaga Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Arrillaga Foundation's EIN?
Arrillaga Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2460896. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Arrillaga Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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