Atkinson Family Foundation

LA JOLLA, CA EIN: 33-0564842

The Atkinson Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 1993 and based in La Jolla, California. The foundation is a family-led philanthropic organization with significant assets dedicated to supporting various charitable causes across the United States.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$16.9M

+1.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$822K

-44.6% YoY

Grant Count

-7.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$34K

-40.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Atkinson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $863K 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 foundation's grantmaking focuses on:

Arts and culture
Education
Philanthropy and foundations
Human services
Voluntarism and grantmaking

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.

Grant Range

$1,000–$600,000

Average Grant

$251

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

California
Florida
Virginia
Texas
Additional states including: Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Tennessee, Washington

Grant Distribution by State

California $2.5M (49%)

Florida $1.1M (21%)

Virginia $884K (17%)

Indiana $185K (4%)

Maryland $133K (3%)

Texas $110K (2%)

Tennessee $75K (1%)

District of Columbia $51K (1%)

+12 more states

States

Alabama California District of Columbia Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Maryland Michigan Minnesota Nebraska New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington Wisconsin

Cities

AndrewsAnnapolisArlingtonBarabooBarringtonBellaireBloomingtonBoynton BeachBoys TownBurr RidgeCoral GablesFort LauderdaleGolden ValleyHillsdaleHollywoodHoustonIndianapolisLa JollaLauderdaleLynnwood

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total assets: $16,855,369
Total revenues: $1,229,951
Total expenses: $972,792
Investment income and dividends: $624,284
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $605,667
Giving rate: 4.9% of assets

EIN: 33-0564842

Address: 4225 Executive Square, Suite 1150, La Jolla, CA 92037-9153

Contact: 858-558-9200

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$16,855,369	$16,598,210	$16,864,678
Revenue	$1,229,951	$1,352,981	$441,539
Expenses	$972,792	$1,619,449	$1,654,834
Qualifying Distributions	$827,275	$1,489,713	$1,485,756
Net Investment Income	$1,103,000	$1,230,245	$402,706
Distributable Amount	$863,343	$826,707	$901,989

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

106 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Us Naval Sea Cadet Corps ($300,000), Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust Inc ($104,500), University of South Florida ($75,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ART & CULTURE CENTRE HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD, FL	GENERAL	$1,000
BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP TALLAHASSEE, FL	GENERAL	$1,000
CHOPIN FOUNDATION OF THE UNITED STATED INC MIAMI, FL	GENERAL	$25,000
EDEN CALHOUN CHARITABLE FUND ST FLORENCE, AL	GENERAL	$10,000
FACULTY CLUB UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO INC LA JOLLA, CA	GENERAL	$25,000
FRIENDS OF BIRCH STATE PARK INC FORT LAUDERDALE, FL	GENERAL	$10,000
FULL BELLIES INC HOLLYWOOD, FL	GENERAL	$20,000
HOUSTON ZOO HOUSTON, TX	GENERAL	$5,400
INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION BARABOO, WI	GENERAL	$1,000
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Dr. Richard C. Atkinson – President
Dr. Lynn Atkinson – Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer

Both leaders contribute minimal time to foundation operations and do not receive compensation for their roles.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
DR RICHARD C ATKINSON	PRESIDENT	0.25	—
DR LYNN ATKINSON	VICE PRES, SEC, TREASURER	0.25	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Atkinson Family Foundation fund?

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on: • Arts and culture • Education • Philanthropy and foundations • Human services • Voluntarism and grantmaking

How do I apply for a grant from Atkinson Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total annual giving: approximately $821,900–$1.5 million • Number of grants: 24 grants in recent year • Grant range: $1,000–$600,000 • Median grant size: $15,000 • Average grant size: $251 **Application Policy:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis. **Recent Grantees (2024):** • United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps: $300,000 • Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust: $104,500 • UC San Diego Foundation: $50,000 **Historical G…

Where does Atkinson Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • California • Florida • Virginia • Texas • Additional states including: Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Tennessee, Washington

What size grants does Atkinson Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Atkinson Family Foundation awarded 24 grants totaling $822K — an average of about $34K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Atkinson Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Atkinson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $863K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.