Audacious Foundation
Audacious Foundation is a private foundation based in an individual recipient, California. It supports nonprofit programs that provide children with experiential, non-academic learning, including nature-based learning, healthy habits, and playful learning, with its work focused on an individual recipient County.
Audacious Foundation at a glance
In short: Audacious Foundation gave $968K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $57K), mostly in California. 47% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $968,227
- -23.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- -15.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $56,955
- -9.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,011
- Total assets
- $2,839,310
- -9.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (7 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (97% 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 Audacious Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its granting is by invitation, with simple applications and minimal reporting.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 91340, Santa Barbara, CA 93190-1340
Phone: (805) 564-2186
Website: https://audaciousfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Audacious Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wilderness Youth Project Incorporated ($504K). Together the top 10 received $922K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($45,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
133 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 118 grants of 133 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that its work is focused on an individual recipient County. In 2025, 97% of its grant dollars went to recipients in California, 3% to Minnesota, and less than 1% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Audacious Foundation open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 15 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $110K. How we count
Medians: $258 first-time, $10K repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $224K (2021) to $1.3M (2024). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $968K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wilderness Youth Project Incorporated Santa Barbara, CA | REACH Fellowship, supporting first generation college going, lower income youth to achieve their full potential | $503,900 |
| Explore Ecology Santa Barbara, CA | "Garden Explorers" cultivating garden education opportunities in early childhood communities, including TK teachers in a three year program | $250,000 |
| Children and Family Resource Services Santa Barbara, CA | conclusion of the Future Smiles program, supporting 343 patients enrolled and documenting program tools, successes and evaluation data for potential future use | $95,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $45,000 |
| Children and Nature Network St. Paul, MN | Economic Value of Greening Early Care and Education Outdoor Spaces | $27,500 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | HOPE Facilitator and Champion Training for a cohort of Santa Barbara County leaders | $15,000 |
| Santa Maria Valley YMCA Santa Maria, CA | preschool swim lessons for 30 children, plus swim lessons for Guadalupe or Santa Maria school children in 2026 | $12,000 |
| The Foundation Roundtable Santa Barbara, CA | PFE Sponsorship, NPRN, and Roundtable Dues | $6,500 |
| Channel Islands YMCA Carpinteria, CA | transportation for swim lessons at Our Lady of Guadalupe Feb 2 2026 - Mar 30, 2026 | $5,011 |
| Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | 12th Annual School Wellness Summit September 17, 2025 | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Audacious Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation is funded by Paul and Jane Wood Orfalea. Its reported direct charitable activities include hosting retreats for early-childhood center directors and for nonprofits connecting children with nature.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,839,310 | $1,845,421 | $1,634,540 | $968,227 | 17 | $1,621,509 | $832,390 | $128,309 |
| 2024 | $3,125,552 | $1,053,703 | $1,850,024 | $1,260,617 | 20 | $1,832,268 | $730,415 | $164,403 |
| 2023 | $4,179,100 | $862,527 | $1,701,927 | $1,179,763 | 51 | $1,691,957 | $835,492 | $184,923 |
| 2022 | $5,195,842 | $426,095 | $1,586,058 | $1,143,223 | 27 | $1,581,654 | $422,180 | $301,973 |
| 2021 | $7,254,340 | $1,080,321 | $493,323 | $224,058 | 18 | $466,330 | $143,651 | $317,596 |
| 2020 | $6,317,201 | $812,638 | $836,800 | $326,704 | 15 | — | $39,557 | $256,199 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Audacious Foundation reported a distributable amount of $128K 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 describes its mission as providing “a complete learning experience for the whole child.” It seeks to complement academics with experiential programming and to expand children’s access to opportunities that support their holistic development.
Its stated focus areas include nature-based learning, healthy habits, and playful learning. Its website also describes essential life skills as part of a child’s education. The foundation works with nonprofits serving children, including programs that support low-income children through outdoor education, gardens, swimming, bicycling, movement, and play.
Examples among its 2025 grantees include Wilderness Youth Project, whose mission is to foster young people’s confidence, health, and lifelong love of learning through outdoor experiences and mentoring, and Explore Ecology, which says it empowers the community through environmental education and nature-based learning. Children and Family Resource Services describes its mission as providing family-focused, strength-based services to build resilient communities in an individual recipient County.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $968,227 across 17 grants. The grants ranged from $150 to $503,900, with a median of $5,011.
The largest 2025 grants included $503,900 to Wilderness Youth Project for its REACH Fellowship, supporting first-generation college-going, lower-income youth; $250,000 to Explore Ecology for Garden Explorers, a garden-education program involving early-childhood communities and transitional kindergarten teachers; and $95,000 to Children and Family Resource Services to conclude its Future Smiles program. Other grants included $45,000 to an individual recipient for youth mountain biking opportunities and $27,500 to Children and Nature Network for research on the economic value of greening outdoor spaces in early care and education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Paul J Orfalea as Chair/Treasurer and Catherine Brozowski as President/Secretary. The foundation’s website identifies Brozowski as Executive Director.
Audacious Foundation is led by Catherine Brozowski, President & Secretary on every filing since 2020; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Catherine Brozowski
President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$117K (2020) → $249K (2025)
Paul J Orfalea
Chair & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $249K, to Catherine Brozowski (President/Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about Audacious Foundation
How much does Audacious Foundation give each year?
Audacious Foundation gave $968K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 20 grants.
What is Audacious Foundation's typical grant size?
Audacious Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,011, and its average grant was $56,955, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Audacious Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Audacious Foundation give grants?
Audacious Foundation gives mostly in California: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (7 grants), Santa Maria, CA (2 grants) and Richmond, VA (2 grants).
Does Audacious Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Audacious Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Early Childhood Retreat Best Practice Winner" (3 grants).
Who are Audacious Foundation's largest grantees?
Audacious Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Wilderness Youth Project Incorporated ($503,900), Explore Ecology ($250,000) and Children and Family Resource Services ($95,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($45,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Audacious Foundation?
Audacious Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $128K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Audacious Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its mission as providing “a complete learning experience for the whole child.” It seeks to complement academics with experiential programming and to expand children’s access to opportunities that support their holistic development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Audacious Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Audacious Foundation's EIN?
Audacious Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4602068. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Audacious 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Audacious Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Audacious Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/audacious-foundation-morg_87e287d5124e4056b2a518b12f9fa5ed
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474602068_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Audacious Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/audacious-foundation-morg_87e287d5124e4056b2a518b12f9fa5ed},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Audacious 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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