Balay Ko Foundation
Balay Ko Foundation is a private philanthropic organization based in Santa Barbara, California, established following Scott Godfrey's historic $699.8 million Powerball jackpot win in October 2021—the largest lottery prize in California history. Godfrey, a Morro Bay resident, took a lump sum payout of $496 million and created the foundation to scale his family's long-standing charitable involvement. The foundation's name, "Balay Ko," means "My Home" in Tagalog, reflecting its core mission of creating safe homes and food security for vulnerable populations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$135.9M
-2.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.6M
+13.5% YoY
Grant Count
16
+6.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$475K
+6.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Balay Ko Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Balay Ko Foundation supports nonprofits in California that address housing and food insecurity for people experiencing homelessness and hunger. The foundation focuses exclusively on these two interconnected areas:
- Housing Insecurity: Funds organizations aiding those facing homelessness in California
- Food Insecurity: Supports initiatives combating hunger for vulnerable populations
The foundation conducts its own research for grant recipients and does not accept unsolicited grant solicitations by mail, telephone, or electronic means of communication.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
**: $100,000 to $5.0 million, with significant variation by project type (ranging from matching gifts to multi-million dollar capital projects)
Average Grant
of $620,200
How to Apply
**: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Grant recipients are identified through the foundation's own research.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in:
- Primary focus: Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County
- Secondary support: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Maine, and New Hampshire
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $139,417,162 |
| Annual Giving (2023) | $6,698,280 |
| Total Giving (2024) | $7,599,902 |
| Annual Expenses | $7,128,404 |
| Annual Revenue | $3,074,896 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $135,947,542 | $139,417,162 | $143,470,670 |
| Revenue | $4,543,956 | $3,074,896 | $151,165,674 |
| Expenses | $8,013,576 | $7,128,404 | $7,695,004 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $9,400,284 | $6,877,049 | $7,581,385 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,310,566 | $3,663,149 | $2,052,054 |
| Distributable Amount | $6,668,859 | $6,584,656 | $7,175,158 |
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
43 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Transition House ($2,002,372), Salt Light Works ($1,000,000), My Friend's Place ($1,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FOOD FINDERS INC LOS ALAMITOS, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| SALT LIGHT WORKS VISALIA, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $1,000,000 |
| TRANSITION HOUSE SANTA BARBARA, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $2,002,372 |
| FOOD BANK OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SANTA BARBARA, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $200,445 |
| ECHO SHELTER ATASCADERO, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $36,518 |
| EL CAMINO HOMELESS ORGANIZATION ATASCADERO, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $127,500 |
| GOOD SAMARITAN SHELTER SANTA MARIA, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $650,000 |
| DIGNITYMOVES LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $283,218 |
| SLO FOOD BANK SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $500,000 |
| MY FRIEND'S PLACE HOLLYWOOD, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $1,000,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Amie Godfrey – President
- Scott M. Godfrey – Secretary
- Karen Obert – Treasurer
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMIE GODFREY | PRESIDENT | — | — |
| SCOTT M GODFREY | SECRETARY | — | — |
| KAREN OBERT | TREASURER | 8 | $12,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**October 2025**: Groundbreaking ceremony held for the Balay Ko Family Resource Center in Atascadero, a 30-bed facility providing private family housing, workforce training, and support services for families in North County. The event was attended by more than 150 community members.
**2023**: The foundation provided matching gift support to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, matching all donations up to $500,000 through June 1st, 2023, in response to the expiration of CalFresh Emergency Allotments affecting over 32,000 low-income households in Santa Barbara County.
**Ongoing**: The foundation continues to fund the Bridgehouse Farm Project in Lompoc, which provides fresh produce to homeless shelters throughout Santa Barbara County with a combined total of 800 beds.
Contact Information
Website: https://balayko.org/
Phone: (805) 464-7148
Email: thebalaykofoundation@gmail.com
Mailing Address: Santa Barbara, CA
EIN: 87-3998943
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Balay Ko Foundation fund?
The Balay Ko Foundation supports nonprofits in California that address housing and food insecurity for people experiencing homelessness and hunger. The foundation focuses exclusively on these two interconnected areas: • **Housing Insecurity**: Funds organizations aiding those facing homelessness in California • **Food Insecurity**: Supports initiatives combating hunger for vulnerable populations The foundation conducts its own research for grant recipients and does not accept unsolicited grant …
How do I apply for a grant from Balay Ko Foundation?
**Grant Range**: $100,000 to $5.0 million, with significant variation by project type (ranging from matching gifts to multi-million dollar capital projects) **Recent Activity**: • 15 grants awarded in 2023 • Annual grantmaking of approximately $6.7 million (2023) • Median grant size of $250,000 • Average grant size of $620,200 **Application Process**: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Grant recipients are identified through the foundation's own research. **Notable F…
Where does Balay Ko Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily supports organizations in: • **Primary focus**: Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County • **Secondary support**: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Maine, and New Hampshire
What size grants does Balay Ko Foundation award?
In 2024, Balay Ko Foundation awarded 16 grants totaling $7.6M — an average of about $475K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Balay Ko Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Balay Ko Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Balay Ko Foundation's EIN?
Balay Ko Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3998943. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Balay Ko 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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