Bella Charitable Foundation
Bella Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Hillsborough, California. Founded in 2015, it supports youth empowerment, environmental education, and community development through partnerships with organizations working on hands-on learning, sustainability, and locally led initiatives.
Bella Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Bella Charitable Foundation gave $271K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in California. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $271,206
- -0.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- -21.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,067
- +27.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,717,507
- +2.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (4 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (52% 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 Bella Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 75 New Place Road, Hillsborough, CA 94010
Phone: (650) 703-7478
Website: HTTPS://WWW.BELLACF.ORG/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bella Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Commun (Barton Institute for Community Action) ($75K). Together the top 10 received $204K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
106 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 102 grants of 106 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Hillsborough, California. In 2025, 52% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 31% to Colorado, 6% each to New Jersey and Vermont, and 6% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bella Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 16 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 150% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 110% of 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 $108K (2022) to $272K (2024). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $271K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Commun (Barton Institute for Community Action) Denver, CO | Capital Campaign | $75,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $50,000 |
| Curiodyssey Museum San Mateo, CA | Conservation trail and education gardenconservation trail & education garden | $20,000 |
| Happi Menlo Park, CA | Happi Homes Program | $20,000 |
| Blinknow Mendham, NJ | Futures Scholarships and HEF | $15,000 |
| Changing Perspectives Bradford, VT | SEL Programming and Workshops | $15,000 |
| Columbia University New York, NY | Scholarship | $15,000 |
| Sunsar Maya San Francisco, CA | School Programs | $15,000 |
| Rocky Mountain PBS Denver, CO | 2026 Be My Neighbor | $10,000 |
| University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | Scholarships | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,717,507 | $276,554 | $388,205 | $271,206 | 18 | $278,684 | $244,964 | $253,435 |
| 2024 | $6,541,984 | $193,509 | $348,414 | $272,262 | 23 | $281,676 | $169,206 | $250,097 |
| 2023 | $6,346,628 | $133,220 | $218,153 | $143,743 | 21 | $177,923 | $112,176 | $236,567 |
| 2022 | $5,965,146 | $271,539 | $196,986 | $108,417 | 22 | $174,246 | $265,914 | $242,691 |
| 2021 | $6,890,971 | $121,819 | $240,862 | $147,414 | 22 | $234,483 | $121,819 | $262,096 |
| 2020 | $6,328,191 | $139,052 | $313,127 | $216,233 | 27 | — | $136,384 | $242,475 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bella Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $253K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to support youth empowerment, environmental education, and community development projects that honor lived experience and community-led solutions. Its website describes support for youth programs fostering social-emotional growth, environmental education about sustainability and climate change, and locally led community development. It also offers Manolita’s Grant for U.S.-based refugee or immigrant support organizations; the program supports displaced people through legal services, educational opportunities, or social-emotional support.
Examples of grantees’ work include Changing Perspectives, which says it strives to create more equitable, empathetic, and inclusive communities through social-emotional learning, and Refugee & Immigrant Transitions, which says it partners with people who have sought refuge through education and community support. Sunsar Maya says it provides education, mental health, and medical support to women and children in Nepal.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $271,206. Grants ranged from $1,116 to $75,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Notable grants included $75,000 to the Barton Institute for Community Action for a capital campaign; $50,000 to an individual recipient for student programs; $20,000 each to CuriOdyssey for its conservation trail and education garden and to HAPPI for its HAPPI Homes Program; and $15,000 each to BlinkNow, Changing Perspectives, Columbia University, and Sunsar Maya.
Other reported 2025 grants included $10,000 to Rocky Mountain PBS for “2026 Be My Neighbor,” $10,000 to the University of California Santa Barbara for scholarships, $9,000 to the University of California Berkeley for scholarships, and $5,000 to Refugee & Immigrant Transitions for programs for refugees and asylum seekers. The University of California Riverside also received $2,000 in 2025.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Anita Galeana as president; Juan C Jaen as secretary and treasurer; and John David Jaen, Marie Elizabeth Jaen, Grace Alexandra Jaen, Katherine Emily Jaen, Alyson Duffy Jaen, Travis Pazin, and Joe Hogan as directors. The foundation’s website says it was founded by Juan Jaen and Anita Galeana.
Bella Charitable Foundation is led by Anita Galeana, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Anita Galeana
President
Director → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alyson Duffy Jaen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Grace Alexandra Jaen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John David Jaen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Emily Jaen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marie Elizabeth Jaen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Hogan
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Travis Pazin
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Juan C. Jaen
Secretary & Treasurer
Director → Secretary & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Frequently asked questions about Bella Charitable Foundation
How much does Bella Charitable Foundation give each year?
Bella Charitable Foundation gave $271K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $272K across 23 grants.
What is Bella Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Bella Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $15,067, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bella Charitable Foundation that year got $22K on average.
Where does Bella Charitable Foundation give grants?
Bella Charitable Foundation gives mostly in California: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (31%) and New Jersey (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Berkeley, CA (3 grants), Denver, CO (2 grants), San Francisco, CA (2 grants) and Merced, CA (2 grants).
Does Bella Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Bella Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (5 grants).
Who are Bella Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Bella Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Commun (Barton Institute for Community Action) ($75,000), Curiodyssey Museum ($20,000) and Happi ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bella Charitable Foundation?
Bella Charitable Foundation reported $6.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $279K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $253K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bella Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to support youth empowerment, environmental education, and community development projects that honor lived experience and community-led solutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bella Charitable Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bella Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Bella Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4349225. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Bella Charitable 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bella Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bella-charitable-foundation-morg_cc2b50ad09754a80935b682debb87ce9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474349225_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bella Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bella-charitable-foundation-morg_cc2b50ad09754a80935b682debb87ce9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Bella Charitable 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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