Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker San Francisco, CA EIN: 94-3192412

Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation is a private foundation focused on Education, based in San Francisco, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $15.0M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 2 grants totaling $4.5M. Net investment income was $757K.

Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation at a glance

In short: Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation gave $4.5M across 2 grants in 2024 (avg $2.3M), mostly in Colorado. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$4,550,000
+203.3% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
2
+100.0% vs 2023
Average grant
$2,275,000
+51.7% vs 2023
Median grant
$2,275,000
Total assets
$15,030,267
-20.3% vs 2023
Primary geography
Colorado (78% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026.

Who Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 2 recipients in 2024

Mercy Housing Inc: $3.5MMercy Housing Inc$3.5MFamily House Inc: $1.0MFamily House Inc$1.0M

The largest 2024 recipient was Mercy Housing Inc ($3.5M). Together the top 2 received $4.5M.

Grant Size Distribution

9 grants across all recorded years

<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M8$1–5M1$5M+

The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 8 grants of 9 (89%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.

Cities

San FranciscoDenverMill Valley

How Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation gives

  • Giving fell 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 572% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2M$4M$6M$8M4 grants2020 2 grants2021 0 grants2022 1 grant2023 2 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2023) to $8.0M (2021). In 2024 it made 2 grants totaling $4.5M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Mercy Housing Inc Denver, COGeneral Operating$3,550,000
Family House Inc San Francisco, CAGeneral Operating$1,000,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$15,030,267$907,205$4,762,071$4,550,0002$4,594,517$757,483$803,768
2023$18,857,923$1,109,196$1,719,769$1,500,0001$1,548,302$942,784$953,924
2022$19,502,804$741,381$215,946——$46,798$574,855$995,125
2021$18,979,772$3,373,943$8,215,441$8,000,0002$8,046,046—$888,955
2020$23,821,243$25,671,577$6,280,185$6,000,0004——$1,251,694

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $804K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Evan Abrams

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • George Argyris

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation

How much does Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation give each year?

Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation gave $4.5M across 2 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.5M across 1 grant.

How large is Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation?

Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation reported $15.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $804K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What is Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation?

Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation is a private foundation focused on Education, based in San Francisco, CA. It holds $15.0M in total assets as of 2024.

Where does Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation operate?

Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation has awarded grants in California, Colorado.

What is Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation's EIN?

Bettye Poetz Ferguson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3192412. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

Data update history

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Bettye Poetz Ferguson 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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