Bradford M Freeman Foundation

SHERMAN OAKS, CA EIN: 95-6040946

The Bradford M Freeman Foundation is a private foundation located in Sherman Oaks, California. Established in 1985, the foundation operates as a family foundation with a focus on philanthropic giving across multiple sectors including education, cultural institutions, and athletics.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$41.0M

+6.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$8.0M

+48.1% YoY

Grant Count

-37.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$1.6M

+137.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bradford M Freeman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Grantmaking

The foundation made 12 grants in 2023. Recent grants include:

Grant Range

s ranging from $10,000 to $5 million.

Ready to take the next step with Bradford M Freeman Foundation?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

California $10.4M (51%)

Texas $8.9M (44%)

District of Columbia $930K (5%)

New York $45K (0%)

North Dakota $26K (0%)

Massachusetts $5K (0%)

Virginia $3K (0%)

North Carolina $3K (0%)

+2 more states

States

California District of Columbia Massachusetts Minnesota North Carolina North Dakota New York Tennessee Texas Virginia

Cities

ArlingtonBelmontBismarckBostonCastletonChapel HillCollege StationDallasFargoGackleHoustonLong BeachLos AngelesMemphisOaklandOrangeRhinebeckSimi ValleySt PaulStanford

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 31, 2023:

Total Assets: $38,465,075
Total Revenues: $3,327,967
Total Expenses: $6,749,610
Number of Employees: 0

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$40,987,920	$38,465,075	$51,740,812
Revenue	$4,971,407	$3,327,967	$3,328,296
Expenses	$9,580,543	$6,749,610	$5,333,938
Qualifying Distributions	$8,046,055	$5,445,366	$3,473,284
Net Investment Income	$3,963,009	$1,893,139	$1,564,357
Distributable Amount	$2,876,228	$2,814,213	$3,558,752

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 5 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

50 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Leland Stanford Junior University ($5,001,683), The George and Barbara Bush Foundation ($2,913,761), The George and Barbara Bush Foundation ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY STANFORD, CA	CONTRIBUTION	$5,001,683
UNITED IN HARMONY LOS ANGELES, CA	CONTRIBUTION	$10,000
NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION VIRGINIA BEACH, VA	CONTRIBUTION	$500
THE GEORGE AND BARBARA BUSH FOUNDATION COLLEGE STATION, TX	CONTRIBUTION	$25,000
THE GEORGE AND BARBARA BUSH FOUNDATION COLLEGE STATION, TX	CONTRIBUTION	$2,913,761

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Trustees:

Bradford M Freeman (Founder)
Ronald P Spogli
Elizabeth C Freeman

Bradford M Freeman is the foundation's principal founder and trustee. He is a General Partner of Freeman Spogli & Co., a private equity firm co-founded in 1983 with offices in Los Angeles and New York. Freeman holds an AB degree in economics from Stanford University (1964) and an MBA from Harvard Business School (1966). He serves on multiple boards including Edison International, CB Richard Ellis, The Smithsonian Institution, The Center for the Study of the Presidency, USC Annenberg School for Communication, and the NCAA Foundation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
BRADFORD M FREEMAN	TRUSTEE	1	—
RONALD P SPOGLI	TRUSTEE	1	—
ELIZABETH C FREEMAN	TRUSTEE	1	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2025

In October 2025, Bradford M Freeman made a transformational $50 million gift to Stanford University to benefit the Stanford football program. Freeman, a former Stanford football player and university trustee (1995-2005), made this gift during a period of significant change in college athletics, including developments such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) regulations, the transfer portal, and the House v. NCAA settlement. University leadership noted the gift will help recruit top talent and support success across Stanford's 36 varsity sports programs.

Stanford football receives $50 million gift from Bradford M. Freeman

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a grant from Bradford M Freeman Foundation?

The foundation made 12 grants in 2023. Recent grants include: | Grantee | Amount | Year | |---------|--------|------| | Stanford University | $5,000,000 | 2023 | | Smithsonian Institution | $330,000 | 2023 | | United in Harmony | $10,000 | 2023 | The foundation demonstrates significant support for higher education and cultural institutions, with grant sizes ranging from $10,000 to $5 million.

What size grants does Bradford M Freeman Foundation award?

In 2024, Bradford M Freeman Foundation awarded 5 grants totaling $8.0M — an average of about $1.6M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Bradford M Freeman Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Bradford M Freeman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.9M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.