Branson Family Foundation
The Branson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Altos, California. Its 2025 filing lists grants for economic development, environmental protection, disaster relief, family planning, and hunger.
Branson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Branson Family Foundation gave $900K across 42 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), top state California. 2% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $900,000
- +0.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 42
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,429
- +0.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $21,380,277
- +7.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 2% first-time grantees (1 of 42, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (27% 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 Branson Family 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: 701 Los Ninos Way, Los Altos, CA 94022-1508
Phone: (650) 823-6177
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Branson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Village Enterprise ($100K). Together the top 10 received $620K.
Grant Size Distribution
217 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 179 grants of 217 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (27%), New York (20%), Colorado (10%), Georgia (9%), and Minnesota (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Branson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
2%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 42 grantees (2%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 98% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $870K (2023) to $1.4M (2021). In 2025 it made 42 grants totaling $900K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Village Enterprise San Carlos, CA | economic development | $100,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Institute Boulder, CO | environmental protection | $90,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Disaster relief | $70,000 |
| International Rescue Committee Albert Lea, MN | disaster relief | $70,000 |
| TechnoServe Arlington, VA | economic development | $70,000 |
| Care Atlanta, GA | Economic development | $70,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund New York, NY | environmental protection | $50,000 |
| Ceres Boston, MA | environmental protection | $40,000 |
| Planned Parenthood New York, NY | family planning | $30,000 |
| Feeding Amreica Chicago, IL | hunger | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Branson Family Foundation?
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 | $21,380,277 | $1,186,651 | $995,832 | $900,000 | 42 | $900,100 | $1,126,837 | $1,007,787 |
| 2024 | $19,890,875 | $901,303 | $1,004,506 | $895,000 | 42 | $895,100 | $821,425 | $982,417 |
| 2023 | $18,805,971 | $607,915 | $942,378 | $870,000 | 41 | $870,100 | $549,557 | $900,301 |
| 2022 | $17,824,661 | $663,095 | $1,062,702 | $990,000 | 40 | $990,200 | $658,951 | $935,752 |
| 2021 | $21,319,077 | $2,151,842 | $1,495,767 | $1,405,900 | 52 | $1,406,050 | $1,968,257 | $993,710 |
| 2020 | $19,503,566 | $1,333,104 | $1,152,005 | $1,061,000 | 45 | — | $1,269,092 | $892,666 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Branson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including economic development, environmental protection, disaster relief, family planning, and hunger.
Grantees’ own descriptions provide examples of the work supported. Rocky Mountain Institute says it works to transform the global energy system toward a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future. TechnoServe says it fights poverty by helping people build farms, businesses, and markets that increase incomes. Environmental Defense Fund describes its work as addressing climate change, pollution, and environmental protection; Ceres describes work on sustainability challenges including climate change, water, and biodiversity. Other supported organizations include Room to Read, which envisions a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, and Global Fund for Women, which funds gender justice movements.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 42 grants totaling $900,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000.
The largest grants included $100,000 to Village Enterprise for economic development; $90,000 to Rocky Mountain Institute for environmental protection; and $70,000 each to Doctors Without Borders and the International Rescue Committee for disaster relief, TechnoServe for economic development, and CARE for economic development. Other notable grants included $50,000 to Environmental Defense Fund for environmental protection, $40,000 to Ceres for environmental protection, and $30,000 each to Planned Parenthood for family planning and Feeding America and Second Harvest Food Bank for hunger.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Cheryl Branson as CEO, Ken Branson as CFO, and Cynthia Lamparter as director.
Branson Family Foundation is led by Cheryl Branson, CEO since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cheryl Branson
CEO
President & Director → CEO, 2021
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Cynthia Lamparter
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ken Branson
CFO
CFO & Director → CFO, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.3 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.
Frequently asked questions about Branson Family Foundation
How much does Branson Family Foundation give each year?
Branson Family Foundation gave $900K across 42 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $895K across 42 grants.
What is Branson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Branson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $21,429, across 42 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Branson Family Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Branson Family Foundation give grants?
Branson Family Foundation's top state is California, with 27% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (20%) and Colorado (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants), San Francisco, CA (5 grants) and San Jose, CA (3 grants).
Does Branson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 42 grants with a stated purpose on Branson Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Human Rights" (11 grants), "Economic Development" (8 grants) and "Environmental Protection" (8 grants).
Who are Branson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Branson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Village Enterprise ($100,000), Rocky Mountain Institute ($90,000) and Doctors Without Borders ($70,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Branson Family Foundation?
Branson Family Foundation reported $21.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $900K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Branson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including economic development, environmental protection, disaster relief, family planning, and hunger. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Branson Family 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 Branson Family Foundation's EIN?
Branson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4963649. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Branson Family 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 23, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Branson Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/branson-family-foundation-morg_edfcbaec1a004f5fbd1fc3d6dee52cde
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_204963649_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Branson Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/branson-family-foundation-morg_edfcbaec1a004f5fbd1fc3d6dee52cde},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Branson Family 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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