Breyer Family Foundation
The Breyer Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in philanthropy, education, the arts, health care, employment, and other areas, including the American Endowment Foundation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and REDF.
Breyer Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Breyer Family Foundation gave $4.3M across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $307K), top state Ohio. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,300,000
- -4.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- -30.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $307,143
- +36.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $115,000
- Total assets
- $103,877,492
- +8.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (5 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (47% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Breyer Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 314 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 804-7100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Breyer Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Endowment Foundation ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $4.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 20 grants of 78 (26%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars by recipient state were reported as 47% to Ohio, 23% to New York, 17% to California, 6% to Massachusetts, and 5% to Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Breyer Family Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 14 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $72K; repeat grants $438K. How we count
Medians: $60K first-time, $200K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 87% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $3.0M (2022) to $4.6M (2020). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $4.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Endowment Foundation Hudson, OH | General Support | $2,000,000 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY | Digital Department, Trustee Fund, Re-Opening of Rockefeller Wing | $925,000 |
| Children's Hospital & Research Center Foundation San Francisco, CA | The Concert for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital | $250,000 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College Boston, MA | HBS Fund for Leadership and Innovation | $250,000 |
| Redf San Francisco, CA | General Support | $200,000 |
| United States Olympic and Paralympic Foundation Colorado Springs, CO | General Support | $150,000 |
| San Francisco Museum of Modern Art San Francisco, CA | Director's circle, collectors' forum, painting & sculpture accessions, art of today fund | $130,000 |
| CODE2COLLEGE Pflugerville, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
| The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
| Him for Her Inc Oakland, CA | General Support | $60,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Breyer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $103,877,492 | $6,300,432 | $4,676,638 | $4,300,000 | 14 | $4,377,346 | $6,000,400 | $5,007,125 |
| 2023 | $95,903,917 | $18,214,748 | $5,786,411 | $4,501,666 | 20 | $4,570,178 | $17,723,296 | $4,318,720 |
| 2022 | $85,559,448 | $1,875,456 | $3,425,007 | $3,036,667 | 18 | $3,111,070 | $1,576,324 | $4,403,231 |
| 2021 | $103,768,924 | $4,897,901 | $5,295,796 | $4,411,667 | 15 | $4,491,214 | $4,389,135 | $4,735,783 |
| 2020 | $96,496,733 | $8,378,821 | $5,529,727 | $4,586,266 | 11 | — | $6,550,369 | $4,348,975 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Breyer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for cultural institutions, educational institutions, and organizations addressing employment and access to legal rights.
Grantees describe their work in varied ways. The American Endowment Foundation says its mission is to expand the capacity of American philanthropy throughout the financial services industry. REDF says it invests in businesses that reveal and reinforce the talent of people breaking through barriers to employment. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art says it shares art of the present through collections, exhibitions, and public programs. Code2College says it works to increase the number of minority and low-income high school students who enter and excel in STEM studies and careers. Upsolve says it helps vulnerable populations access civil rights and liberties secured by law.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $4,300,000. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $2,000,000, with a median of $115,000. Among the largest grants were $2,000,000 to the American Endowment Foundation for general support; $925,000 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for its Digital Department, Trustee Fund, and reopening of the Rockefeller Wing; and $250,000 each to the Children’s Hospital & Research Center Foundation for the Concert for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and to President and Fellows of Harvard College for the HBS Fund for Leadership and Innovation. Other grants included $200,000 to REDF for general support and $130,000 to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for several named funds and programs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James W. Breyer as president/director, Daniel Breyer as treasurer, and Tom Van Loben Sels as secretary.
Breyer Family Foundation is led by James W. Breyer, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James W. Breyer
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Breyer
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Van Loben Sels
Secretary
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 Breyer Family Foundation
How much does Breyer Family Foundation give each year?
Breyer Family Foundation gave $4.3M across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.5M across 20 grants.
What is Breyer Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Breyer Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $115,000, and its average grant was $307,143, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Breyer Family Foundation that year got $72K on average.
Where does Breyer Family Foundation give grants?
Breyer Family Foundation's top state is Ohio, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (23%) and California (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (3 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Breyer Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 64% of Breyer Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Breyer Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Breyer Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include American Endowment Foundation ($2,000,000), The Metropolitan Museum of Art ($925,000) and Children's Hospital & Research Center Foundation ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Breyer Family Foundation?
Breyer Family Foundation reported $103.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.0M (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 Breyer Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for cultural institutions, educational institutions, and organizations addressing employment and access to legal rights. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Breyer Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Breyer Family Foundation's EIN?
Breyer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1114091. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Breyer 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 4, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Breyer Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Breyer Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/breyer-family-foundation-morg_2f75bec0eefd48f79f78d0cccefbb5fe
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_471114091_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Breyer Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/breyer-family-foundation-morg_2f75bec0eefd48f79f78d0cccefbb5fe},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Breyer 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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