Butte Creek Foundation
Butte Creek Foundation is a private foundation based in Forest Ranch, California. In 2023, it reported 38 grants totaling $1,138,674, all to recipients in California.
Butte Creek Foundation at a glance
In short: Butte Creek Foundation gave $1.1M across 38 grants in 2023 (avg $30K), mostly in California. 16% of 2023 grantees were new. Source: 2023 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2023)
- $1,138,674
- +306.3% vs 2022
- Grants made (2023)
- 38
- -2.6% vs 2022
- Average grant
- $29,965
- +317.0% vs 2022
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,306,532
- -22.3% vs 2022
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (6 of 38, 2023)
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2023 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2023 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2023; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Butte Creek Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact John L Burghardt with a request letter. The filing lists no deadline and no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: John L Burghardt
Mailing address: 14916 Eagle Ridge Drive, Forest Ranch, CA 95942
Phone: (530) 343-7533
Website: https://buttecreek.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Butte Creek Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2023
The largest 2023 recipient was Francisco Park Conservancy ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
174 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 173 grants of 174 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported 2023 grant dollars went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2023 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Butte Creek Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2023
In 2023, 6 of 38 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $35K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 68% of 2023 grantees were also funded in 2022. Method
- Giving grew 615% from 2020 to 2023. Method
- In 2023 it paid out 381% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2023). 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 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $159K (2020) to $1.1M (2023). In 2023 it made 38 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Francisco Park Conservancy San Francisco, CA | General | $1,000,000 |
| Boys Girls Club Chico, CA | General | $15,000 |
| Chico Community Scholarship Assoc Chico, CA | Education | $8,000 |
| Manvir Heer - Scholarship Sacramento, CA | Education | $6,000 |
| Jessie Jiang Chico, CA | Education | $6,000 |
| Rose Miller - Scholarship Chcio, CA | Education | $6,000 |
| Trevor Inso - Scholarship Chico, CA | Education | $5,500 |
| Butte Community College Oroville, CA | Education | $5,000 |
| Mi Casa - Gridley Gridley, CA | Education | $5,000 |
| CSUC - Food Bank Chico, CA | General | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $3,306,532 | $206,211 | $1,156,085 | $1,138,674 | 38 | $1,138,674 | $188,800 | $298,775 |
| 2022 | $4,256,406 | $230,147 | $281,916 | $280,273 | 39 | $280,273 | $228,532 | $313,404 |
| 2021 | $4,308,175 | $267,785 | $173,895 | $173,895 | 42 | $173,895 | $267,785 | $287,047 |
| 2020 | $4,214,285 | $241,274 | $159,357 | $159,357 | 55 | — | $212,202 | $250,703 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Butte Creek Foundation reported a distributable amount of $299K for 2023 — 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 provided. Its reported 2023 grants included education awards and general-purpose grants. Among the organizations it supported, Francisco Park Conservancy describes its mission as building and maintaining a public park and providing a green space in San Francisco’s Russian Hill area.
Grantmaking
In 2023, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $1,138,674. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $1,000,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
The largest reported grant was $1,000,000 to Francisco Park Conservancy in San Francisco, California, for general purposes. Other notable grants included $15,000 to Boys Girls Club in Chico for general purposes; $8,000 to Chico Community Scholarship Association for education; and $6,000 each to Manvir Heer and Jessie Jiang for scholarships. Butte Community College received $5,000 for education, while CSUC Food Bank, Oroville Library, and Gridley Library each received $5,000 for general purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2023 filing lists John L Burghardt, Barbara Boyle, and Jamie Burghardt as directors.
Butte Creek Foundation's 2023 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2023 report compensation.
Officers on the 2023 filing
Barbara Boyle
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jamie Burghardt
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John L Burghardt
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2023. "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 Butte Creek Foundation
How much does Butte Creek Foundation give each year?
Butte Creek Foundation gave $1.1M across 38 grants in 2023, according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2022 it gave $280K across 39 grants.
What is Butte Creek Foundation's typical grant size?
Butte Creek Foundation's median grant in 2023 was $5,000, and its average grant was $29,965, across 38 grants on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Butte Creek Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Butte Creek Foundation give grants?
Butte Creek Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chico, CA (17 grants), Oroville, CA (4 grants), Gridley, CA (2 grants) and Durham, CA (2 grants).
Does Butte Creek Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 58% of Butte Creek Foundation's 2023 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education" (16 grants).
Who are Butte Creek Foundation's largest grantees?
Butte Creek Foundation's largest 2023 grantees include Francisco Park Conservancy ($1,000,000), Boys Girls Club ($15,000) and Chico Community Scholarship Assoc ($8,000), according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2023 grant dollars.
How large is Butte Creek Foundation?
Butte Creek Foundation reported $3.3M in total assets on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $299K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Butte Creek Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its reported 2023 grants included education awards and general-purpose grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Butte Creek Foundation?
Contact John L Burghardt with a request letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Butte Creek Foundation's EIN?
Butte Creek Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 68-0111634. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2023.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2023
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Figures come from Butte Creek 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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