C and M Nelson Family Foundation
C and M Nelson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Diego, California. It reported 20 grants totaling $401,586 in 2024, supporting charitable organizations in California, Montana, South Carolina, Nevada, and Kansas.
C and M Nelson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: C and M Nelson Family Foundation gave $402K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), top state California. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $401,586
- -2.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- -13.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,079
- +11.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $11,148
- Total assets
- $6,417,324
- +2.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 20, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (31% 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 C and M Nelson Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1804 Garnet Avenue 420, San Diego, CA 92109
Phone: (858) 459-9038
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who C and M Nelson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Force Blue ($90K). Together the top 10 received $306K.
Grant Size Distribution
92 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 79 grants of 92 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to organizations in California (31%), Montana (28%), South Carolina (22%), Nevada (12%), and Kansas (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Is C and M Nelson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 20 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. How we count
- 100% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+12%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 130% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $357K (2021) to $562K (2020). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $402K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Force Blue Mount Pleasant, SC | General Use | $89,826 |
| Junior Achievement So Nevada Las Vegas, NV | General Use | $50,000 |
| The Children's School San Diego, CA | General Use | $40,000 |
| Erics Camp Fund Prairie Village, KS | General Use | $20,000 |
| Heritage Christian School Granada Hills, CA | General Use | $20,000 |
| Madison Valley Medical Center Ennis, MT | General UseGeneral Use | $20,000 |
| Saint Brigid Parish San Diego, CA | General Use | $20,000 |
| Virginia City Ice Virginia City, MT | General Use | $20,000 |
| Valley Presbyterian Church North Hills, CA | General Use | $15,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Baptist Church Ennis, MT | General Use | $11,220 |
Ready to take the next step with C and M Nelson 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 | $6,417,324 | $630,179 | $451,568 | $401,586 | 20 | $401,586 | $237,951 | $309,031 |
| 2023 | $6,238,713 | $936,556 | $452,539 | $413,291 | 23 | $413,291 | $526,810 | $272,003 |
| 2022 | $5,754,696 | $574,472 | $482,486 | $431,543 | 19 | $431,543 | $146,777 | $260,669 |
| 2021 | $5,662,710 | $752,882 | $398,934 | $357,140 | 14 | $357,140 | $258,349 | $285,680 |
| 2020 | $5,308,762 | $748,353 | $597,811 | $562,060 | 16 | — | $275,587 | $43,106 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, C and M Nelson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $309K 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 provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations including schools, churches, a medical center, and community organizations. One grantee, Force Blue, describes its mission as uniting Special Operations veterans with marine conservation for the benefit of both. Ennis Rodeo Inc. describes its mission as providing rodeo events for the benefit of the public and surrounding community.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $401,586 through 20 grants. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $89,826, with a median grant of $11,148.
Notable 2024 grants included $89,826 to Force Blue in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; $50,000 to Junior Achievement So Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada; $40,000 to The Children’s School in San Diego, California; and $20,000 each to Erics Camp Fund, Heritage Christian School, Madison Valley Medical Center, Saint Brigid Parish, and Virginia City Ice. Ennis Rodeo Inc. received $10,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Terri J Nelson and Stephen D Nelson as directors.
C and M Nelson Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Stephen D Nelson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Terri J Nelson
Director
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 C and M Nelson Family Foundation
How much does C and M Nelson Family Foundation give each year?
C and M Nelson Family Foundation gave $402K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $413K across 23 grants.
What is C and M Nelson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
C and M Nelson Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $11,148, and its average grant was $20,079, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does C and M Nelson Family Foundation give grants?
C and M Nelson Family Foundation's top state is California, with 31% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Montana (28%) and South Carolina (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Ennis, MT (7 grants) and San Diego, CA (3 grants).
Does C and M Nelson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of C and M Nelson Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are C and M Nelson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
C and M Nelson Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Force Blue ($89,826), Junior Achievement So Nevada ($50,000) and The Children's School ($40,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is C and M Nelson Family Foundation?
C and M Nelson Family Foundation reported $6.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $402K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $309K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does C and M Nelson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations including schools, churches, a medical center, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from C and M Nelson Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 C and M Nelson Family Foundation's EIN?
C and M Nelson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 73-1694029. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does C and M Nelson 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). C and M Nelson Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/c-and-m-nelson-family-foundation-morg_20f02cf951d8486691ce22d3a30c5a3d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_731694029_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{C and M Nelson Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/c-and-m-nelson-family-foundation-morg_20f02cf951d8486691ce22d3a30c5a3d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-09. 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 C and M Nelson 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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