California Humanities
California Humanities is an Oakland-based public charity and independent nonprofit that supports humanities programming across California through grants, initiatives, and public programs. Founded in 1975, it is a partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
California Humanities at a glance
In short: California Humanities gave $858K across 41 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), mostly in California. 59% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $857,605
- -46.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 41
- -41.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,917
- -8.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $24,520
- Total assets
- $1,943,658
- -18.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (24 of 41, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (84% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to California Humanities
- How to Apply
-
Its grant overview says future applications are suspended indefinitely.
- Contact
Mailing address: 300 Frank H Ogawa Plaza 203, Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (415) 391-1474
Website: https://calhum.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from California Humanities
California Documentary Project
California Humanities
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
California Documentary Project: Research and Development Grant
California Humanities
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Community Stories (formerly California Story Fund)
California Humanities
Amount
$7,700 - $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who California Humanities funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was FJC ($50K). Together the top 10 received $365K.
Grant Size Distribution
553 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 539 grants of 553 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
California Humanities supports humanities experiences in communities throughout California. In 2024, 84% of its grant dollars went to California recipients; the remaining reported shares went to New York (6%), Illinois (5%), Nevada (3%), and Massachusetts (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is California Humanities open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 24 of 41 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $25K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $858K (2024) to $4.0M (2021). In 2024 it made 41 grants totaling $858K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FJC New York, NY | Core Programs | $50,000 |
| From the Heart Productions Inc Oxnard, CA | Core Programs | $50,000 |
| Kartemquin Educational Films Chicago, IL | Core Programs | $45,000 |
| Visual Communications Los Angeles, CA | Core Programs | $40,000 |
| International Documentary Association Los Angeles, CA | Core Programs | $35,000 |
| Bay Area Video Coalition Inc San Francisco, CA | Core Programs | $30,000 |
| Mendocino County Public Broadcasting Philo, CA | Core Programs | $30,000 |
| Northern California Resource Center Fort Jones, CA | Core Programs | $30,000 |
| Writing Downtown Inc Las Vegas, NV | Core Programs | $30,000 |
| Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Core Programs | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with California Humanities?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,943,658 | $3,414,639 | $3,444,896 | $857,605 | 41 | $23,007 |
| 2023 | $2,391,984 | $3,163,451 | $4,107,494 | $1,599,622 | 70 | $23,574 |
| 2022 | $3,232,677 | $3,719,623 | $3,663,193 | $1,128,873 | 46 | $240 |
| 2021 | $2,781,512 | $6,891,682 | $6,055,013 | $4,001,965 | 217 | $91 |
| 2020 | $2,080,041 | $4,115,195 | $4,758,139 | $2,537,344 | 179 | $132 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
California Humanities’ mission is to connect Californians to ideas and one another to help them understand shared heritage and diverse cultures, inspire civic participation, and shape the future.
Its grantmaking has supported locally initiated public humanities projects, documentary media, library programming, and literature and medicine programs. Humanities for All projects are intended to respond to community needs and interests, encourage public participation—particularly among new or underserved audiences—and promote understanding and empathy. The organization also describes ongoing equity-alignment work and programs supporting student journalists at California community colleges.
Examples of grantee organizations’ work include From the Heart Productions, which says it helps independent filmmakers create and complete films; Visual Communications, which says it supports Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers and media artists; and Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, which describes itself as a community noncommercial radio station. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not California Humanities’ own.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, California Humanities reported 41 grants totaling $857,605. Grants ranged from $5,500 to $50,000, with a median of $24,520. The largest listed awards were $50,000 each to FJC and From the Heart Productions, followed by $45,000 to Kartemquin Educational Films, $40,000 to Visual Communications, and $35,000 to the International Documentary Association.
Its website describes Humanities for All Project Grants of $10,000 to $25,000 for public humanities projects of up to two years, and Connecting California grants of $1,000 to $5,000 for publicly accessible activities that build social connection. The latter program’s listed eligibility includes California-based nonprofits, fiscally sponsored entities, and public agencies; it requires a 1:1 match using nonfederal funds or in-kind support. These program details do not indicate that applications are currently being accepted, given the stated suspension of future applications and grant cycles.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Rachel Hatch as chair, Neha Balram as vice chair, Mina Para Matlon as treasurer, and Oliver Rosales as secretary. It also lists Thomas K Arnold, Genevieve Carpio, Shiva Farivar, Fritz Friedman, Nilofar Gardezi, and Rafael Lemus as directors.
California Humanities is led by Rick Noguchi, President & CEO on every filing since 2023; 5 of 20 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Rick Noguchi
President & CEO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$112K (2023) → $179K (2024)
Rachel Hatch
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Felicia Kelley
Director of Project & Eval
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$110K (2020) → $131K (2024)
John Lightfoot
Director of Media & Journali
Director of Media & Journalism → Director of Media & Journali, 2023
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$109K (2022) → $128K (2024)
Marika Garcia
Director of Development
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$109K (2024)
Bidhan Chandra Roy
Director
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fritz Friedman
Director
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Genevieve Carpio
Director
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Penelope Wong
Director
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shiva Farivar
Director
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas K. Arnold
Director
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Steele
Director
On filings since 2022
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daryle Williams
Director
On filings since 2023
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gil Robertson IV
Director
On filings since 2023
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rafael Lemus
Director
On filings since 2023
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nilofar Gardezi
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brett Connor
Database & Grants Manager
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$104K (2022) → $124K (2024)
Mina Para Matlon
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Neha Balram
Vice Chair
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Oliver Rosales
Secretary
Vice President → Chair, 2023
Chair → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (20)
- Former: Daniel Summerhill (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Julie Fry (2020–2023) — President & CEO
- Former: Skye Patrick (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Tamara Mozahuani Alvarado (2023) — Director
- Former: Honora Chapman (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Maytorena Taylor (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Jessica Weare (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Robert Mailer Andersen (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Sheri Kuehl (2020–2022) — Director of Development
- Former: Bennett Peji (2020–2021) — Chair
- Former: Brian Aguilar (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Nancy Riddle (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Wendy Fong (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Alex Espinoza (2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Brenda Wong Aoki (2020) — Director
- Former: Cheryl Alethia Phelps (2020) — Director
- Former: Jacquelyn Crabtree (2020) — Director
- Former: John Szabo (2020) — Director
- Former: Mary Valentine (2020) — Director
- Former: Patsy Hicks (2020) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $179K, to Rick Noguchi (President & CEO). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about California Humanities
How much does California Humanities give each year?
California Humanities gave $858K across 41 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.6M across 70 grants.
What is California Humanities's typical grant size?
California Humanities's median grant in 2024 was $24,520, and its average grant was $20,917, across 41 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from California Humanities that year got $19K on average.
Where does California Humanities give grants?
California Humanities gives mostly in California: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (6%) and Illinois (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (5 grants), Los Angeles, CA (4 grants) and Whittier, CA (2 grants).
Does California Humanities give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 41 grants with a stated purpose on California Humanities's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Core Programs" (41 grants).
Who are California Humanities's largest grantees?
California Humanities's largest 2024 grantees include FJC ($50,000), From the Heart Productions Inc ($50,000) and Kartemquin Educational Films ($45,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is California Humanities?
California Humanities reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.4M.
What does California Humanities fund?
California Humanities’ mission is to connect Californians to ideas and one another to help them understand shared heritage and diverse cultures, inspire civic participation, and shape the future. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from California Humanities?
Its grant overview says future applications are suspended indefinitely. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is California Humanities's EIN?
California Humanities's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2952469. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 7, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in California Humanities's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). California Humanities funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/california-humanities-morg_d2e511ce4cb14e4e9a484c25f566a0c4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_942952469_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{California Humanities funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/california-humanities-morg_d2e511ce4cb14e4e9a484c25f566a0c4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. 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 California Humanities'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.
California Humanities down — hundreds of funders to go?