Carl W Johnson Foundation
Carl W Johnson Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. It supports charitable organizations, with its 2024 filing identifying education, health care, and aid to individuals with developmental needs as areas of concentrated support.
Carl W Johnson Foundation at a glance
In short: Carl W Johnson Foundation gave $520K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $33K), mostly in California. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $520,000
- +28.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- -5.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $32,500
- +36.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $27,500
- Total assets
- $3,646,280
- +10.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (97% 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 Carl W Johnson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Applications should be submitted in writing and include a description of the charitable purpose, the most recent Form 990 or 990-PF, a budget, a 501(c)(3) letter, and a list of major contributors. The filing names Susan J. Ollweiler, Executive Director, as the contact for applications. The foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- August 1 each year.
- Deadline
- August 1 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Susan J Ollweiler Exec Dir Carl W J
Mailing address: 2049 Century Park East 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Phone: (323) 634-2400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Carl W Johnson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was New Directions ($100K). Together the top 10 received $455K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 82 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it directs the majority of its support to organizations in Southern California. In 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 3% to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Carl W Johnson Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 16 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. How we count
- 100% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 53% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 197% 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 $320K (2020) to $520K (2024). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $520K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Directions Santa Barbara, CA | General | $100,000 |
| California State University Long Beach Long Beach, CA | General | $50,000 |
| Canine Companions for Independence Santa Rosa, CA | General | $50,000 |
| Chrysalis Los Angeles, CA | General | $50,000 |
| Los Angeles Regional Food Bank E St Street, CA | General | $50,000 |
| The Painted Turtle Santa Monica, CA | General | $50,000 |
| Children's Hospital Los Angeles Foundation Los Angeles, CA | General | $30,000 |
| Friends of the Observatory Los Angeles, CA | General | $30,000 |
| City of Hope Los Angeles, CA | General | $25,000 |
| Hollenbeck Palms Los Angeles, CA | General | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Carl W Johnson 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 | $3,646,280 | $1,005,934 | $684,734 | $520,000 | 16 | $520,000 | $950,035 | $264,197 |
| 2023 | $3,296,077 | $-97,290 | $562,519 | $405,000 | 17 | $405,000 | $126,601 | $255,381 |
| 2022 | $3,946,599 | $512,693 | $506,879 | $365,000 | 17 | $365,000 | $456,832 | $276,203 |
| 2021 | $3,945,212 | $681,781 | $506,026 | $340,000 | 16 | $340,000 | $614,757 | $326,072 |
| 2020 | $3,784,959 | $235,344 | $454,647 | $320,000 | 16 | — | $182,966 | $274,956 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carl W Johnson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $264K 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
The foundation’s filing says it concentrates support in education, health care, and aid to individuals with developmental needs. Its 2024 grants included organizations working in varied fields. For example, New Directions describes its work as empowering veterans and their families; Canine Companions for Independence says it provides service dogs and ongoing support to people with disabilities; and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank describes its mission as mobilizing resources to fight hunger in its community.
Other 2024 grantees describe work in higher education, support for children with life-threatening diseases, cancer and diabetes care, and residences for older adults. These are descriptions of the grantees’ work, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $520,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $27,500. The largest award was $100,000 to New Directions. Other notable awards included $50,000 each to California State University Long Beach, Canine Companions for Independence, Chrysalis, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, and The Painted Turtle; $30,000 each to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Foundation and Friends of the Observatory; and $25,000 to City of Hope.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Susan J. Ollweiler as president; David D. Watts as secretary and director; Tim Bodner as treasurer; and Wallace D. Franson, Kathleen Nelson, Christopher D. Montan, and Gene Torncello as directors.
Carl W Johnson Foundation is led by Susan J. Ollweiler, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Susan J. Ollweiler
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Christopher D. Montan
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
David D. Watts
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Gene Torncello
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kathleen Nelson
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Wallace D. Franson
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Tim Bodner
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
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 Carl W Johnson Foundation
How much does Carl W Johnson Foundation give each year?
Carl W Johnson Foundation gave $520K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $405K across 17 grants.
What is Carl W Johnson Foundation's typical grant size?
Carl W Johnson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $27,500, and its average grant was $32,500, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Carl W Johnson Foundation give grants?
Carl W Johnson Foundation gives mostly in California: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (7 grants) and Long Beach, CA (2 grants).
Does Carl W Johnson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of Carl W Johnson Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Carl W Johnson Foundation's largest grantees?
Carl W Johnson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include New Directions ($100,000), California State University Long Beach ($50,000) and Canine Companions for Independence ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Carl W Johnson Foundation?
Carl W Johnson Foundation reported $3.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $520K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $264K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Carl W Johnson Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing says it concentrates support in education, health care, and aid to individuals with developmental needs. Its 2024 grants included organizations working in varied fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carl W Johnson Foundation?
Applications should be submitted in writing and include a description of the charitable purpose, the most recent Form 990 or 990-PF, a budget, a 501(c)(3) letter, and a list of major contributors. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Carl W Johnson Foundation's EIN?
Carl W Johnson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4438839. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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). Carl W Johnson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/carl-w-johnson-foundation-morg_d26780512b0b4f179eaa2ed484983262
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954438839_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Carl W Johnson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/carl-w-johnson-foundation-morg_d26780512b0b4f179eaa2ed484983262},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Carl W Johnson 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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