Carol Franc Buck Foundation
The Carol Franc Buck Foundation is a private foundation based in Incline Village, Nevada. Its 2025 grants include support for opera, ballet, music, theater, and visual arts organizations.
Carol Franc Buck Foundation at a glance
In short: Carol Franc Buck Foundation gave $1.4M across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $69K), top state Nevada. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,450,000
- -6.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +23.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $69,048
- -24.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $16,945,732
- -1.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (3 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Nevada (26% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Carol Franc Buck 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: P O Box 6085, Incline Village, NV 89450
Phone: (775) 831-6366
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Carol Franc Buck Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Houston Grand Opera ($200K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 32 grants of 82 (39%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipient-state shares of grant dollars were Nevada 26%, California 21%, Texas 21%, New York 9%, and Wyoming 7%. The grants also included recipients in Arizona, New Mexico, and Hawaii.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Carol Franc Buck Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 21 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 43% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 70% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 114% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $742K (2019) to $1.7M (2023). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Grand Opera Houston, TX | 100K Toward Each of Options | $200,000 |
| Classical Tahoe Incline Village, NV | Ongoing Support for Arts Programming | $200,000 |
| San Francisco Opera San Francisco, CA | 100K in Support of Monkey King Opera | $100,000 |
| San Francisco Conservatory of Music San Francisco, CA | To underwrite 2025-26 opera program- the turn of the screw & cendrillon | $100,000 |
| Nevada Museum of Art Reno, NV | Dorothea lange & when langston hughes came to town exhibits | $100,000 |
| Grand Teton Music Festival Jackson Hole, WY | Ongoing Support for Arts Programming | $100,000 |
| School of American Ballet Sab New York, NY | 90 K per Year for Three Years | $90,000 |
| Arizona Opera Phoenix, AZ | 50K Toward Zorro Opera | $50,000 |
| San Francisco Ballet San Francisco, CA | $250,000 per year for five years, starting in fy 2026, totaling 1.25 million to support live music performances each repertory season | $50,000 |
| The Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe, NM | 50K Toward Die Walkure | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Carol Franc Buck 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $16,945,732 | $1,460,109 | $1,743,120 | $1,450,000 | 21 | $1,574,625 | $1,291,614 | $1,376,854 |
| 2024 | $17,218,785 | $940,822 | $1,881,171 | $1,544,500 | 17 | $1,734,128 | $805,037 | $1,334,854 |
| 2023 | $17,693,834 | $502,568 | $2,120,335 | $1,704,400 | 21 | $2,057,943 | $440,176 | $1,279,756 |
| 2022 | $4,480,583 | $791,883 | $1,195,346 | $855,000 | 10 | $1,144,293 | $740,830 | $553,177 |
| 2021 | $4,479,639 | $986,780 | $1,212,679 | $926,000 | 13 | — | $943,776 | $592,835 |
| 2020 | $4,720,621 | $1,067,628 | $1,231,822 | $818,000 | 14 | — | $1,026,245 | $526,097 |
| 2019 | $4,877,055 | $739,587 | $1,029,640 | $741,500 | 20 | — | $710,771 | $557,264 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carol Franc Buck Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2025 — 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 foundation mission statement is available here. Its 2025 grants show support for arts organizations, including performing arts organizations and a museum. For example, Classical Tahoe says its mission is to present world-class performances, nurture community partnerships, and provide educational programs. The Nevada Museum of Art says it provides a forum for creative ideas and aspires to serve as a cultural resource for every member of the community.
Other supported organizations describe their work in terms of music education and performance, opera, dance, and theater. The San Francisco Conservatory of Music says it educates talented musicians to become high-caliber artists and musical citizens. The Santa Fe Opera says it presents opera, develops artists and arts professionals, and builds community appreciation for opera. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $1,450,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $200,000, with a median of $50,000. Among the largest awards were $200,000 to Houston Grand Opera and $200,000 to Classical Tahoe. Other notable 2025 grants included $100,000 each to San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Nevada Museum of Art, and Grand Teton Music Festival; and $90,000 to the School of American Ballet.
The 2025 filing also lists grants of $50,000 to Arizona Opera, San Francisco Ballet, The Santa Fe Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, and Dallas Opera. Grant purposes included support for productions, programming, and exhibits. The filing describes the San Francisco Ballet award as a $50,000 grant in 2025 toward a planned commitment of $250,000 per year for five years starting in FY 2026.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Christian P Erdman, Helen J O'Hanlon, and Mckenzie Erdman as trustees.
Carol Franc Buck Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christian P. Erdman
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Helen J. O'Hanlon
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
McKenzie Erdman
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Carol F. Buck (2019–2022) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Carol Franc Buck Foundation
How much does Carol Franc Buck Foundation give each year?
Carol Franc Buck Foundation gave $1.4M across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.5M across 17 grants.
What is Carol Franc Buck Foundation's typical grant size?
Carol Franc Buck Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $69,048, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Carol Franc Buck Foundation that year got $30K on average.
Where does Carol Franc Buck Foundation give grants?
Carol Franc Buck Foundation's top state is Nevada, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (21%) and Texas (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (5 grants), Reno, NV (3 grants), Houston, TX (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Carol Franc Buck Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Carol Franc Buck Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Ongoing Support for Arts Programming" (4 grants).
Who are Carol Franc Buck Foundation's largest grantees?
Carol Franc Buck Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Houston Grand Opera ($200,000), Classical Tahoe ($200,000) and San Francisco Opera ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Carol Franc Buck Foundation?
Carol Franc Buck Foundation reported $16.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Carol Franc Buck Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is available here. Its 2025 grants show support for arts organizations, including performing arts organizations and a museum. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carol Franc Buck 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 Carol Franc Buck Foundation's EIN?
Carol Franc Buck Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-0163505. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Carol Franc Buck Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 25, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 26, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Carol Franc Buck Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/carol-franc-buck-foundation-morg_7fda6290c15543ed9f08481a284bf092
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_880163505_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Carol Franc Buck Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/carol-franc-buck-foundation-morg_7fda6290c15543ed9f08481a284bf092},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Carol Franc Buck 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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