Carter Family Foundation
Carter Family Foundation is a private foundation, based in Laguna Beach, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $659K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 7 grants totaling $400K.
Carter Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Carter Family Foundation gave $400K across 7 grants in 2025 (avg $57K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $400,000
- +81.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 7
- -12.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $57,143
- +107.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $658,571
- -38.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (79% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Carter Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Big Minds Inc ($100K). Together the top 7 received $400K.
Grant Size Distribution
30 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 21 grants of 30 (70%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 7 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Carter Family Foundation gives
- Giving grew 100% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 763% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $200K (2022) to $400K (2025). In 2025 it made 7 grants totaling $400K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Big Minds Inc Pinole, CA | To Support Early Education | $100,000 |
| The Athenian School Danville, CA | To Fund the Mark Carter Scholarship | $100,000 |
| SEO Scholars New York, NY | To Support Early Education | $50,000 |
| Uc Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Davis, CA | To Support Integrative Medicine Services | $50,000 |
| Uc Regents - Cal Athletics Development Berkeley, CA | To fund the football strategic opportunity and excellence fund | $50,000 |
| Tahoe Institute for Natural Science Incline Village, NV | Advancing the natural history, conservation, and ecosystem knowledge of the tahoe region | $35,000 |
| Hills of Gold Equine Retirement Sanctuary Santa Ysabel, CA | To Support the Care of Rescue Horses | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Carter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $658,571 | — | $405,217 | $400,000 | 7 | $402,621 | — | $52,754 |
| 2024 | $1,063,788 | — | $226,577 | $220,000 | 8 | $223,338 | — | $63,086 |
| 2023 | $1,290,365 | $262,811 | $240,455 | $235,000 | 9 | $237,777 | $260,133 | $57,513 |
| 2022 | $1,000,349 | $291,128 | $203,447 | $200,000 | 6 | $201,723 | $289,404 | $60,912 |
| 2021 | $912,668 | $10 | $2,835 | — | — | — | — | $82,073 |
| 2020 | $915,493 | — | $232,229 | $225,000 | 2 | — | — | $85,124 |
| 2019 | $1,147,722 | $41,048 | $281,039 | $275,000 | 3 | — | $37,344 | $91,969 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carter Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $53K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Carter Family Foundation is led by Julia H. Carter, CEO since 2022 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Julia H. Carter
CEO
Director → Co-Chair, 2021
Co-Chair → CEO, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
George R. Hecht
CFO
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hayley A. Carter
Secretary
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Carter Family Foundation
How much does Carter Family Foundation give each year?
Carter Family Foundation gave $400K across 7 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $220K across 8 grants.
What is Carter Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Carter Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $57,143, across 7 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Carter Family Foundation give grants?
Carter Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (13%) and Nevada (9%).
Does Carter Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 7 grants with a stated purpose on Carter Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Carter Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Carter Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Big Minds Inc ($100,000), The Athenian School ($100,000) and SEO Scholars ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Carter Family Foundation?
Carter Family Foundation reported $659K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $403K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $53K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What is Carter Family Foundation's EIN?
Carter Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4008923. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 24, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 8, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 20, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Carter Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in California
W L Lyons Brown Foundation
Louisville, KY
The W L Lyons Brown Foundation’s 2025 grants supported varied charitable work, with 66% of grant dollars going to Kentucky and 33% to Tennessee; its reported grants ranged from $2,000 to $11.38 million, with a median of $12,000, though totals included large distributions during dissolution. It gave only to preselected organizations, did not accept unsolicited requests, and its final filing indicates it has wound down and stopped grantmaking.
Assets
—
Grants
21
Total Given
$34.1M
Paige Lin Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Assets
$73K
Grants
3
Total Given
$2K
The Boudinot Foundation
Malvern, PA
The Boudinot Foundation supports schools, health care, youth and equestrian programs, environmental work, and documentary media, with recent grants going to organizations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Its 2025 grants ranged from $20,000 to $100,000, with a median of $25,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected organizations.
Assets
$4.3M
Grants
14
Total Given
$425K
Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature
New York, NY
The Fund for Wild Nature supports grassroots conservation campaigns to protect North American native species, biodiversity, and wilderness, including advocacy, litigation, and public-policy work. In 2025, grants ranged from $3,000 to $100,000, with a median of $15,000. It states that it funds North American campaigns and makes grants only to preselected organizations, so it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$2.9M
Grants
21
Total Given
$543K
Christian Community Foundation Inc
Colorado Springs, CO
WaterStone supports domestic and international nonprofits, including Christian ministries and charitable and educational organizations, through donor-directed grants; eligible organizations must be IRS-recognized 501(c)(3)s whose mission aligns with its Statement of Faith. Its 2025 grants had a median of $20,000, with awards ranging from $5,028 to $11 million, and were concentrated in Texas and Colorado. Grant recommendations come from donor-advised fund holders; the profile does not state that it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$746.4M
Grants
1,651
Total Given
$161.8M
Foundation for the Carolinas
Charlotte, NC
Foundation For The Carolinas funds education and youth development, environmental and wildlife work, health and human services, and animal welfare, with a reported median grant of $25,000 in 2024. Its competitive programs focus on Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the Carolinas, and specific local communities, while donor-advised funds may support eligible nonprofits more broadly; it accepts applications for some competitive grants, but most grants are recommended by fund advisors and have no application process.
Assets
$3.9B
Grants
1,605
Total Given
$609.1M
More similar funders
More Funders in California
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Carter 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.
Carter Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?