Chambers Family Foundation
Chambers Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. Its 2024 filing reports 31 grants totaling $3,399,500 to charitable organizations.
Chambers Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Chambers Family Foundation gave $3.4M across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $110K), top state California. 43% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,399,500
- +71.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 31
- +63.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $109,661
- +5.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $9,613,671
- -18.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (10 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (36% 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 Chambers 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: PO Box 61239, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Phone: (650) 313-2003
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Chambers Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Givinga Foundation ($1.0M across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $2.6M.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 grants to individuals ($657,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
127 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 127 (57%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in California (36%), Massachusetts (32%), an individual recipient (19%), Georgia (7%), and North Carolina (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Chambers Family Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 23 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $120K; repeat grants $169K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 57% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 538% 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 $2.0M (2023) to $4.4M (2020). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $3.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 3 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $657,500 |
| Leland Stanford Junior University Stanford, CA | Gift to hoover institution on war, revolution, and peace. Gift will be in support of the tech policy accelerator. | $500,000 |
| Givinga Foundation Wellesley Hills, MA | General Charitable Purpose | $400,000 |
| CDC Foundation Atlanta, GA | General Charitable Purpose | $250,000 |
| Givinga Foundation Wellesley Hills, MA | General Charitable Purpose | $250,000 |
| Givinga Foundation Wellesley Hills, MA | General Charitable Purpose | $250,000 |
| Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health Palo Alto, CA | The Chambers Pediatric Oncology Clinical Trial Fund | $250,000 |
| Second Harvest of Silicon Valley San Jose, CA | General Charitable Purpose | $150,000 |
| Givinga Foundation Wellesley Hills, MA | General Charitable Purpose | $100,000 |
| Leland Stanford Junior University Stanford, CA | The Under One Umbrella Fund | $100,000 |
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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 | $9,613,671 | $1,229,188 | $3,459,970 | $3,399,500 | 31 | $3,399,500 | $1,228,818 | $631,782 |
| 2023 | $11,844,453 | $-70,642 | $2,025,080 | $1,979,500 | 19 | $1,979,500 | $273,448 | $742,945 |
| 2022 | $13,940,175 | $-1,784,679 | $2,807,050 | $2,760,000 | 25 | $2,760,000 | $25,091 | $931,291 |
| 2021 | $18,531,904 | $1,846,512 | $2,728,692 | $2,685,500 | 27 | $2,685,500 | $1,846,220 | $1,052,059 |
| 2020 | $19,414,084 | $4,148,211 | $4,477,872 | $4,442,500 | 25 | — | $4,137,997 | $1,064,386 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Chambers Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $632K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included support for a university foundation, a charitable giving platform, a children’s health foundation, a food bank, and other organizations.
The WVU Foundation describes its mission as enriching the lives of people touched by West Virginia University by maximizing charitable support and providing services to the university, its students, and affiliated organizations. GivingA Foundation says it empowers donors through a transparent and accountable public charity platform and promotes active and consistent giving. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley says it works toward a hunger-free community by providing more food, healthy food, and better access to food. The American Heart Association describes its mission as being a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 31 grants totaling $3,399,500. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $532,500, with a median of $50,000. Among the largest reported grants were $532,500 to the West Virginia University Foundation for the WVU College–Mountaineers Athletic Club; $500,000 to an individual recipient Junior University in support of the Hoover Institution’s Tech Policy Accelerator; and $400,000 to GivingA Foundation for general charitable purposes. Other notable grants included $250,000 to the CDC Foundation for general charitable purposes, $250,000 to Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health for the Chambers Pediatric Oncology Clinical Trial Fund, and $150,000 to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley for general charitable purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John T Chambers as President/CEO and Constance E Chambers as Treasurer/CFO/Secretary.
Chambers Family Foundation is led by John T. Chambers, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John T. Chambers
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Constance E. Chambers
Treasurer, CFO & Secretary
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 Chambers Family Foundation
How much does Chambers Family Foundation give each year?
Chambers Family Foundation gave $3.4M across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.0M across 19 grants.
What is Chambers Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Chambers Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $109,661, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Chambers Family Foundation that year got $120K on average.
Where does Chambers Family Foundation give grants?
Chambers Family Foundation's top state is California, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (32%) and West Virginia (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wellesley Hills, MA (4 grants), Stanford, CA (3 grants), Palo Alto, CA (3 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Chambers Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 77% of Chambers Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (24 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Chambers Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Chambers Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Givinga Foundation ($1,000,000 across 4 grants), Leland Stanford Junior University ($625,000 across 3 grants) and CDC Foundation ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 grants to individuals ($657,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Chambers Family Foundation?
Chambers Family Foundation reported $9.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $632K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Chambers Family Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included support for a university foundation, a charitable giving platform, a children’s health foundation, a food bank, and other organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Chambers 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 Chambers Family Foundation's EIN?
Chambers Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0443168. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Chambers 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Chambers Family Foundation funds
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Browse active grant opportunities in Chambers Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Chambers Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/chambers-family-foundation-morg_587b9ad5518341f1a3d8db26bb86f138
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_770443168_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Chambers Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/chambers-family-foundation-morg_587b9ad5518341f1a3d8db26bb86f138},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Chambers 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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