Chao Family Foundation Inc
Chao Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Its stated mission is to remove barriers and help people reach their potential; its website describes a focus on expanding access to higher education, including through scholarships and partnerships.
Chao Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Chao Family Foundation Inc gave $288K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in California. 53% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $287,500
- +6.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- +60.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,979
- -33.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $12,478,306
- +12.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (8 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (87% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Chao Family Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says applicants should submit a written statement with the amount requested, a detailed description of the intended use, and information about their operations and organization. Awards are based on funds available.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists December 31 of each year. The 2025 deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- The filing lists December 31 of each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Stefanie Chao
Mailing address: 10300 W Charleston Blvd Suite, 13-488, Las Vegas, NV 89135-5008
Phone: (310) 896-5889
Email: info@chaofamilyfoundation.org
Website: https://www.chaofamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Chao Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Asian Pacific Community Fund of Southern California ($87K across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $271K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 73 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2025, its grant dollars went primarily to recipients in California (87%), followed by Michigan (9%), Colorado (3%), Missouri (2%), and Ohio (0%), as reported in the filing. Its website’s scholarship program is for graduating seniors from Los Angeles and Orange County.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Chao Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 15 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $29K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 59% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $130K (2019) to $1.1M (2021). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $288K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Asian Pacific Community Fund of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | Renewal Scholarships 2025 | $52,000 |
| Renewal Foundation Inc Diamond Bar, CA | 2025 Pearl Program Scholarship | $30,000 |
| Asian Pacific Community Fund of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | 2026 New Scholarships | $26,000 |
| First Star Inc Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 General Support; $5,000 Alumni Program | $25,000 |
| Missouri S&T Rolla, MI | Richard and June Chao Scholarship | $25,000 |
| University of California Irvine Foundation Irvine, CA | Diabetes Center Annual Fundraising Event Sponsorship | $22,000 |
| Arcadia Educational Foundation Arcadia, CA | Arcadias Fire Relief Fund | $15,000 |
| Mpak Inc Carson, CA | The Annual Mpak Fundraising Gala Event Sponsorship | $15,000 |
| Community Partners Los Angeles, CA | College access, reiness & success (CARS) college prep program | $10,000 |
| Determined to Succeed Santa Monica, CA | General Fund | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Chao Family Foundation Inc?
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 | $12,478,306 | $978,149 | $396,952 | $287,500 | 24 | $330,633 | $921,635 | $558,777 |
| 2024 | $11,140,942 | $467,649 | $387,574 | $270,550 | 15 | $318,079 | $401,767 | $514,587 |
| 2023 | $9,535,179 | $818,859 | $343,557 | $251,515 | 14 | $283,666 | $112,681 | $412,639 |
| 2022 | $7,231,781 | $83,214 | $331,301 | $245,625 | 13 | $270,662 | $94,611 | $381,367 |
| 2021 | $9,014,183 | $1,911,518 | $1,160,980 | $1,083,687 | 7 | $1,092,836 | $884,562 | $411,918 |
| 2020 | $7,721,776 | $1,609,680 | $399,048 | $325,502 | 19 | — | $71,013 | $337,615 |
| 2019 | $5,591,589 | $285,616 | $207,763 | $129,500 | 11 | — | $220,134 | $252,050 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Chao Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $559K 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
The foundation’s website says it aims to lift roadblocks so people can work toward improving life for themselves, their families, and their communities. It describes higher education as a central focus, particularly for students facing systemic barriers, including students who are low-income or the first in their families to attend college.
The website’s Chao Family Foundation Scholarship is for graduating seniors from Los Angeles and Orange County planning to begin full-time undergraduate studies at a UC or CSU campus. The website says five students receive renewable awards of $4,000 per year, up to $16,000 total. These are scholarship awards to students, distinct from the foundation’s grants to outside organizations.
The foundation’s 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, First Star says it works with child-welfare agencies, universities, and school districts to help foster youth prepare for higher education and adulthood. Determined to Succeed describes its work as providing underserved students with year-round college-access and success support. MPAK says its mission is adoption promotion and orphanage support, while Arcadia Educational Foundation says it funds programs in the Arcadia Unified School District.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $287,500. Grants ranged from $250 to $52,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Notable awards included $52,000 to Asian Pacific Community Fund of Southern California for renewal scholarships, $30,000 to Renewal Foundation for its Pearl Program Scholarship, and $25,000 to First Star for general support and its alumni program. Other awards included $25,000 to Missouri S&T for the Richard and June Chao Scholarship and $22,000 to University of California Irvine Foundation for a Diabetes Center fundraising event sponsorship.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Richard Chao as chairman/director, Stefanie Chao as treasurer/director, and Steven Chao as secretary/director.
Chao Family Foundation Inc is led by Richard Y. Chao, Chairman & Director since 2020 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Richard Y. Chao
Chairman & Director
President & Director → Chairman & Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stefanie Chao
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Chao
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/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 Chao Family Foundation Inc
How much does Chao Family Foundation Inc give each year?
Chao Family Foundation Inc gave $288K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $271K across 15 grants.
What is Chao Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Chao Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $11,979, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Chao Family Foundation Inc that year got $7K on average.
Where does Chao Family Foundation Inc give grants?
Chao Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in California: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Michigan (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), Irvine, CA (4 grants) and Costa Mesa, CA (2 grants).
Does Chao Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 21% of Chao Family Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Chao Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Chao Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Asian Pacific Community Fund of Southern California ($87,000 across 4 grants), University of California Irvine Foundation ($34,000 across 3 grants) and Renewal Foundation Inc ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Chao Family Foundation Inc?
Chao Family Foundation Inc reported $12.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $331K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $559K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Chao Family Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s website says it aims to lift roadblocks so people can work toward improving life for themselves, their families, and their communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Chao Family Foundation Inc?
The 2025 filing says applicants should submit a written statement with the amount requested, a detailed description of the intended use, and information about their operations and organization. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Chao Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
Chao Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1899479. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 9, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Chao Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/chao-family-foundation-inc-morg_f20cbc789c994398ae7f78c0d77d8467
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261899479_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Chao Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/chao-family-foundation-inc-morg_f20cbc789c994398ae7f78c0d77d8467},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Chao Family Foundation Inc'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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