Chavez Family Foundation
The Chavez Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its mission is to maximize human potential and promote equal opportunity by investing in programs at the intersection of immigration, education, and entrepreneurship.
Key facts about Chavez Family Foundation
In short: Chavez Family Foundation gave $794K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $35K), mostly in California. 48% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 81-3550500
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $793,580
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- Average grant
- $34,503
- Median grant
- $25,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (11 of 23, 2024)
- Total assets
- $7,049,105
- Primary geography
- California (86% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes grants by invitation to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$7.0M
-7.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$794K
-57.6% YoY
Grant Count
23
-28.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$35K
-40.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Chavez Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $367K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Chavez Family Foundation open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 23 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $31K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $28K repeat.
- 43% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 52% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 246% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation focuses on immigration, education, and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on equal opportunity, human potential, and civil society. It says it looks for organizations with strong leadership, sound financial footing, meaningful impact, and a focus on the people they serve.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of work. Digital NEST describes its mission as providing young people in underserved communities with access to technology, training, and workforce skills. La Cocina says it provides affordable commercial kitchen space and hands-on technical assistance for low-income and immigrant entrepreneurs. SomosVC works to accelerate and elevate Latinos’ and allies’ presence in venture capital. The Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley describes its work as empowering Latinos through community philanthropy, educational excellence, and leadership development.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $793,580. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $100,000, with a median of $25,000. Examples of larger awards include $100,000 to Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, $75,000 each to Digital NEST, Immigrants Rising, and La Cocina, and $50,000 each to California Consortium for Urban Indian Health, Every Woman Treaty, SomosVC, and University of California San Francisco Foundation. The listed purposes were generally unrestricted; the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health award supported the California Native Truth & Healing documentary.
Invitation Only
The foundation makes grants by invitation to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. It does not currently accept inquiries for funding.
Ready to take the next step with Chavez Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation prioritizes the nine-county Bay Area and is open to supporting some work with California or national reach. In 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 6% to Washington, 4% to New York, 2% to Oregon, and 1% to Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $794K (2024) to $2.6M (2020). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $794K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Neighbors for a Better San Francisco ($100K). Together the top 10 received $604K.
Grant Size Distribution
157 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 157 (46%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Neighbors for a Better San Francisco San Rafael, CA | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Digital Nest Inc Watsonville, CA | General Purpose | $75,000 |
| Immigrants Rising San Francisco, CA | General Purpose | $75,000 |
| La Cocina Inc San Francisco, CA | General Purpose | $75,000 |
| California Consortium for Urban Indian Health Inc San Francisco, CA | In support of the California native truth & healing documentary | $50,000 |
| Every Woman Treaty Seattle, WA | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Somosvc San Jose, CA | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| University of California San Francisco Foundation San Francisco, CA | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| San Francisco Jazz Organization San Francisco, CA | General Purpose | $48,580 |
| Asian Pacific Fund San Francisco, CA | General Purpose | $30,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,049,105 | $392,854 | $954,096 | $793,580 | 23 |
| 2023 | $7,637,255 | $546,974 | $1,666,329 | $1,869,500 | 32 |
| 2022 | $9,058,595 | $187,738 | $1,436,222 | $1,835,500 | 38 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,049,105 | $7,637,255 | $9,058,595 |
| Revenue | $392,854 | $546,974 | $187,738 |
| Expenses | $954,096 | $1,666,329 | $1,436,222 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $903,762 | $1,971,200 | $1,920,983 |
| Net Investment Income | $304,135 | $291,503 | $103,899 |
| Distributable Amount | $367,331 | $428,751 | $521,659 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Tom Chavez is the foundation’s President/CEO. The 2024 filing lists him as President/Director/Secretary and Rosalyn Chen as Vice President. Chavez is a technology entrepreneur who has served on the boards of education nonprofits in San Francisco.
Chavez Family Foundation is led by Tom Chavez, President, Director & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Tom Chavez
President, Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rosalyn Chen
Vice President
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.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 194664, San Francisco, CA 94119
Phone: (415) 361-5493
Website: https://chavezfamilyfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Chavez Family Foundation
How much does Chavez Family Foundation give each year?
Chavez Family Foundation gave $794K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.9M across 32 grants.
What is Chavez Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Chavez Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $34,503, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Chavez Family Foundation that year got $31K on average.
Where does Chavez Family Foundation give grants?
Chavez Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Washington (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (10 grants) and San Jose, CA (4 grants).
Does Chavez Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 83% of Chavez Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Chavez Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Chavez Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Neighbors for a Better San Francisco ($100,000), Digital Nest Inc ($75,000) and Immigrants Rising ($75,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Chavez Family Foundation?
Chavez Family Foundation reported $7.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $904K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $367K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Chavez Family Foundation fund?
The foundation focuses on immigration, education, and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on equal opportunity, human potential, and civil society. It says it looks for organizations with strong leadership, sound financial footing, meaningful impact, and a focus on the people they serve. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Chavez Family Foundation?
The foundation makes grants by invitation to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Chavez Family Foundation's EIN?
Chavez Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3550500. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Chavez Family 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.
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