Cheng's Foundation
Cheng's Foundation is a private foundation based in Moraga, California. Its 2025 filing reports 40 grants totaling $11,250 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in religion, community services, health, education, animal welfare, and environmental causes.
Cheng's Foundation at a glance
In short: Cheng's Foundation gave $11K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $281.25), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $11,250
- -47.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- +2.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $281
- -49.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $200
- Total assets
- $464,183
- +0.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (68% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Cheng's Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 259 Claudia Court, Moraga, CA 94556
Phone: (510) 834-0988
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cheng's Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was TZU-Chi Foundation ($2K). Together the top 10 received $6K.
Grant Size Distribution
185 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 185 grants of 185 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California received 68% of grant dollars and the District of Columbia received 14%. Maryland received 4%; Virginia and Georgia each received 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Cheng's Foundation gives
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 67% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 55% 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 (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 $11K (2025) to $55K (2020). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $11K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| TZU-Chi Foundation San Jose, CA | Religion Offering | $2,000 |
| American Red Cross Los Angeles, CA | Provide fund to the organziation for promoting communiting services. | $1,000 |
| The Salvation Army Walnut Creek, CA | Provide fund to the organziation for promoting communiting services. | $1,000 |
| Chinese Christian Mission Petalluma, CA | Religion Offering | $500 |
| Alzheimer's Association Washington, DC | Provide fund to the organization for promoting the health servcies | $300 |
| The University Corporation San Francisco State San Francisco, CA | Provide Fund to the Organziation for Educational Support. | $300 |
| American Bible Society Washington, DC | Religion Offering | $200 |
| Animal Fix Clinic Richmond, CA | Provide Finacial Support to the Organziation. | $200 |
| Asian Health Center Oakland, CA | Provide fund to the organziation for promoting communiting services. | $200 |
| Bay Area Ridge Trail Council SF, CA | Provide Finacial Support to the Organziation. | $200 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $464,183 | $16,050 | $12,942 | $11,250 | 40 | $12,492 | $15,600 | $22,571 |
| 2024 | $461,279 | $15,158 | $22,934 | $21,570 | 39 | $22,483 | $14,707 | $22,705 |
| 2023 | $469,055 | $5,838 | $29,715 | $28,325 | 34 | $29,340 | $5,463 | $23,613 |
| 2022 | $492,945 | $1,271 | $35,120 | $34,003 | 35 | $34,788 | $939 | — |
| 2021 | $526,795 | $51,558 | $25,663 | $24,671 | 37 | — | $1,196 | $25,290 |
| 2020 | $500,901 | $6,681 | $55,890 | $55,000 | 5 | — | $6,241 | — |
| 2019 | $550,149 | $1,967 | $29,625 | $28,725 | 35 | — | $1,967 | $27,738 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cheng's Foundation reported a distributable amount of $23K 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 provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Chinese Christian Mission describes its mission as reaching Chinese communities worldwide through local evangelism and foreign missions. Bay Area Ridge Trail Council says it works to plan, promote, and sustain a connected trail around San Francisco Bay. East Bay SPCA describes its work as transforming the lives of cats and dogs by enriching the human-animal bond.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 40 grants totaling $11,250. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $2,000, with a median of $200. The largest listed grants were $2,000 to Tzu-Chi Foundation for a religion offering, and $1,000 each to American Red Cross and The Salvation Army for community services. Other listed grants included $500 to Chinese Christian Mission and $300 each to Alzheimer’s Association and The University Corporation San Francisco State.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joseph KC Cheng as CEO and Mary SP Cheng as CFO and Secretary.
Cheng's Foundation is led by Joseph Kc Cheng, CEO on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joseph Kc Cheng
CEO
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Sp Cheng
CFO & Secretary
On filings since 2019
0.5 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 Cheng's Foundation
How much does Cheng's Foundation give each year?
Cheng's Foundation gave $11K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $22K across 39 grants.
What is Cheng's Foundation's typical grant size?
Cheng's Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $200, and its average grant was $281, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Cheng's Foundation give grants?
Cheng's Foundation gives mostly in California: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (7 grants), San Francisco, CA (4 grants), Moraga, CA (3 grants) and San Jose, CA (2 grants).
Does Cheng's Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of Cheng's Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 40) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Provide Finacial Support to the Organziation." (4 grants), "Religion Offering" (4 grants) and "Provide Fund to the Organziation for Educational Support." (3 grants).
Who are Cheng's Foundation's largest grantees?
Cheng's Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include TZU-Chi Foundation ($2,000), American Red Cross ($1,000) and The Salvation Army ($1,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cheng's Foundation?
Cheng's Foundation reported $464K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $12K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $23K (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 Cheng's Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Chinese Christian Mission describes its mission as reaching Chinese communities worldwide through local evangelism and foreign missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cheng's Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only 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 Cheng's Foundation's EIN?
Cheng's Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1989063. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Cheng's 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 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 April 3, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 1, 2024)
- 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 February 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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