The Colburn Foundation is a private independent foundation established in 1999 and based in Los Angeles, California. Founded by Richard D. Colburn, a businessman who led Consolidated Electrical Distributors (CED), the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting the classical music community. The foundation continues to be governed by a Board of Directors following Mr. Colburn's passing in 2004 at age 92.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$204.4M
+5.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$9.2M
+3.8% YoY
Grant Count
102
+10.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$91K
-6.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to "adhere faithfully to his firm wishes, to encourage the education and performance of classical music, and to preserve the classical music genre, i.e., works composed in the 17th to early 20th century."
The foundation supports:
- Classical music performance and presentation organizations
- Music education and training of musicians
- Organizations with strong public outreach in classical music
The foundation explicitly does not fund:
- Individual musicians
- Commissions or composition programs
- Organizations predominantly performing or educating in world music, jazz, modern, or contemporary music
Grantmaking
The foundation discourages unsolicited grant requests. Prior to submission of any application, organizations must email the Grants Administrator, Carol Rinn, at crinn@colburnfoundation.org to determine the suitability of the intended request. The foundation operates on a rolling basis with quarterly board meetings and a typical decision time of three months.
Grant Range
Varies widely, typically multi-year general operating support
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
With very few exceptions, the Colburn Foundation's funding relationships are within the extensive Los Angeles community and Southern California region.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $204 million
- Total Revenue: $19.4 million
- Total Expenses: $24 million
- Total Liabilities: $33 million
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $194.3 million
- Total Revenue: $14.5 million
- Total Expenses: $14.9 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $204,364,202 | $194,280,032 | $181,616,769 |
| Revenue | $19,384,539 | $14,498,770 | $-1,580,014 |
| Expenses | $24,028,332 | $14,889,556 | $11,661,590 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $9,590,328 | $9,287,188 | $9,659,611 |
| Net Investment Income | $15,737,605 | $13,333,157 | $193,304 |
| Distributable Amount | $10,060,346 | $9,215,551 | $9,186,787 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Colburn Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board of Directors:
- Carol C. Grigor (Chairman)
- Robert S. Attiyeh
- David Colburn
- Richard W. Colburn
- Catherine Hogel
- Gail Eichenthal
- John P. Nuckols
- Allison Sampson
Staff:
- Allison Sampson (Vice President and Executive Director)
- Carol Rinn (Grants Administrator)
- Layne Pinkernell (Treasurer)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAROL C GRIGOR | Chairman | 1 | — |
| ALLISON SAMPSON | EXECUTIVE DIR. | 20 | $92,894 |
| LAYNE PINKERNELL | Secretary/Treas | 24 | $64,214 |
| RICHARD W COLBURN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAVID D COLBURN | Director | 1 | — |
| ROBERT S ATTIYEH | Director | 1 | $24,000 |
| GAIL EDEN EICHENTHAL | Director | 1 | — |
| JOHN P NUCKOLS | Director | 1 | — |
| CATHERINE HOGEL | Director | 2 | — |
Contact Information
Colburn Foundation 11693 San Vicente Blvd #159 Los Angeles, CA 90049-5105 Phone: (818) 399-4427 Email: crinn@colburnfoundation.org Website: https://www.colburnfoundation.org/
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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