Community Foundation for
The Community Foundation for San Benito County is a public charity and community foundation dedicated to strengthening San Benito County through philanthropic activities. Based in Hollister, California, the organization operates as both a competitive grantmaker and a vehicle for donor-directed philanthropy, serving as a central hub for community giving and nonprofit support in the region.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$28.8M
-4.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.2M
-65.3% YoY
Grant Count
116
+43.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$54K
-75.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Community Foundation for San Benito County is dedicated to building a stronger community and enhancing the quality of life in San Benito County through the support of philanthropic activities.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Education
- Youth services
- Senior services
- Community services
- Human services
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
Grantmaking
The foundation distributes approximately $6.7 million annually across all programs and funds.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Community Foundation for San Benito County focuses exclusively on San Benito County, California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving:
- Total assets: $28.8 million (2024)
- Total annual giving: $6.7 million
- Total revenues: $4.4 million (2024)
- Total expenses: $8.3 million (2024)
- Total liabilities: $1.42 million (2023)
Historical Impact:
- Founded in 1992
- Has distributed over $30-35 million to local nonprofits since inception
- Tax-exempt status granted November 1996
- EIN: 77-0312582
Staffing:
- 8 employees (2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $28,769,994 | $30,110,958 | $35,557,098 |
| Revenue | $4,383,474 | $12,281,339 | $13,594,682 |
| Expenses | $8,276,240 | $19,469,025 | $6,134,107 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $485,023 | $345,499 | $368,231 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Community Foundation for
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Cassandra Kartashov - Chief Executive Officer (appointed November 2025). She brings 15 years of foundation experience, including prior work with the Hewlett Foundation. Under her leadership, the organization is developing a new community-led strategic plan.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| VINCE BRIGANTINO | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ALAN CLARK | SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| DAMON FELICE | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| PHIL FORTINO | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MIKE GRACE | CFO/TREASURER | 2 | — |
| FERNANDO GONZALEZ | PAST CHAIR | 10 | — |
| DOHN LARSON | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MICKIE SOLORIO LUNA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BEVERLEY MEAMBER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| REBECCA MEDEIROS WOLF | VICE CHAIR | 2 | — |
| BRENT REDMOND | VICE CHAIR | 2 | — |
| ALLISON ROHNERT | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| BILL TIFFANY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| GERRY WRIGHT | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| CHANG SO | CHAIR | 10 | — |
| JOSE ZEPEDA | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| LARRY BARR | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| MARGIE BARRIOS | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| GARY BYRNE | PRESIDENT/CEO | 40 | $168,875 |
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.
What could you do with Community Foundation for on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities