CQ Foundation
CQ Foundation is a private foundation based in Sunnyvale, California. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including universities, schools, churches, and community-service organizations.
CQ Foundation at a glance
In short: CQ Foundation gave $30K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in California. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $30,174
- +38.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,012
- +10.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $850
- Total assets
- $1,477,390
- +12.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (6 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (96% 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 CQ Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1578 Riorden Ter, Sunnyvale, CA 94087
Phone: (408) 921-6679
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who CQ Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Stanford University ($20K). Together the top 10 received $29K.
Grant Size Distribution
61 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 61 grants of 61 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 3% to recipients in Massachusetts, and 1% to recipients in Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is CQ Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 15 grantees (40%) 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 $816; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $667 first-time, $850 repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 54% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 69% 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 $12K (2023) to $31K (2020). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $30K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Charitable Contribution | $20,000 |
| Bay Area Cancer Connection San Mateo, CA | Charitable Contribution | $2,000 |
| Chinese Church In Christ San Jose, CA | Donation | $1,000 |
| Nimitz Elememtary School Sunnyvale, CA | Charity Purpose | $1,000 |
| University of California Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Charity Purpose | $1,000 |
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Charitable Contribution | $1,000 |
| Sunnyvale Community Services Sunnyvale, CA | Charitable Contribution | $1,000 |
| Fremont Union High School Districtf Sunnyvale, CA | Charitable Contribution | $850 |
| Cupertino Middle School Sunnyvale, CA | Charity Purpose | $518 |
| The Home of Christ Church in Cupert Cupertino, CA | Donation | $500 |
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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 | $1,477,390 | $78,388 | $59,183 | $30,174 | 15 | $48,201 | $78,360 | $70,278 |
| 2024 | $1,311,823 | $374,670 | $46,313 | $21,865 | 12 | $35,331 | $367,670 | $50,722 |
| 2023 | $912,203 | $13,674 | $26,306 | $12,350 | 10 | $35,815 | $3,674 | $34,246 |
| 2022 | $439,630 | $10,837 | $27,318 | $19,650 | 11 | $35,318 | $520 | $31,780 |
| 2021 | $855,517 | $11,182 | $30,542 | $26,200 | 13 | — | $8,336 | $42,408 |
| 2020 | $867,690 | $8,841 | $34,379 | $31,300 | 11 | — | $6,941 | $32,130 |
| 2019 | $694,627 | $-12,583 | $31,177 | $24,399 | 8 | — | $2,494 | $33,302 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, CQ Foundation reported a distributable amount of $70K 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 mission statement for CQ Foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for education, religious organizations, and community services. Sunnyvale Community Services, which received $1,000, describes its mission as preventing homelessness and hunger for low-income Sunnyvale residents facing temporary crises. Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, which received $300, describes its work as charitable and humanitarian services, including medical care, education, international relief, environmental protection, and community volunteering.
Grantmaking
In 2025, CQ Foundation reported 15 grants totaling $30,174. Grant amounts ranged from $110 to $20,000, with a median of $850. The largest grants included $20,000 to Stanford University; $2,000 to Bay Area Cancer Connection; and $1,000 each to Chinese Church In Christ, Nimitz Elementary School, the University of California Berkeley, Harvard University, and Sunnyvale Community Services.
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. The filing also says the board approved a $15,000 set-aside during the fiscal year ended November 30, 2023, to be distributed no later than November 30, 2025; that date has passed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Zhenfang Chen as CEO and Meng Qin as CFO and Secretary.
CQ Foundation is led by Zhenfang Chen, CEO on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Zhenfang Chen
CEO
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Meng Qin
CFO & Secretary
On filings since 2019
6 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 CQ Foundation
How much does CQ Foundation give each year?
CQ Foundation gave $30K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $22K across 12 grants.
What is CQ Foundation's typical grant size?
CQ Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $850, and its average grant was $2,012, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from CQ Foundation that year got $816 on average.
Where does CQ Foundation give grants?
CQ Foundation gives mostly in California: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Sunnyvale, CA (4 grants).
Who are CQ Foundation's largest grantees?
CQ Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Stanford University ($20,000), Bay Area Cancer Connection ($2,000) and Chinese Church In Christ ($1,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is CQ Foundation?
CQ Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $48K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $70K (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 CQ Foundation fund?
No mission statement for CQ Foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for education, religious organizations, and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from CQ Foundation?
The foundation 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 CQ Foundation's EIN?
CQ Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3878697. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does CQ 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 10, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in CQ Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from CQ Foundation'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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