The Davidow Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Woodside, California. Established in 1997, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status. The foundation functions as a private grantmaking entity that makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.2M
-63.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.1M
-46.4% YoY
Grant Count
33
-23.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$123K
-30.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Davidow Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $222K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary focus is education. Its grantmaking also encompasses philanthropy, voluntarism, grantmaking, and human services.
Grantmaking
The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations, indicating a non-solicited grantmaking approach.
Grant Range
$5,000
Average Grant
$167,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in California, New Hampshire, and New York, which account for 85% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 12 states, including California, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Vermont, and Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets (2024): $2,166,887
- Total assets (2023): $6,010,000
- Annual income (2024): $273,758
- Total expenses (2024): $4,116,767
- Total giving (2024): $4,065,500
Asset Trend: Total assets have declined significantly from $8.3 million in 2011 to $2.2 million in 2024.
Financial Position: The foundation reported negative revenue of $338,499 in 2023, indicating it is drawing down assets to support its grantmaking activities.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,166,887 | $6,009,895 | $13,969,882 |
| Revenue | $273,758 | $-338,499 | $385,982 |
| Expenses | $4,116,767 | $7,634,166 | $7,024,634 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,065,500 | $7,582,000 | $6,928,260 |
| Net Investment Income | $232,055 | $166,748 | $479,849 |
| Distributable Amount | $221,960 | $388,917 | $749,393 |
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
176 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Dartmouth College ($1,025,000), Colby Sawyer College ($1,000,000), The Nature Conservency ($895,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| WOODSIDE PRIORY PORTOLO VALLEY, CA | GENERAL FUND | $55,000 |
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PASADENA, CA | GENERAL FUND | $551,000 |
| ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY CANTON, NY | GENERAL FUND | $50,000 |
| OLD BARRACKS MUSEUM TRENTON, NJ | GENERAL FUND | $25,000 |
| SOLMATEO BURLINGAME, CA | GENERAL FUND | $10,000 |
| SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION OAKLAND, CA | GENERAL FUND | $1,000 |
| BEHIND THE BADGE REDMOND, WA | GENERAL FUND | $100 |
| SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL FUND | $5,000 |
| WHITE WOLF SANCTUARY TIDEWATER, OR | GENERAL FUND | $2,000 |
| COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE NEW LONDON, NH | GENERAL FUND | $1,000,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- William H. Davidow – President
- Sonja A. Davidow – President
- Carolyn Putney Davidow – Director
- Rebecca Logan Davidow – Director
The leadership team serves without compensation. The foundation is governed by 3 officers and trustees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAM H DAVIDOW SONJA A DAVIDOW | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| CAROLYN DAVIDOW PUTNEY | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| REBECCA DAVIDOW LOGAN | DIRECTOR | — | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Davidow Family Foundation fund?
The foundation's primary focus is education. Its grantmaking also encompasses philanthropy, voluntarism, grantmaking, and human services.
How do I apply for a grant from Davidow Family Foundation?
**Grant Activity & Patterns:** • Total grants awarded: 173 grants totaling $28.9 million across available records • Median grant size: $5,000 • Average grant size: $167,000 • Grant range: Up to $5 million • Annual giving has grown from $420,000 in 2020 to $7.6 million in 2023 • Peak grantmaking year was 2022 with $13.9 million distributed across 60 grants • Most recent year (2024): 30 grants made totaling approximately $4.1 million • The foundation has supported 94 unique organizations **Recent…
Where does Davidow Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily supports organizations in California, New Hampshire, and New York, which account for 85% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 12 states, including California, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Vermont, and Washington.
What size grants does Davidow Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Davidow Family Foundation awarded 33 grants totaling $4.1M — an average of about $123K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Davidow Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Davidow Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $222K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Davidow Family Foundation's EIN?
Davidow Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0449213. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Davidow Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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