Deacon Charitable Foundation
The Deacon Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Citrus Heights, California. It supports nonprofit organizations and community programs addressing human services, animal welfare, and environmental needs in communities where Deacon operates.
Deacon Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Deacon Charitable Foundation gave $381K across 111 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state California. 45% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $381,428
- +2.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 111
- -12.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,436
- +17.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,700
- Total assets
- $1,513,041
- -9.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (41 of 92, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (47% 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 Deacon Charitable Foundation
- Invitation Only
-
Applications are accepted by invitation only. Organizations should review the support guidelines, sign up through the foundation’s application platform, and contact the Giving Committee closest to the organization. Invited organizations submit an application through that platform. Applications are reviewed by the relevant local committee; the foundation says a committee member may request a site visit or presentation after initial review. Final decisions are made by the local Giving Committee. The review process usually takes 60 days or less.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing lists no deadlines. The website says local committees have separate grant dates and that grant season starts in the spring.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists no deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Deacon Charitable Foundation
Mailing address: 7745 Greenback Lane Suite 250, Citrus Heights, CA 95610
Phone: (916) 969-0900
Website: https://deaconcharitablefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Deacon Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Montley Zoo Animal Rescue ($15K). Together the top 10 received $106K.
Grant Size Distribution
568 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 568 grants of 568 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s application guidelines identify Washington, Oregon, and California as eligible service areas, with programs serving communities near its Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, and Pleasanton offices noted in the guidelines. Its website also says it has partnered with organizations across Oregon, California, and Washington, and now Idaho.
In 2025, 47% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 26% to Oregon, and 23% to Washington. The remaining listed shares were 2% to Washington, DC, and less than 1% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 111 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Deacon Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 41 of 92 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 36% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 51% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 471% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $189K (2019) to $381K (2025). In 2025 it made 111 grants totaling $381K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Montley Zoo Animal Rescue Redmond, WA | Animal Welfare | $15,000 |
| All About Equine Animal Rescue Inc El Dorado Hills, CA | Animal Welfare | $10,058 |
| Project Lemonade Inc Portland, OR | Community | $10,000 |
| Seattle Veterinary Outreach Seattle, WA | Animal Welfare | $10,000 |
| Youth Homes Inc Concord, CA | Children & Families | $10,000 |
| Friendship Adventures Kirkland, WA | HEALTH | $10,000 |
| The Healing Center Seattle, WA | HEALTH | $10,000 |
| Tilth Alliance Seattle, WA | HEALTH | $10,000 |
| American Red Cross - Los Angeles Fires Washington, DC | Disaster Relief | $8,000 |
| Chais Inc Canby, OR | Animal Welfare | $8,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Deacon Charitable Foundation?
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 | $1,513,041 | $244,666 | $397,260 | $381,428 | 111 | $397,260 | $73,020 | $84,412 |
| 2024 | $1,665,880 | $413,604 | $390,117 | $370,894 | 127 | $390,117 | $76,650 | $92,410 |
| 2023 | $1,642,393 | $752,140 | $349,910 | $340,195 | 103 | $349,910 | $47,486 | $91,541 |
| 2022 | $1,240,238 | $877,812 | $255,397 | $252,390 | 103 | $255,397 | $2,812 | $68,815 |
| 2021 | $617,823 | $384,934 | $234,674 | $220,419 | 124 | — | $434 | $37,786 |
| 2020 | $467,563 | $266,804 | $202,360 | $199,738 | 132 | — | $1,804 | $29,258 |
| 2019 | $403,119 | $149,303 | $192,395 | $188,935 | 112 | — | $2,913 | $26,194 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Deacon Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $84K 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
The foundation’s mission is to improve quality of life in the communities where people live or work by supporting organizations addressing vital community needs in human services, animal welfare, and the environment.
Its support guidelines include programs serving children and families, teens, seniors, and veterans, including work related to hunger, health, affordable housing, and education. Other listed areas include domestic violence, housing and homelessness, school and arts programs, animal protection, conservation, medical needs, and the environment.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate this range. All About Equine Animal Rescue describes its work as rescuing and rehabilitating animals and educating the public about horses. Youth Homes says it provides mental and behavioral health services for foster youth, underserved children, adolescents, young adults, and their families. Project Lemonade describes supporting youth aging out of care with resources, basic needs funding, activities, and job experience. Tilth Alliance says it works toward an ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially equitable food system.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 111 grants totaling $381,428. The grants ranged from $60 to $15,000, with a median of $2,700. Its website says grants generally range from $1,000 to $10,000 and may support operating costs, organizational strengthening, specific program development, or facility construction and renovation.
Among the largest 2025 awards were $15,000 to Montley Zoo Animal Rescue for animal welfare; $10,058 to All About Equine Animal Rescue; and $10,000 each to Project Lemonade, Seattle Veterinary Outreach, Youth Homes, Friendship Adventures, The Healing Center, and Tilth Alliance. The listed purposes included community, animal welfare, children and families, and health.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Steve Deacon as president; Richard Smith as vice president and secretary; Veronica Wences as executive director; and Kendra Howell Lackey, Anita Jain, Julie Earnest, Andrew Naegeli, Brandon Nelson, Rachel Diel, and Jake Faha as directors.
Deacon Charitable Foundation is led by Steve Deacon, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 11 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steve Deacon
President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Veronica Wences
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anita Jain
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Earnest
Director
Executive Director → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kendra Howell Lackey
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Naegeli
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Nelson
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jake Faha
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tim Collins
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Diel
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Smith
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Paul Cunha (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Ashley Aylsworth (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Brian King (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Jeanine Fuller (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Jarrod Fogle (2019) — Director
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 Deacon Charitable Foundation
How much does Deacon Charitable Foundation give each year?
Deacon Charitable Foundation gave $381K across 111 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $371K across 127 grants.
What is Deacon Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Deacon Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,700, and its average grant was $3,436, across 111 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Deacon Charitable Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Deacon Charitable Foundation give grants?
Deacon Charitable Foundation's top state is California, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Oregon (26%) and Washington (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, OR (29 grants), Sacramento, CA (10 grants), Seattle, WA (4 grants) and El Dorado Hills, CA (3 grants).
Does Deacon Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 111 grants with a stated purpose on Deacon Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community" (31 grants), "Animal Welfare" (15 grants) and "Children & Families" (15 grants).
Who are Deacon Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Deacon Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Montley Zoo Animal Rescue ($15,000), All About Equine Animal Rescue Inc ($11,558 across 2 grants) and Friendship Adventures ($11,500 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 10% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Deacon Charitable Foundation?
Deacon Charitable Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $397K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $84K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Deacon Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to improve quality of life in the communities where people live or work by supporting organizations addressing vital community needs in human services, animal welfare, and the environment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Deacon Charitable Foundation?
Applications are accepted by invitation only. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Deacon Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Deacon Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5702192. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
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 7, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Deacon Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Deacon Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/deacon-charitable-foundation-morg_ecb2bf74943f490db10005883853fbdb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205702192_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Deacon Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/deacon-charitable-foundation-morg_ecb2bf74943f490db10005883853fbdb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Deacon Charitable 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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