Delbert W Coleman Foundation
The Delbert W Coleman Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. It made 16 grants totaling $1,270,000 in 2025 and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Delbert W Coleman Foundation at a glance
In short: Delbert W Coleman Foundation gave $1.3M across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $79K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,270,000
- +65.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +128.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $79,375
- -27.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $27,077,924
- +4.6% vs 2024
- 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.
How to apply to Delbert W Coleman Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Requests must be in writing and contain a history of the organization. Awards are limited to educational, scientific, religious, and medical research.
- Contact
Application contact: Delbert W Coleman Foundation
Mailing address: 615 Front Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 500-6900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Delbert W Coleman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mayo Clinic ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
31 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 12 grants of 31 (39%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the shares of grant dollars by recipient state were California 47%, Massachusetts 21%, Minnesota 20%, New York 9%, and New Jersey 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
How Delbert W Coleman Foundation gives
- 31% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 735% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 84% 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 (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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $35K (2020) to $1.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | General Charity | $250,000 |
| Deerfield Academy Deerfield, MA | General Charity | $240,000 |
| San Francisco Marin Food Bank San Francisco, CA | General Charity | $150,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund New York, NY | General Charity | $110,000 |
| Tipping Point Community San Francisco, CA | General Charity | $100,000 |
| Eisenhower Health Foundation Rancho Mirage, CA | General Charity | $60,000 |
| American School of Paris Foundation Princeton, NJ | General Charity | $50,000 |
| Stanford University (Undergraduate Education College Program) Stanford, CA | General Charity | $50,000 |
| Stanford University (Humanities and Sciences) Stanford, CA | General Charity | $50,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $50,000 |
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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 | $27,077,924 | $2,556,054 | $1,322,894 | $1,270,000 | 16 | $1,286,470 | $2,519,632 | $1,526,832 |
| 2024 | $25,881,219 | $4,332,326 | $811,805 | $767,000 | 7 | $785,442 | $3,281,867 | $1,287,974 |
| 2023 | $22,712,215 | $19,532,307 | $166,771 | $130,000 | 3 | $144,368 | $129,121 | $782,021 |
| 2022 | $4,321,415 | $-250,800 | $188,008 | $152,105 | 1 | $170,058 | — | $147,194 |
| 2021 | $4,763,723 | $2,823,219 | $199,636 | $130,000 | 4 | $143,811 | $2,807,225 | $164,131 |
| 2020 | $2,136,640 | $2,865 | $64,937 | $35,000 | 1 | — | — | $147,488 |
| 2019 | $2,198,712 | $2,169,932 | — | — | — | — | $3,090 | $34,203 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Delbert W Coleman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M 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 the foundation is provided. Its filing identifies educational, scientific, religious, and medical research as the areas to which awards are limited.
Grantees’ own mission statements illustrate the range of organizations supported. Mayo Clinic says its mission is to provide patient care, education, and research that contribute to health and well-being. The California Academy of Sciences describes its mission as regenerating the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. Tipping Point Community says it builds community to advance promising poverty-fighting solutions, while the San Francisco Education Fund says it advances equitable education through learning programs, community support, and financial resources for teachers, students, and schools.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $1,270,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $250,000, with a median of $50,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $250,000 to Mayo Clinic, $240,000 to Deerfield Academy, $150,000 to San Francisco Marin Food Bank, $110,000 to Environmental Defense Fund, and $100,000 to Tipping Point Community. Other listed grants included $60,000 to Eisenhower Health Foundation and $50,000 each to the American School of Paris Foundation, three Stanford University programs, California Academy of Sciences, and San Francisco Education Fund. The foundation also gave $25,000 to American Promise Education Fund. The listed grant purposes were “general charity.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan Oberndorf as trustee.
Delbert W Coleman Foundation is led by Susan Oberndorf, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan Oberndorf
Trustee
On filings since 2019
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 Delbert W Coleman Foundation
How much does Delbert W Coleman Foundation give each year?
Delbert W Coleman Foundation gave $1.3M across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $767K across 7 grants.
What is Delbert W Coleman Foundation's typical grant size?
Delbert W Coleman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $79,375, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Delbert W Coleman Foundation give grants?
Delbert W Coleman 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 Massachusetts (21%) and Minnesota (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (6 grants) and Stanford, CA (3 grants).
Does Delbert W Coleman Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Delbert W Coleman Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Delbert W Coleman Foundation's largest grantees?
Delbert W Coleman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Mayo Clinic ($250,000), Deerfield Academy ($240,000) and San Francisco Marin Food Bank ($150,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Delbert W Coleman Foundation?
Delbert W Coleman Foundation reported $27.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (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 Delbert W Coleman Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its filing identifies educational, scientific, religious, and medical research as the areas to which awards are limited. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Delbert W Coleman Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Delbert W Coleman Foundation's EIN?
Delbert W Coleman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1681731. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Delbert W Coleman 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 27, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Delbert W Coleman Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Delbert W Coleman Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Delbert W Coleman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/delbert-w-coleman-foundation-morg_ddac323754584a18b16b4f77a34e0698
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_421681731_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Delbert W Coleman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/delbert-w-coleman-foundation-morg_ddac323754584a18b16b4f77a34e0698},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Delbert W Coleman 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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