Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation
The Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2005 and based in Los Angeles, California. Named after the mother and older sister of acclaimed film and television writer, director, and producer James L. Brooks, the foundation operates as a preselected grantmaker that identifies and supports organizations through trustee discretion rather than accepting unsolicited applications. The foundation does not maintain a public website.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$66.0M
+33.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.8M
-10.9% YoY
Grant Count
23
-23.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$253K
+16.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation focuses on education, health care, environmental conservation, poverty relief, and assistance for entertainment industry professionals. Specific funding priorities include:
- Education: Higher education and university education
- Health: In-patient medical care, hospital care, mental health care, and various diseases and conditions
- Housing & Poverty Alleviation: Supportive housing, shelters, and poverty relief initiatives
- Community Support: Organizations serving vulnerable populations
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Grantmaking is conducted through trustee discretion, with the foundation identifying and approaching organizations directly.
Grant Range
$5,000 to $1,500,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation concentrates its giving in major urban centers including Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, with additional support for national organizations. Geographic areas of focus include California, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and grants distributed across the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $66,018,494
- Total revenue: $27,734,966
- Total expenses: $6,226,289
- Total liabilities: $0
Historical Assets (2023):
- Approximately $49.5 million
Tax Status:
- 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
- Tax-exempt since December 2005
- EIN: 20-2653929
- Required to file Form 990-PF
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $66,018,494 | $49,512,595 | $53,798,429 |
| Revenue | $27,734,966 | $3,361,780 | $27,820,860 |
| Expenses | $6,226,289 | $7,095,570 | $12,058,369 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $5,815,500 | $6,625,863 | $12,058,369 |
| Net Investment Income | $10,179,824 | $1,104,551 | $9,343,729 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,952,258 | $2,680,150 | $2,638,474 |
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
142 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include La Youth Network Dba Emerging Stronger ($507,500), My Friend's Place ($505,000), Hola - Heart of Los Angeles ($500,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CEDARS SINAI MED CTR LOS ANGELES, CA | SUPPORTS ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $275,000 |
| CHILDREN OF HEROES OF UKRAINE FOUNDATION DENVER, CO | SUPPORTS ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $100,000 |
| COVENANT HOUSE CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES, CA | SUPPORTS ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $300,000 |
| HAMMER MUSEUM LOS ANGELES, CA | SUPPORTS ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $25,000 |
| HOLA - HEART OF LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES, CA | SUPPORTS ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $500,000 |
| JERICHO PROJECT NEW YORK, NY | SUPPORTS ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $500,000 |
| LA YOUTH NETWORK DBA EMERGING STRONGER LOS ANGELES, CA | SUPPORTS ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $507,500 |
| LACP LOS ANGELES, CA | SUPPORTS ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $50,000 |
| MAKE GOOD INC LOS ANGELES, CA | SUPPORTS ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $200,000 |
| MY FRIEND'S PLACE LOS ANGELES, CA | SUPPORTS ORGANIZATION'S CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $505,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key Personnel:
- James L. Brooks: President (serves without compensation)
- William Broder: Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
- Additional vice-presidents from the Brooks family (serve without compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES L BROOKS | PRESIDENT | 0.5 | — |
| WILLIAM BRODER | CFO AND SECRETARY | 0.25 | — |
| AMY BROOKS | VICE-PRESIDENT | — | — |
| CHLOE BROOKS | VICE-PRESIDENT | — | — |
| COOPER BROOKS | VICE-PRESIDENT | — | — |
| JOSEPH BROOKS | VICE-PRESIDENT | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation fund?
The foundation focuses on education, health care, environmental conservation, poverty relief, and assistance for entertainment industry professionals. Specific funding priorities include: • **Education**: Higher education and university education • **Health**: In-patient medical care, hospital care, mental health care, and various diseases and conditions • **Housing & Poverty Alleviation**: Supportive housing, shelters, and poverty relief initiatives • **Community Support**: Organizations servi…
How do I apply for a grant from Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: Approximately $6.5 million (2023) • Grant range: $5,000 to $1,500,000 • Number of grants: 27-30 awards annually • Typical award range: $7,700 to $1,000,000 **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Grantmaking is conducted through trustee discretion, with the foundation identifying and approaching organizations directly. **Recent Grants (2024):** • My Friend's Place / M F Place Inc: $505,000 • Heart of Los Angeles (HOL…
Where does Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation make grants?
The foundation concentrates its giving in major urban centers including Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, with additional support for national organizations. Geographic areas of focus include California, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and grants distributed across the United States.
What size grants does Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation award?
In 2024, Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation awarded 23 grants totaling $5.8M — an average of about $253K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation's EIN?
Diane and Dorothy Brooks Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2653929. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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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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