Dr Seuss Foundation
Dr. Seuss Foundation is a private foundation based in San Diego, California. It supports education and literacy programs that promote learning, foster imagination, and expand opportunities, with particular interest in early learning and literacy for children.
Dr Seuss Foundation at a glance
In short: Dr Seuss Foundation gave $2.2M across 1 grant in 2024 (avg $2.2M), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,232,234
- +11.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 1
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,232,234
- +11.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,232,234
- Total assets
- $64,969,085
- +16.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Dr Seuss Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Its filing says the first step is to submit a letter of intent and create an organizational profile. The filing describes three U.S. funding cycles per year or funding by invitation. It does not fund individuals; private foundations or regranting organizations; debt retirement or operating deficits; unsolicited special-event or gala sponsorships; lobbying or candidate support; or activities for religious or doctoral purposes. Faith-based organizations may apply for program support. Endowment or capital-development grants are considered only rarely.
- Review Cycle
- The filing does not specify dates for the funding cycles.
- Deadline
- The filing does not specify dates for the funding cycles.
- Contact
Application contact: Katie Rast
Mailing address: PO Box 33305, San Diego, CA 92163
Phone: (619) 733-8050
Website: https://drseussfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Dr Seuss Foundation
Who Dr Seuss Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was San Diego Foundation ($2.2M).
Grant Size Distribution
27 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 25 grants of 27 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its Ready to Learn and Bright Futures work as supporting children and organizations in the San Diego region or San Diego County. The 2024 filing’s only itemized grant went to San Diego Foundation in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2024 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How Dr Seuss Foundation gives
- In 2024 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1 (2022) to $2.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 1 grant totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Foundation San Diego, CA | Contribution made to award grants to various charities that enable community solutions and support literacy, literature, and education. | $2,232,234 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing describes investment-related changes in value for Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. and Geisel-Seuss Enterprises, Inc. as program-related entries.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $64,969,085 | $4,244,485 | $3,317,362 | $2,232,234 | 1 | $2,509,825 | $4,035,732 | $2,184,871 |
| 2023 | $55,778,403 | $772,049 | $2,978,215 | $2,000,000 | 1 | $2,167,076 | $1,632,904 | $2,258,299 |
| 2022 | $47,766,281 | $1,421,632 | $3,168,267 | $1 | 1 | $74,967 | $1,604,056 | $2,145,472 |
| 2021 | $57,293,616 | $3,284,700 | $904,775 | — | — | $49,049 | $3,067,484 | $2,142,770 |
| 2020 | $50,457,663 | $7,616,176 | $480,818 | $105,500 | 24 | — | $2,508,782 | $2,194,337 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dr Seuss Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to foster literacy in all its forms by financially supporting and partnering with organizations that share this goal. Its website emphasizes early childhood education, literacy development from birth through kindergarten, play-based and experiential learning, language development, and social-emotional development. It describes five interconnected forms of literacy: language; arts and creativity; social and emotional development; reading, writing, and math; and the environment.
In its description of 2024 grantmaking, the foundation said it supported programs that help children enter school ready to learn and thrive. The grantees it listed included organizations whose programs, as described by the foundation, addressed family literacy, reading comprehension, bilingual learning, arts education, and environmental education.
Grantmaking
The 2024 filing reports one grant totaling $2,232,234, made to San Diego Foundation. The stated purpose was to support grants to charities working on community solutions and literacy, literature, and education. Separately, the foundation’s website reports that it awarded $890,375 to 15 nonprofits for 2024 programs supporting literacy.
In 2025, the foundation reported awarding $1,050,000 to 18 local nonprofits through the inaugural Ready to Learn grant round, in partnership with San Diego Foundation. In January 2026, the foundations announced a common application for two opportunities: Bright Futures, supporting children up to age 8, and Ready to Learn, supporting children from birth to age 5. Each opportunity announced $1 million in total funding, with grants of up to $60,000 per organization. The application announcement described that cycle; it is not presented here as currently open. In May 2026, the foundation and San Diego Foundation announced $2 million in grants for 38 organizations through the two initiatives.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Claudia Prescott as president emerita; Brian Schottlaender as president; Jay Hill as executive director; Ted Owens as vice president; Satomi Saito as treasurer; Katie Rast as secretary; Lucia Wiechers Garay as trustee; and Briea Emory as program manager.
Dr Seuss Foundation is led by Jay Hill, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 2 of 8 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jay Hill
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$69K (2020) → $193K (2024)
Brian Schottlaender
President
Vice President & Treasurer → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ted Owens
Vise President
Secretary → Vise President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lucia Wiechers Garay
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Claudia Prescott
President Emerita
President → President Emerita, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$10K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Briea Emory
Program Manager
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$75K (2023) → $82K (2024)
Katie Rast
Secretary
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Satomi Saito
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $193K, to Jay Hill (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Dr Seuss Foundation
How much does Dr Seuss Foundation give each year?
Dr Seuss Foundation gave $2.2M across 1 grant in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.0M across 1 grant.
How large is Dr Seuss Foundation?
Dr Seuss Foundation reported $65.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Dr Seuss Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to foster literacy in all its forms by financially supporting and partnering with organizations that share this goal. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Dr Seuss Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Dr Seuss Foundation make grants?
The foundation’s website describes its Ready to Learn and Bright Futures work as supporting children and organizations in the San Diego region or San Diego County. The 2024 filing’s only itemized grant went to San Diego Foundation in California.
What is Dr Seuss Foundation's EIN?
Dr Seuss Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6029752. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Dr Seuss Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Dr Seuss 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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