Ellis Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Del Mar, California. It reported 17 grants totaling $93,150 in 2025, supporting organizations including cultural, educational, child advocacy, homelessness, health, and journalism organizations.
Key facts about Ellis Family Foundation
In short: Ellis Family Foundation gave $93K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in California. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 33-0970243
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $93,150
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- Average grant
- $5,479
- Median grant
- $2,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (3 of 17, 2025)
- Total assets
- $586,473
- Primary geography
- California (67% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$586K
-6.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$93K
+28.9% YoY
Grant Count
17
+13.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5K
+13.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ellis Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $41K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Ellis Family Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 17 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $3K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+18%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 245% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied purposes. For example, Voices for Children says it transforms the lives of abused children by providing court-appointed special advocates, and the Regional Task Force on the Homeless says it exists to reduce and end homelessness in San Diego. Texas Christian University describes itself as an institution of higher education; Voice of San Diego says it delivers investigative journalism for the San Diego region and seeks to increase civic participation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $93,150. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $30,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest awards included $30,000 to Balboa Park Conservancy, $21,400 to Texas Christian University, and $10,000 to Voices for Children. Other grants included $5,000 each to Christopher Newport University, Regional Task Force on the Homeless, and Project Restore Hope.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in California (67%), Texas (23%), Virginia (6%), Pennsylvania (3%), and Utah (1%). These figures describe the locations of that year’s recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $35K (2020) to $93K (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $93K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Balboa Park Conservancy ($30K). Together the top 10 received $86K.
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 84 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Balboa Park Conservancy San Diego, CA | Preserve Beauty of Balboa Park | $30,000 |
| Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX | Fulfill the University's Mission to Strengthen the University | $21,400 |
| Voices for Children San Diego, CA | Volunteers to serve as court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children | $10,000 |
| Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA | To Support Post-Secondary Education | $5,000 |
| Regional Task Force on the Homeless San Diego, CA | Reduce and End Homelessness in San Diego | $5,000 |
| Project Restore Hope Solana Beach, CA | Support Purpose Built Systems for Warriors to Connect | $5,000 |
| Rady's Children's Hospital of SD San Diego, CA | To Support Children's Medical Services and Research | $2,500 |
| Children's Hospital - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | To Support Children's Medical Services and Research | $2,500 |
| Jacob Slania Memorial Fund San Diego, CA | Help Family After Loss of a Family Member | $2,500 |
| Voice of San Diego San Diego, CA | Help to Deliver Investigative Journalism | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $586,473 | $60,016 | $103,747 | $93,150 |
| 2024 | $630,204 | $183,784 | $81,535 | $72,260 |
| 2023 | $579,873 | $21,683 | $86,606 | $77,800 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $586,473 | $630,204 | $579,873 |
| Revenue | $60,016 | $183,784 | $21,683 |
| Expenses | $103,747 | $81,535 | $86,606 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $99,506 | $77,637 | $83,122 |
| Net Investment Income | $55,775 | $79,180 | $19,146 |
| Distributable Amount | $40,630 | $40,029 | $32,357 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 19, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 21, 2025)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Raymond G. Ellis as President and Gina T. Ellis as Secretary/Treasurer.
Ellis Family Foundation is led by Raymond G. Ellis, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Raymond G. Ellis
President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gina T. Ellis
Sec'y & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 15005 Tierra Alta, Del Mar, CA 92014
Phone: (858) 875-1100
Frequently asked questions about Ellis Family Foundation
How much does Ellis Family Foundation give each year?
Ellis Family Foundation gave $93K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $72K across 15 grants.
What is Ellis Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Ellis Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $5,479, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ellis Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Ellis Family Foundation give grants?
Ellis Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Texas (23%) and Virginia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (7 grants).
Does Ellis Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Ellis Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Ellis Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Ellis Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Balboa Park Conservancy ($30,000), Texas Christian University ($21,400) and Voices for Children ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ellis Family Foundation?
Ellis Family Foundation reported $586K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $100K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $41K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ellis Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ellis Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ellis Family Foundation's EIN?
Ellis Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0970243. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Ellis Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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