Erath Family Foundation
The Erath Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Portland, Oregon. It gives priority to projects that advance science and education in enology and viticulture, with a stated emphasis on innovative approaches in these fields.
Erath Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Erath Family Foundation gave $311K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in Oregon. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $310,556
- +73.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,056
- +21.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $15,788,177
- +230.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (97% 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 Erath Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation welcomes proposals and invites organizations to submit an inquiry through its proposal form. It accepts unsolicited requests. The 2025 filing lists John D. Irvine as the application contact, says there is no specified form or required materials at this time, and states that grant applications will be considered only for Oregon projects advancing science and education in enology and viticulture.
- Contact
Application contact: John D Irvine
Mailing address: 345 Ne 102Nd Ave, Portland, OR 97220
Phone: (503) 252-8449
Website: https://www.erathfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Erath Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jackson County 4-H Master Gardener and Agricultural Extension Service CNT ($200K). Together the top 10 received $311K.
Grant Size Distribution
43 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 36 grants of 43 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Portland, Oregon. Its 2025 filing states that eligible projects must advance science and education in enology and viticulture in Oregon. The filing’s reported distribution of 2025 grant dollars was 97% to Oregon recipients, 2% to recipients in Washington, D.C., and 2% to recipients in California; percentages may not total 100% because of rounding.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Erath Family Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $52K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 42% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 50% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $112K (2020) to $311K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $311K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson County 4-H Master Gardener and Agricultural Extension Service CNT Medford, OR | Construction of Teaching & Event Pavilion | $200,000 |
| Agricultural Research Foundation Oregon State University Corvallis, OR | Research and Undergraduate Scholars Program | $75,556 |
| Union Gospel Mission Portland, OR | To provide meals, care, and recovery to the homeless | $10,000 |
| A Family Place McMinnville, OR | Relief Nursery | $5,000 |
| Douglas High School Winston, OR | To Support the Horticultural Program's Greenhouse Project | $5,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | General Support | $5,000 |
| National Grape Research Alliance Sacramento, CA | Grape Research | $5,000 |
| Ahivoy Amity, OR | General Support | $2,000 |
| Yamhill Community Action Partnership (Ycap) McMinnville, OR | To support the food bank for people in need | $1,500 |
| Canby Center Canby, OR | General Support | $1,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Erath Family 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 | $15,788,177 | $11,110,918 | $463,108 | $310,556 | 10 | $315,861 | $1,026,772 | $628,879 |
| 2024 | $4,775,289 | $1,294,835 | $208,407 | $178,758 | 7 | $181,593 | $252,521 | $223,369 |
| 2023 | $3,455,519 | $131,531 | $156,140 | $121,067 | 7 | $130,463 | $95,404 | $161,578 |
| 2022 | $3,133,289 | $234,471 | $255,226 | $219,241 | 12 | $223,140 | $194,182 | $166,058 |
| 2021 | $3,944,866 | $495,610 | $190,342 | $156,640 | 7 | $160,247 | $472,176 | $184,629 |
| 2020 | $3,780,533 | $147,794 | $139,996 | $111,800 | 10 | — | $122,383 | $162,175 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Erath Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $629K 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 stated priority is funding projects that catalyze innovative approaches to science and education in enology and viticulture. Its website lists past support for wine-related research, educational programs, scholarships, archives, equipment, and workshops.
The foundation’s 2025 filing says applications will be considered only for projects advancing science and education in enology and viticulture in Oregon. Its website says it funds only approved 501(c)(3) organizations.
Among the 2025 grantees, the National Grape Research Alliance describes its mission as driving research to maximize productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness in the American grape industries. AHIVOY describes its mission as strengthening the Oregon wine community by empowering vineyard stewards through education. World Central Kitchen describes its mission as providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $310,556. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $200,000, with a median of $5,000.
The largest 2025 grants were $200,000 to Jackson County 4-H Master Gardener and Agricultural Extension Service Center for construction of a teaching and event pavilion, and $75,556 to the Agricultural Research Foundation at Oregon State University for research and an undergraduate scholars program. Other listed grants included $10,000 to Union Gospel Mission for meals, care, and recovery services for people experiencing homelessness; $5,000 each to A Family Place, Douglas High School, World Central Kitchen, and the National Grape Research Alliance; $2,000 to AHIVOY; and $1,500 each to Yamhill Community Action Partnership and Canby Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John D. Irvine as secretary; John A. Hirschy as president; and Greg Jones, PhD, Bill Nelson, Leigh Bartholomew, Anthony King, and Alison Sokol Blosser as directors.
Erath Family Foundation is led by John A. Hirschy, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John A. Hirschy
President
Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anthony King
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bill Nelson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Jones PhD
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leigh Bartholomew
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alison Sokol Blosser
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John D. Irvine
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Richard C. Erath (2020–2023) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Erath Family Foundation
How much does Erath Family Foundation give each year?
Erath Family Foundation gave $311K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $179K across 7 grants.
What is Erath Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Erath Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $31,056, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Erath Family Foundation that year got $52K on average.
Where does Erath Family Foundation give grants?
Erath Family Foundation gives mostly in Oregon: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were McMinnville, OR (2 grants).
Does Erath Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 30% of Erath Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Erath Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Erath Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jackson County 4-H Master Gardener and Agricultural Extension Service CNT ($200,000), Agricultural Research Foundation Oregon State University ($75,556) and Union Gospel Mission ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Erath Family Foundation?
Erath Family Foundation reported $15.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $316K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $629K (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 Erath Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated priority is funding projects that catalyze innovative approaches to science and education in enology and viticulture. Its website lists past support for wine-related research, educational programs, scholarships, archives, equipment, and workshops. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Erath Family Foundation?
The foundation welcomes proposals and invites organizations to submit an inquiry through its proposal form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Erath Family Foundation's EIN?
Erath Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5237609. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Erath Family 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 5, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
Live grants for the work Erath Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Erath Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Erath Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/erath-family-foundation-morg_51bfe22c7bd84093bd8c843f27826ded
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205237609_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Erath Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/erath-family-foundation-morg_51bfe22c7bd84093bd8c843f27826ded},
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 Erath Family 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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