Frances Saunders Foundation
The Frances Saunders Foundation is a private foundation based in Merced, California. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations involved in pro-life education, poverty relief, religious education, and support for pregnant women.
Frances Saunders Foundation at a glance
In short: Frances Saunders Foundation gave $37K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in California. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $36,800
- +55.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +36.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,453
- +14.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $503,970
- +3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (56% 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 Frances Saunders Foundation
- 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. No application materials or other application process are specified.
- Contact
Mailing address: 388 E Yosemite Ave Suite 200-B, Merced, CA 95340
Phone: (209) 722-6794
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Frances Saunders Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Alpha Pregnancy ($10K). Together the top 10 received $33K.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 66 grants of 66 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grants went to recipients in California (56% of grant dollars), Virginia (16%), Alaska (10%), Kansas (8%), and Florida (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Frances Saunders Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 15 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 49% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 156% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $24K (2024) to $88K (2019). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $37K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Pregnancy Merced, CA | Support for Pro-Life Education | $10,000 |
| Live Action Arlington, VA | Support for Pro-Life | $5,000 |
| United for Life of Merced County Merced, CA | Support for Pro-Life Education | $4,000 |
| Unbound Kansas City, KS | Critical Needs Program | $3,000 |
| Knom Radio Missions Anchorage, AK | Support for Faith-Based Radio | $2,800 |
| St Patrick's Parish Merced, CA | Support for the Poor and Needy | $2,500 |
| California Right to Life Napa, CA | Support for Pro Life Education | $2,000 |
| Priests for Life Cocoa, FL | Pro-Life Education/Services | $1,500 |
| JMJ Maternity Homes Merced, CA | Support for Home for Pregnant Women | $1,500 |
| Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska Fairbanks, AK | Support for Religious Education/TRNG | $1,000 |
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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 | $503,970 | $73,174 | $58,189 | $36,800 | 15 | $36,800 | $72,221 | $23,594 |
| 2024 | $488,985 | $45,925 | $43,462 | $23,650 | 11 | $23,650 | $45,422 | $23,268 |
| 2023 | $486,898 | $60,275 | $61,824 | $40,500 | 13 | $40,500 | $58,947 | $23,214 |
| 2022 | $488,447 | $113,016 | $94,743 | $71,750 | 12 | $71,750 | $113,001 | $22,105 |
| 2021 | $469,874 | $61,358 | $48,497 | $26,950 | 15 | $26,950 | $61,343 | $21,972 |
| 2020 | $457,013 | $99,106 | $91,925 | $84,250 | 28 | — | $62,966 | $21,715 |
| 2019 | $449,832 | $88,120 | $92,240 | $87,940 | 31 | — | $53,105 | $21,959 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Frances Saunders Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24K 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 2025 grants included support for pro-life education and services, a home for pregnant women, religious education, faith-based radio, and people in need.
Among its grantees, Live Action says it works to defend preborn children’s human rights through educational media, storytelling, and investigative reporting. Unbound describes its mission as supporting families and communities worldwide on their self-directed paths out of poverty. Food for the Poor says it links churches to help the materially poor through local churches, clergy, and lay leaders, and to renew the poor in spirit through relationship and service. Students for Life of America says it seeks to empower young people to join its human-rights movement, lead initiatives, and provide resources while supporting people facing an unplanned pregnancy.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $36,800. Grants ranged from $500 to $10,000, with a median grant of $1,500.
The largest reported grants were $10,000 to Alpha Pregnancy in Merced for pro-life education; $5,000 to Live Action for pro-life work; $4,000 to United for Life of Merced County for pro-life education; and $3,000 to Unbound for its Critical Needs Program. Other reported grants included $2,800 to KNOM Radio Missions for faith-based radio, $2,500 to St. Patrick’s Parish for people in need, and $1,500 to JMJ Maternity Homes for a home for pregnant women.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Cyril Lawrence and Marcia Hall as directors.
Frances Saunders Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cyril Lawrence
Director
On filings since 2019
$3K (2024) → $3K (2025)
Marcia Hall
Director
On filings since 2019
$2K (2023) → $3K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Frances Saunders (2019–2020) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $3K, to Cyril Lawrence (Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Frances Saunders Foundation
How much does Frances Saunders Foundation give each year?
Frances Saunders Foundation gave $37K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $24K across 11 grants.
What is Frances Saunders Foundation's typical grant size?
Frances Saunders Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,453, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Frances Saunders Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Frances Saunders Foundation give grants?
Frances Saunders Foundation gives mostly in California: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (16%) and Alaska (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Merced, CA (5 grants).
Does Frances Saunders Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Frances Saunders Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support for Pro-Life Education" (4 grants) and "Support for the Poor and Needy" (3 grants).
Who are Frances Saunders Foundation's largest grantees?
Frances Saunders Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Alpha Pregnancy ($10,000), Live Action ($5,000) and United for Life of Merced County ($4,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Frances Saunders Foundation?
Frances Saunders Foundation reported $504K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $37K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $24K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Frances Saunders Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for pro-life education and services, a home for pregnant women, religious education, faith-based radio, and people in need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Frances Saunders 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 Frances Saunders Foundation's EIN?
Frances Saunders Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-2718331. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Frances Saunders 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 May 16, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 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 May 10, 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 May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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