Frankel Family Foundation
The Frankel Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. It made 49 grants totaling $313,250 in filing year 2025 to charitable organizations, including organizations in the arts, media, social services, health, and civic participation.
Frankel Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Frankel Family Foundation gave $313K across 49 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in California. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $313,250
- +1.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 49
- +6.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,393
- -4.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,553,826
- +2.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (6 of 49, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (77% 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 Frankel Family 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 695 Fifth Street Suite 13, San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: (415) 777-3000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Frankel Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Community Federation ($25K). Together the top 10 received $167K.
Grant Size Distribution
253 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 249 grants of 253 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 77% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 11% to recipients in the District of Columbia, 3% each to recipients in Idaho and Alabama, and 2% to recipients in Arizona. The listed grants also show support for multiple San Francisco-area organizations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Frankel Family Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 49 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 34% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (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 $172K (2020) to $313K (2025). In 2025 it made 49 grants totaling $313K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Community Federation San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Voter Partcipation Center Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Kqed San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| San Francisco Ballet San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| San Francisco Opera San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Chronicle Season of Sharing San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| CPMC Foundation San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $12,000 |
| American Red Cross San Francisco, CA | Unristricted | $10,000 |
| Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| San Francisco Marin Food Bank San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Frankel 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 | $5,553,826 | $515,597 | $379,134 | $313,250 | 49 | $351,326 | $487,789 | $377,912 |
| 2024 | $5,416,113 | $1,057,193 | $355,500 | $309,060 | 46 | $344,194 | $1,045,887 | $334,345 |
| 2023 | $4,714,420 | $574,359 | $287,114 | $240,550 | 52 | $269,591 | $479,243 | $279,737 |
| 2022 | $4,427,175 | $509,707 | $275,972 | $233,850 | 52 | $263,711 | $497,446 | $269,467 |
| 2021 | $4,193,440 | $844,594 | $299,589 | $262,350 | 54 | $293,550 | $838,554 | $306,832 |
| 2020 | $3,648,435 | $543,759 | $198,525 | $172,250 | 46 | — | $239,187 | $218,684 |
| 2019 | $3,524,573 | $667,716 | $247,596 | $222,550 | 69 | — | $260,007 | $210,442 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Frankel Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $378K 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 grantees include organizations with varied missions. KQED describes its work as providing public-interest media, convening community dialogue, bringing the arts to audiences, and supporting students and teachers. Smuin Ballet says it creates contemporary dance and shares it through performances, classes, and community engagement.
Other grantees describe work that includes addressing poverty and supporting basic needs, as United Way of the Bay Area does; helping homeless families achieve housing stability, as Compass Family Services does; and providing health care and education while expanding access, as Planned Parenthood Mar Monte says it does. The Sierra Club Foundation describes its mission as educating and empowering people to protect and improve the natural and human environment.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 49 grants totaling $313,250. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $25,000, with a median of $5,000. Among the largest grants were $25,000 each to Jewish Community Federation and Voter Participation Center; $20,000 each to KQED, San Francisco Ballet, and San Francisco Opera; and $15,000 to Chronicle Season of Sharing. Other notable grants included $12,000 to CPMC Foundation and $10,000 each to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, Smuin Ballet, and ACLU Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas L. Frankel as president, David C. Frankel as director, and Ellen L. Frankel as secretary/treasurer.
Frankel Family Foundation is led by Thomas L. Frankel, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas L. Frankel
President
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David C. Frankel
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ellen L. Frankel
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/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.
Frequently asked questions about Frankel Family Foundation
How much does Frankel Family Foundation give each year?
Frankel Family Foundation gave $313K across 49 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $309K across 46 grants.
What is Frankel Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Frankel Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,393, across 49 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Frankel Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Frankel Family Foundation give grants?
Frankel Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (28 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), Montgomery, AL (2 grants) and Ketchum, ID (2 grants).
Does Frankel Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 92% of Frankel Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 49) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Unristricted" (4 grants).
Who are Frankel Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Frankel Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Community Federation ($25,000), Voter Partcipation Center ($25,000) and Kqed ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Frankel Family Foundation?
Frankel Family Foundation reported $5.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $351K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $378K (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 Frankel Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. KQED describes its work as providing public-interest media, convening community dialogue, bringing the arts to audiences, and supporting students and teachers. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Frankel 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 Frankel Family Foundation's EIN?
Frankel Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0358979. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Frankel Family 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 March 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Frankel Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Frankel Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/frankel-family-foundation-morg_41e0060890924338bf206ecf12d82d66
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260358979_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Frankel Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/frankel-family-foundation-morg_41e0060890924338bf206ecf12d82d66},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Frankel 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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