Garfield Family Foundation
The Garfield Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Diego, California. Its reported 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including housing and supportive services, community programming, contemporary art, education, and human services.
Garfield Family Foundation at a glance
- Total assets
- $140,514
- -93.6% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $29,540
- -63.6% vs 2024
- Qualifying distributions (2025)
- $46,398
- -81.1% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $51,034
- -80.1% vs 2024
- 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 Garfield Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation stated on its 2023 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4238 Balboa Avenue, San Diego, CA 92117
Phone: (858) 273-4431
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Garfield Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
105 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 105 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The listed 2024 recipients are based in California and New York. These include organizations in San Diego, La Jolla, Los Angeles, and San Luis Obispo, California, and Saratoga Springs, New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Is Garfield Family Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 28 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 54% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 36% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 69% 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 (2021–2024). 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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $116K (2022) to $234K (2021). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $150K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A Community of Friends Los Angeles, CA | Charitable Purposes | $40,000 |
| Jewish Community Center La Jolla, CA | Charitable Purposes | $28,000 |
| Scripps Health San Diego, CA | Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $10,000 |
| The Friends of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism New York, NY | Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Congregation Beth Israel San Diego, CA | Charitable Purposes | $5,575 |
| Anti-Defamation League (ADL) New York, NY | Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
| Mindsmatter New York, NY | Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego La Jolla, CA | Charitable Purposes | $4,650 |
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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 | $140,514 | $29,540 | $51,034 | — | — | $46,398 | $25,381 | $67,733 |
| 2024 | $2,181,784 | $81,118 | $256,158 | $150,265 | 28 | $245,121 | $70,681 | $191,209 |
| 2023 | $2,397,824 | $74,143 | $219,994 | $186,824 | 24 | $190,074 | $63,807 | $185,342 |
| 2022 | $2,502,675 | $111,134 | $127,722 | $115,582 | 25 | $115,847 | $100,259 | $217,101 |
| 2021 | $2,543,123 | $179,516 | $248,060 | $234,442 | 28 | — | $179,516 | $194,090 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Garfield Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $68K 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 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, A Community of Friends describes its work as developing and operating permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless people and families living with mental illness. The Jewish Community Center in San Luis Obispo says it fosters a united Central Coast community through spiritual, educational, social, and recreational activities based on Jewish principles. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego says it invites audiences to experience the world, region, and themselves through contemporary art.
Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions concern community philanthropy, family services, foster youth, and higher education.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $150,265. Reported grants ranged from $1,000 to $40,000 among the recipients listed here; no typical award size is provided. Notable grants included $40,000 to A Community of Friends and $28,000 to the Jewish Community Center in San Luis Obispo. Other listed grants included $4,650 to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and $2,000 to the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego. The foundation reported 24 grants totaling $186,824 in 2023 and no grants in 2025.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Melissa Garfield Bartell, President; Michael Bartell, Vice President; and Elizabeth Garfield, Secretary.
Garfield Family Foundation is led by Melissa Garfield Bartell, President since 2022 (on filings since 2021); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Melissa Garfield Bartell
President
President & CFO → President, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Garfield
Secretary
Secretary & Assistant CFO → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Bartell
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Garfield Family Foundation
How large is Garfield Family Foundation?
Garfield Family Foundation reported $141K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $46K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $68K (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 Garfield Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Garfield Family Foundation?
The foundation stated on its 2023 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Garfield Family Foundation make grants?
The listed 2024 recipients are based in California and New York. These include organizations in San Diego, La Jolla, Los Angeles, and San Luis Obispo, California, and Saratoga Springs, New York.
What is Garfield Family Foundation's EIN?
Garfield Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6111572. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Garfield 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Garfield 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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