Garfield Family Foundation

SAN DIEGO, CA EIN: 95-6111572

The Garfield Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Diego, California, established in 1965. The foundation operates as a nonprofit public benefit corporation and maintains an active status with the California Secretary of State.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$2.2M

-9.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$150K

-19.6% YoY

Grant Count

+16.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$5K

-31.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Garfield Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $191K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation does not have a publicly stated mission statement. However, based on recent grantmaking activity, the foundation supports initiatives in:

Arts and culture
Education
Religion
Human services
Housing and supportive services

Grantmaking

The foundation made 24 grants totaling approximately $187,000 in 2024. Recent notable grants include:

Grant Range

approximately $33,000

Average Grant

approximately $33,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds projects in:

California
Massachusetts
New York
Pennsylvania

Grant Distribution by State

California $609K (89%)

New York $75K (11%)

Pennsylvania $3K (0%)

Massachusetts $250 (0%)

States

California Massachusetts New York Pennsylvania

Cities

Beverly HillsBrooklynEl CajonEncinitasFallbrookGlendaleLa JollaLos AngelesNew YorkNorthridgeRancho Santa FeRancho Santa FeeRedwood CitySan DiegoSan MateoSaratiga SpringsStanfordStonehamWarrington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (as of March 2024)

Total assets: $2,181,784
Total revenue: $81,118
Total expenses: $256,158
Expense ratio: 296.7% of total revenue

Funding Sources

The foundation received a $10,000 grant from the Alice and Phil Cohn Family Foundation in 2024 to further its work.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$2,181,784	$2,397,824	$2,502,675
Revenue	$81,118	$74,143	$111,134
Expenses	$256,158	$219,994	$127,722
Qualifying Distributions	$245,121	$190,074	$115,847
Net Investment Income	$70,681	$63,807	$100,259
Distributable Amount	$191,209	$185,342	$217,101

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

105 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include A Community of Friends ($40,000), Jewish Community Center ($28,000), Scripps Health ($10,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
A COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS LOS ANGELES, CA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$40,000
ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION SAN DIEGO, CA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$250
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE NEW YORK, NY	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$500
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE (ADL) NEW YORK, NY	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$5,000
COLT COEUR THEATER BROOKLYN, NY	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$500
CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL SAN DIEGO, CA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$5,575
FEMINIST MAJORITY FOUNDATION BEVERLY HILLS, CA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$500
FOUNDATION FOR SAN MATEO COUNTY LIBRARIES (SMCL) SAN MATEO, CA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$2,500
ISRAEL GUIDE DOG WARRINGTON, PA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$1,000
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER LA JOLLA, CA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$28,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is led by:

Melissa Garfield Bartell – President/Chief Executive Officer
Michael Bartell – Vice President/Chief Financial Officer
Elizabeth Garfield – Secretary

All board members serve without compensation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MELISSA GARFIELD BARTELL	PRESIDENT	1	—
MICHAEL BARTELL	VICE PRESIDENT	1	—
ELIZABETH GARFIELD	SECRETARY	1	—

Contact Information

Principal Address

4238 Balboa Ave San Diego, CA 92117

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Garfield Family Foundation fund?

The foundation does not have a publicly stated mission statement. However, based on recent grantmaking activity, the foundation supports initiatives in: • Arts and culture • Education • Religion • Human services • Housing and supportive services

How do I apply for a grant from Garfield Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity (2024)** The foundation made 24 grants totaling approximately $187,000 in 2024. Recent notable grants include: • A Community of Friends (ACOF): $40,000 for charitable purposes • Lawrence Family Jewish Community Centers of San Diego County: $28,000 for charitable purposes • Scripps Health: $10,000 for charitable purposes **Grant Characteristics** • Typical award range: $200–$40,000 • Average grant size: approximately $33,000 • Median grant size: varies by funding cycle The found…

Where does Garfield Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds projects in: • California • Massachusetts • New York • Pennsylvania

What size grants does Garfield Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Garfield Family Foundation awarded 28 grants totaling $150K — an average of about $5K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Garfield Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Garfield Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $191K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.