George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos
George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos is a private foundation based in Berkeley, California. Its 2025 filing reports 18 grants totaling $111,200 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in the arts and humanities, environmental protection, media, education, animal welfare, and civil rights.
George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos at a glance
In short: George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos gave $111K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in California. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $111,200
- +6.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +12.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,178
- -5.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,903,604
- +10.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (6 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (70% 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 George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 7220, Berkeley, CA 94707
Phone: (415) 397-2373
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was UC Berkeley Foundation ($32K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $100K.
Grant Size Distribution
95 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 95 grants of 95 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California recipients received 70% of grant dollars. New York recipients received 13%, Virginia 8%, Washington, DC 4%, and Massachusetts 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 16 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 88% 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 $99K (2021) to $120K (2022). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $111K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley Foundation Berkeley, CA | Fund for Excellence in the Arts & Humanities | $30,000 |
| California Trout San Francisco, CA | General Support | $15,500 |
| Legal Defense Fund New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Kqed City of Industry, CA | General Support | $8,500 |
| PBS News Hour Arlington, VA | General Support | $8,500 |
| Earthjustice San Francisco, CA | General Support | $5,700 |
| Bard College AnnandaleonHudson, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Berkeley East Bay Humane Society Berkeley, CA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Jazz in the Neighborhood San Francisco, CA | Jazz in the Neighborhood | $5,000 |
| Working America Education Fund Washington, DC | General Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos?
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 | $2,903,604 | $136,739 | $143,453 | $111,200 | 18 | $115,490 | $114,997 | $130,906 |
| 2024 | $2,627,212 | $306,250 | $129,600 | $104,000 | 16 | $108,260 | $284,910 | $117,334 |
| 2023 | $2,297,953 | $104,645 | $128,836 | $107,000 | 22 | $111,260 | $87,069 | $107,162 |
| 2022 | $2,006,707 | $149,914 | $147,723 | $120,000 | 24 | $124,190 | $133,198 | $111,177 |
| 2021 | $2,735,192 | $335,296 | $120,907 | $98,700 | 15 | $102,655 | $317,787 | $123,956 |
| 2020 | $2,269,197 | $133,211 | $126,694 | $107,825 | 16 | — | $118,097 | $102,401 |
| 2019 | $2,320,060 | $53,827 | $139,131 | $114,700 | 18 | — | $36,051 | $112,281 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos reported a distributable amount of $131K 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 own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations in several fields. For example, California Trout describes its mission as ensuring healthy water and resilient wild fish; Earthjustice describes its work as using law and partnerships to protect health, wildlife, and the environment; and Golden Gate Bird Alliance describes its work as protecting native birds and habitats through education, conservation, and restoration.
Other 2025 grantees describe work that includes providing a community-supported media alternative (KQED), fostering academic study and exchange (Bard College), caring for dogs and cats in the East Bay (Berkeley East Bay Humane Society), educating the public about issues important to working families (Working America Education Fund), and advancing racial justice and human rights (Southern Poverty Law Center).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 18 grants totaling $111,200. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $30,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Its largest grants included $30,000 to UC Berkeley Foundation for the Fund for Excellence in the Arts & Humanities; $15,500 to California Trout for general support; $10,000 to Legal Defense Fund for general support; and $8,500 each to KQED and PBS News Hour for general support. Other grants included $5,700 to Earthjustice and $5,000 each to Bard College, Berkeley East Bay Humane Society, Jazz in the Neighborhood, Working America Education Fund, and Golden Gate Bird Alliance.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists George J Cotsirilos Jr as President and Maria A Baird as Secretary/Treasurer.
George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos is led by George J Cotsirilos Jr., President on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
George J Cotsirilos Jr.
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maria A Baird
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 George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos
How much does George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos give each year?
George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos gave $111K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $104K across 16 grants.
What is George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos's typical grant size?
George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,178, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos that year got $5K on average.
Where does George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos give grants?
George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos gives mostly in California: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (13%) and Virginia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Berkeley, CA (5 grants) and San Francisco, CA (3 grants).
Does George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos give general operating support?
Yes: 78% of George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos's largest grantees?
George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos's largest 2025 grantees include UC Berkeley Foundation ($32,000 across 3 grants), California Trout ($15,500) and Legal Defense Fund ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos?
George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos reported $2.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $115K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $131K (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 George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations in several fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos's EIN?
George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-0669505. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos 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 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 21, 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 November 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 18, 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 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/george-j-and-theresa-l-cotsirilos-morg_8b29a2d082ea4260aa2d72db03463ec4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_460669505_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/george-j-and-theresa-l-cotsirilos-morg_8b29a2d082ea4260aa2d72db03463ec4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 George J and Theresa L Cotsirilos'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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