Giving Children Hope
Giving Children Hope is a public charity based in Buena Park, California, formed in 1982. It supports children and families in Southern California who are housing unstable, with a stated focus on food, essentials, and building community support.
Giving Children Hope at a glance
In short: Giving Children Hope gave $9.1M across 65 grants in 2025 (avg $141K), mostly in California. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $9,136,249
- +58.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 65
- +3.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $140,558
- +53.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $29,773
- Total assets
- $11,319,299
- +111.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (23 of 65, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Giving Children Hope
- Contact
Mailing address: 8332 Commonwealth Avenue, Buena Park, CA 90621
Phone: (714) 523-4454
Website: https://gchope.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Giving Children Hope funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was I Live 2 Give ($2.4M). Together the top 10 received $7.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
335 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 185 grants of 335 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization states that its mission serves children and families in Southern California. WGYB partners with schools in Orange and Los Angeles counties. Its Partner Support program serves local and international communities through partner organizations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 65 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Giving Children Hope open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 23 of 65 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $69K; repeat grants $180K. How we count
Medians: $39K first-time, $17K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $5.8M (2024) to $27.9M (2020). In 2025 it made 65 grants totaling $9.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| I Live 2 Give Santa Ana, CA | Basic Needs | $2,365,808 |
| Vida Life Ministries Bloomington, CA | Basic Needs | $814,848 |
| Ministerios Betesda Orange, CA | Basic Needs, Toys | $796,038 |
| The Key Nonprofit Chino, CA | Basic Needs, Toys | $684,555 |
| Compassion CCHD Foundation Apple Valley, CA | Basic Needs | $642,798 |
| Unidos Por La Musica Ontario, CA | Basic Needs | $534,808 |
| Ministerio Christiano Caminando En Fe Fullerton, CA | Basic Needs | $446,075 |
| Catholic Mission San Judas Tadeo Gardena, CA | Basic Needs | $263,319 |
| Monte Sion Center Los Angeles, CA | Basic Needs | $252,995 |
| RJC Monterey Park, CA | Basic Needs | $237,125 |
Ready to take the next step with Giving Children Hope?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $11,319,299 | $19,509,254 | $13,464,056 | $9,136,249 | 65 | $7,054 |
| 2024 | $5,346,272 | $9,109,344 | $8,283,832 | $5,782,301 | 63 | $3,330 |
| 2023 | $4,613,348 | $29,949,338 | $30,803,784 | $24,634,556 | 66 | $2,535 |
| 2022 | $5,494,423 | $21,849,836 | $24,407,904 | $17,898,274 | 53 | $11,527 |
| 2021 | $8,064,213 | $30,512,149 | $31,536,234 | $21,191,229 | 88 | $646 |
| 2020 | $9,320,756 | $32,370,795 | $32,047,912 | $27,949,633 | 183 | $12,072 |
| 2019 | $8,311,177 | $19,292,870 | $25,235,572 | $17,040,130 | 186 | $2,081 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to help children and families in Southern California who are housing unstable and build community support for food, essentials, and a pathway out of poverty.
Its Partner Support program provides basic necessities through nonprofit agencies, churches and missionaries, pregnancy clinics, homeless shelters, drug rehabilitation programs, and youth programs. The organization says it documents transactions with partner organizations, monitors the use of resources provided to them, and conducts pre-grant due diligence to ensure grant recipients are charitable.
The We’ve Got Your Back (WGYB) program works with schools in Orange and Los Angeles counties to identify children in crisis. It provides a backpack of food intended to last a family of four at least three days, and encourages participating parents to take classes or volunteer at their school site. The organization reported that the program partnered with more than 60 schools each week and served over 4,000 individuals.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Giving Children Hope reported $5,782,301 in grants across 63 grants. The average grant was approximately $91,783. The listed recipients illustrate support for organizations addressing food, essentials, and community needs: Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 65 grants totaling $9.1 million.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing:
- VICTOR PERRIN — President
- ERIK LEGGIO — Secretary
- JAMES WILCOX — Director
- JOLYNN MAHONEY — Director
- CAROLYN CORBIN — Director
- RON HODGES — Director
- HEATHER HUARTE — Director
- COLIN TATE — Director
- CARLOS FRANCO — Director
- MICHAEL NANDA — Director
Giving Children Hope is led by Peter Bowen, CEO since 2022 (on filings since 2019); 2 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Peter Bowen
CEO
Director → Director & Interim CEO, 2021
Director & Interim CEO → CEO, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$96K (2022) → $166K (2025)
Victor Perrin
President
Director → Treasurer, 2024
Treasurer → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marius Marza
Director of Operations
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$75K (2021) → $87K (2025)
James Wilcox
Director
Director → Chairman, 2020
Chairman → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Burns
Director
Director → Treasurer, 2021
Treasurer → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carlos Franco
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Corbin
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gina Codd
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jolynn Mahoney
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Joffe
Director
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ron Hodges
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Huarte
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Nanda
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Colin Tate
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gabriella Paladino
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Toni Tartamella
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erik Leggio
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Joe Schoeningh (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Colin Tait (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Dave Stuart (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Vance Gardner (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Audra Davies (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Kwame Anochie (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Ron Mukai (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Sandra Aguilar (2019–2021) — Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: Virginia Vaughn (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Sean Lawrence (2020–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Carrie Buck Unitl (2020) — Director
- Former: Carrie Buck (2019) — Director
- Former: Don Gilbert (2019) — Treasurer
- Former: Richard Darnell (2019) — Director
- Former: Robert Lichtsinn (2019) — 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 $166K, to Peter Bowen (CEO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Giving Children Hope
How much does Giving Children Hope give each year?
Giving Children Hope gave $9.1M across 65 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $5.8M across 63 grants.
What is Giving Children Hope's typical grant size?
Giving Children Hope's median grant in 2025 was $29,773, and its average grant was $140,558, across 65 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Giving Children Hope that year got $69K on average.
Where does Giving Children Hope give grants?
Giving Children Hope gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Ana, CA (9 grants), Anaheim, CA (9 grants), Los Angeles, CA (7 grants) and Orange, CA (5 grants).
Does Giving Children Hope give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 65 grants with a stated purpose on Giving Children Hope's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Basic Needs" (61 grants) and "Basic Needs, Toys" (4 grants).
Who are Giving Children Hope's largest grantees?
Giving Children Hope's largest 2025 grantees include I Live 2 Give ($2,365,808), Vida Life Ministries ($814,848) and Ministerios Betesda ($796,038), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Giving Children Hope?
Giving Children Hope reported $11.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $19.5M.
What does Giving Children Hope fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to help children and families in Southern California who are housing unstable and build community support for food, essentials, and a pathway out of poverty. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Giving Children Hope?
Giving Children Hope has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check gchope.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Giving Children Hope's EIN?
Giving Children Hope's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3464287. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 18, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 17, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Giving Children Hope's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Giving Children Hope funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/giving-children-hope-morg_b7193bf970d348b1b7dc43ea3a07be30
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_953464287_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Giving Children Hope funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/giving-children-hope-morg_b7193bf970d348b1b7dc43ea3a07be30},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Giving Children Hope'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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