Harold and Colene Brown Family
The Harold and Colene Brown Family is a private foundation based in Beverly Hills, California. In 2025, it reported 13 grants totaling $1,151,056 to charitable organizations.
Harold and Colene Brown Family at a glance
In short: Harold and Colene Brown Family gave $1.2M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $89K), mostly in California. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,151,056
- -1.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $88,543
- -1.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $26,098,620
- +6.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (78% 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 Harold and Colene Brown Family
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 8447 Wilshire Blvd 204, Beverly Hills, CA 90211-3207
Phone: (323) 651-3000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Harold and Colene Brown Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was California Institute of Technology ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
70 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 33 grants of 70 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 11% to New York, 7% to Massachusetts, and 4% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Harold and Colene Brown Family open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 13 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $92K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $63K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 78% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $973K (2020) to $1.5M (2022). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA | Charitable Contribution | $250,000 |
| Rand Corporation Santa Monica, CA | Charitable Contributioncharitable Contribution | $200,000 |
| Southern CA Public Radio Pasadena, CA | Charitable Contribution | $126,056 |
| Occidential College Los Angeles, CA | Charitable Contribution | $100,000 |
| Arlington Garden of Pasadena Pasadena, CA | Charitable Contribution | $100,000 |
| PRX Cambridge, MA | Charitable Contribution | $75,000 |
| Brooklyn Public Library Brooklyn, NY | Charitable Contribution | $50,000 |
| NY Public Radio New York, NY | Charitable Contribution | $50,000 |
| Library Foundation of Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Charitable Contribution | $50,000 |
| Polytechnic School Pasadena, CA | Charitable Contribution | $50,000 |
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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 | $26,098,620 | $2,944,196 | $1,378,307 | $1,151,056 | 13 | $1,151,056 | $2,714,650 | $1,471,849 |
| 2024 | $24,542,484 | $1,237,250 | $1,420,438 | $1,172,385 | 13 | $1,172,385 | $987,648 | $1,150,308 |
| 2023 | $24,802,609 | $1,488,691 | $1,551,297 | $1,343,820 | 15 | $1,343,820 | $1,279,887 | $1,167,456 |
| 2022 | $24,887,303 | $264,754 | $1,689,329 | $1,475,360 | 16 | $1,475,362 | $403,701 | $1,331,715 |
| 2021 | $26,408,871 | $1,916,061 | $1,393,282 | $1,175,440 | 13 | $1,175,440 | $1,654,881 | $1,491,952 |
| 2020 | $25,910,007 | $4,910,335 | $1,147,785 | $972,710 | 13 | — | $1,042,454 | $1,170,324 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harold and Colene Brown Family reported a distributable amount of $1.5M 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 grants included support for the California Institute of Technology and RAND Corporation, as well as public media organizations, schools, a public library, and a university. Brooklyn Public Library describes its mission as preserving and transmitting society’s knowledge, history, and culture and providing free, open access to information. PRX says it seeks to expand public media as a trusted source of knowledge, information, and inspiration. Polytechnic School describes a mission centered on developing students’ intellect, talents, and character, while NYU identifies education, research and scholarship, and patient care as its primary missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $1,151,056. Grants ranged from $25,000 to $250,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest reported grants included $250,000 to the California Institute of Technology, $200,000 to RAND Corporation, $126,056 to Southern CA Public Radio, and $100,000 each to Occidental College and Arlington Garden of Pasadena. Other reported recipients included PRX ($75,000), Brooklyn Public Library ($50,000), NY Public Radio ($50,000), and New York University ($25,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Deborah Brown and Ellen Brown as trustees.
Harold and Colene Brown Family's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Deborah Brown
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Ellen Brown
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Deborah Brown Ploumis (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Ellen Brown Merewether (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Harold and Colene Brown Family
How much does Harold and Colene Brown Family give each year?
Harold and Colene Brown Family gave $1.2M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 13 grants.
What is Harold and Colene Brown Family's typical grant size?
Harold and Colene Brown Family's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $88,543, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harold and Colene Brown Family that year got $50K on average.
Where does Harold and Colene Brown Family give grants?
Harold and Colene Brown Family gives mostly in California: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (11%) and Massachusetts (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pasadena, CA (4 grants), Los Angeles, CA (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Who are Harold and Colene Brown Family's largest grantees?
Harold and Colene Brown Family's largest 2025 grantees include California Institute of Technology ($250,000), Rand Corporation ($200,000) and Southern CA Public Radio ($126,056), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Harold and Colene Brown Family?
Harold and Colene Brown Family reported $26.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (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 Harold and Colene Brown Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for the California Institute of Technology and RAND Corporation, as well as public media organizations, schools, a public library, and a university. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Harold and Colene Brown Family?
The foundation 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 Harold and Colene Brown Family's EIN?
Harold and Colene Brown Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-6203761. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Harold and Colene Brown Family 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Harold and Colene Brown Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harold-and-colene-brown-family-morg_da728bc963c84e6083f4fe4acd65d7d0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_336203761_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Harold and Colene Brown Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/harold-and-colene-brown-family-morg_da728bc963c84e6083f4fe4acd65d7d0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Harold and Colene Brown Family'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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