Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation
The Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Beverly Hills, California. Established in 1959, it supports public charities in healthcare, education, social services, animal welfare, arts and culture, and environmental protection.
Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation gave $1.2M across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), mostly in California. 41% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,237,000
- +91.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- +52.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $42,655
- +25.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $21,837,493
- +0.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (12 of 29, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (98% 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 McAlister Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 499 North Canon Drive 211, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: (310) 288-4391
Website: https://mcalisterfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation
Who Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Santa Barbara Humane ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
114 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 91 grants of 114 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says it was established to support organizations vital to the Los Angeles community, with work extending beyond the city. It currently accepts requests only from organizations that work entirely in California or run programs in California. In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in California; the remainder went to recipients in Iowa and Michigan, with less than 1% each in Oregon and Utah.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 29 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $46K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 147% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 142% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $502K (2022) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara Humane Santa Barbara, CA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $250,000 |
| CASA Del Herrero Montecito, CA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $200,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Catalina Island Conservancy Long Beach, CA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Cottage Health Santa Barbara, CA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| St John's Cancer Institute Santa Monica, CA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Beverly Hills Education Foundation Beverly Hills, CA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $35,000 |
| San Fernando Valley FC Los Angeles, CA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $35,000 |
| The Colleagues Santa Monica, CA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $30,000 |
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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 | $21,837,493 | $1,974,535 | $1,777,744 | $1,237,000 | 29 | $1,634,865 | $1,850,156 | $1,151,394 |
| 2024 | $21,640,701 | $1,704,065 | $1,164,110 | $646,000 | 19 | $1,020,035 | $1,505,709 | $1,067,178 |
| 2023 | $21,100,746 | $1,140,768 | $997,367 | $509,900 | 21 | $875,533 | $1,039,073 | $1,040,408 |
| 2022 | $20,957,345 | $853,891 | $986,364 | $501,500 | 22 | $861,639 | $748,227 | $1,190,622 |
| 2021 | $21,089,818 | $1,149,181 | $1,027,585 | $551,000 | 23 | — | $1,058,694 | $1,109,351 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M 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 mission is to support effective organizations in bettering the lives of others. It primarily focuses on healthcare and education, and also supports social services, animal welfare, arts and culture, and environmental protection.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of work supported. Santa Barbara Humane describes its work as providing low-cost veterinary care, vaccines, spay/neuter services, dog training, pet adoption, and rehoming. Cottage Health says its mission is to provide superior healthcare and improve community health. Beverly Hills Education Foundation says it enriches public-school education in Beverly Hills by investing in people and opportunities that support learning, teaching, innovation, and academic achievement. Casa del Herrero’s mission is to maintain, preserve, and restore the Steedman/Bass estate for the benefit of the community, visitors, scholars, educators, and students. The Colleagues says it raises funds to support underserved women, children, and families.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 29 grants totaling $1,237,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $250,000, with a median of $20,000. The largest grants included $250,000 to Santa Barbara Humane, $200,000 to Casa del Herrero, and $100,000 each to Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara, Catalina Island Conservancy, Cottage Health, and St. John’s Cancer Institute. The listed grants were designated “charitable-unrestricted.”
The foundation’s website says its board considers how a proposal aligns with its funding priorities, its expected and measurable impact, and the organization’s history of success, impact, and growth. It describes a process in which requests are reviewed monthly and may be deferred, approved, or denied. The program description identifies full proposals as invite-only. How to apply: The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website describes a formal grant request that includes the organization’s mission, programs and services, numbers served, requested amount and intended use, financial information, and current funding sources. The website says requests are currently limited to organizations that work entirely in California or run programs in California. Deadline: February 15 for consideration in that fiscal year; final decisions are made in March and approved grants are funded in April.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James Patrick McAlister as president and trustee. Trustees listed are Lauren McAlister, Mari McAlister, Megan McAlister, Michael McAlister, Sean McAlister, and Christian J. Vanderwall. The foundation’s history page says Patrick McAlister has served as president since 1998.
Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation is led by James Patrick McAlister, President & Trustee on every filing since 2021; all 7 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James Patrick McAlister
President & Trustee
On filings since 2021
20 hrs/week
$30K (2021) → $24K (2025)
Lauren McAlister
Trustee
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
$30K (2021) → $24K (2025)
Mari McAlister
Trustee
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
$30K (2021) → $24K (2025)
Megan McAlister
Trustee
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
$30K (2021) → $24K (2025)
Michael McAlister
Trustee
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
$30K (2021) → $24K (2025)
Sean McAlister
Trustee
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
$25K (2022) → $24K (2025)
Christian J. Vanderwall
Trustee
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
$8K (2024) → $24K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $24K, to James Patrick McAlister (President/Trustee). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation
How much does Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation give each year?
Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation gave $1.2M across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $646K across 19 grants.
What is Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $42,655, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation that year got $46K on average.
Where does Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation give grants?
Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation gives mostly in California: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (13 grants), Los Angeles, CA (4 grants), Montecito, CA (2 grants) and Santa Monica, CA (2 grants).
Does Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (29 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Santa Barbara Humane ($250,000), CASA Del Herrero ($200,000) and Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation?
Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation reported $21.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support effective organizations in bettering the lives of others. It primarily focuses on healthcare and education, and also supports social services, animal welfare, arts and culture, and environmental protection. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation?
Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check mcalisterfoundation.org for any change to that policy.
What is Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6050036. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Harold McAlister Charitable 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harold-mcalister-charitable-foundation-morg_63dd6ea10d4a43be811e8f1991e41211
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956050036_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/harold-mcalister-charitable-foundation-morg_63dd6ea10d4a43be811e8f1991e41211},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 McAlister Charitable 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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