Heller Foundation of San Diego
Heller Foundation of San Diego is a private foundation located in Eagan, Minnesota. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, all of them in California.
Heller Foundation of San Diego at a glance
In short: Heller Foundation of San Diego gave $325K across 35 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in California. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $325,000
- +20.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- +75.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,286
- -31.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,703,407
- +4.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (11 of 35, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (100% 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 Heller Foundation of San Diego
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 64193, Eagan, MN 55164
Phone: (888) 265-7962
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Heller Foundation of San Diego funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Zoological Society of San Diego ($67K). Together the top 10 received $222K.
Grant Size Distribution
163 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 158 grants of 163 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in California. Listed recipients include organizations in San Diego, Borrego Springs, San Francisco, and El Cajon.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Heller Foundation of San Diego open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 35 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 34% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $241K (2021) to $325K (2025). In 2025 it made 35 grants totaling $325K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Zoological Society of San Diego San Diego, CA | General Operating | $67,000 |
| Anza-Borrego Foundation Borrego Springs, CA | General Operating | $40,000 |
| YMCA of San Diego County San Diego, CA | General Operating | $35,000 |
| Yosemite Conservancy San Francisco, CA | General Operating | $20,000 |
| Friends of Sunset Cliff El Cajon, CA | General Operating | $15,000 |
| California State Parks Foundation San Francisco, CA | General Operating | $15,000 |
| YWCA San Diego County San Diego, CA | General Operating | $10,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego San Diego, CA | General Operating | $10,000 |
| Meals on Wheels San Diego, CA | General Operating | $5,000 |
| San Diego River Park Foundation San Diego, CA | General Operating | $5,000 |
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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 | $5,703,407 | $669,851 | $430,685 | $325,000 | 35 | $331,939 | $598,217 | $324,973 |
| 2024 | $5,466,233 | $1,429,514 | $342,265 | $270,000 | 20 | $277,535 | $1,315,985 | $306,167 |
| 2023 | $4,379,567 | $366,469 | $334,181 | $262,000 | 32 | $268,990 | $302,512 | $280,834 |
| 2022 | $4,380,332 | $514,494 | $379,602 | $309,221 | 42 | $325,341 | $463,562 | $277,317 |
| 2021 | $4,248,594 | $371,315 | $307,101 | $240,500 | 34 | $257,295 | $311,712 | $304,138 |
| 2020 | $4,202,381 | $203,576 | $311,415 | $250,000 | 34 | — | $140,818 | $269,469 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Heller Foundation of San Diego reported a distributable amount of $325K 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 show support for organizations working in areas including wildlife conservation, parks and natural landscapes, youth mentoring, education, and water protection. These are grantees’ stated missions: the Zoological Society of San Diego says it works to save species through wildlife care and conservation science; the Anza-Borrego Foundation says it protects the landscapes, wildlife habitat, and cultural heritage of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and its surrounding region; and Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego says it creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships for youth. The grants listed in the filing were designated for general operating support.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 35 grants totaling $325,000. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $67,000, with a median of $5,000. Among the largest were $67,000 to the Zoological Society of San Diego, $40,000 to the Anza-Borrego Foundation, and $35,000 to the YMCA of San Diego County. Other notable grants included $20,000 to Yosemite Conservancy; $15,000 each to Friends of Sunset Cliff and California State Parks Foundation; and $10,000 each to YWCA San Diego County and Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
US Bank N A is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
Heller Foundation of San Diego's only listed officer is US Bank N A, Trustee on every filing since 2024 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
US Bank N A
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
$65K (2024) → $67K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: US Bank NA (2023) — Trustee
- Former: Mufg Union Bank N A (2020–2022) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $67K, to US Bank N a (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Heller Foundation of San Diego
How much does Heller Foundation of San Diego give each year?
Heller Foundation of San Diego gave $325K across 35 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $270K across 20 grants.
What is Heller Foundation of San Diego's typical grant size?
Heller Foundation of San Diego's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,286, across 35 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Heller Foundation of San Diego that year got $6K on average.
Where does Heller Foundation of San Diego give grants?
Heller Foundation of San Diego gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (25 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Heller Foundation of San Diego give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Heller Foundation of San Diego's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (35 of 35) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Heller Foundation of San Diego's largest grantees?
Heller Foundation of San Diego's largest 2025 grantees include Zoological Society of San Diego ($67,000), Anza-Borrego Foundation ($40,000) and YMCA of San Diego County ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Heller Foundation of San Diego?
Heller Foundation of San Diego reported $5.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $332K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $325K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Heller Foundation of San Diego fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including wildlife conservation, parks and natural landscapes, youth mentoring, education, and water protection. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Heller Foundation of San Diego?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Heller Foundation of San Diego's EIN?
Heller Foundation of San Diego's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6010314. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Heller Foundation of San Diego 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 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Heller Foundation of San Diego funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/heller-foundation-of-san-diego-morg_8c6221e19bde49cb96a1d545a4053e87
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956010314_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Heller Foundation of San Diego funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/heller-foundation-of-san-diego-morg_8c6221e19bde49cb96a1d545a4053e87},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Heller Foundation of San Diego'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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