Hellman Fellows Fund
Hellman Fellows Fund was a San Francisco, California, private foundation supporting research fellowships for early-career faculty. Its 2020 filing is marked as its final return and states that the fund was dissolved during the year, with all remaining assets distributed to Hellman Foundation. The fund therefore appears to have wound down and stopped grantmaking.
Hellman Fellows Fund at a glance
In short: Hellman Fellows Fund gave $70.0M across 14 grants in 2020 (avg $5.0M), mostly in California. Source: 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2020)
- $69,950,335
- Grants made (2020)
- 14
- Average grant
- $4,996,453
- Median grant
- $5,462,500
- Primary geography
- California (99% of itemized 2020 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2020 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2020; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Hellman Fellows Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its final-return filing states that it was dissolved during 2020.
- Contact
Mailing address: 555 California Street Suite 4905, San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 391-7545
Website: https://hellmanfellows.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Hellman Fellows Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2020
The largest 2020 recipient was UC San Diego Foundation ($12.5M). Together the top 10 received $67.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
14 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was $5M or more: 8 grants of 14 (57%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The program website describes fellowships on all ten University of California campuses and continued support for previously established programs at Williams College, Harvard Business School, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2020, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 1% to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2020 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2020 it made 14 grants totaling $70.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Foundation La Jolla, CA | Fellowship | $12,457,472 |
| UC Berkeley Foundation Berkeley, CA | Fellowship | $9,650,000 |
| UCLA Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Fellowship | $7,800,000 |
| Hellman Foundation San Francisco, CA | Disposition of Assets Upon Dissolution | $7,417,863 |
| UC Davis Foundation Davis, CA | Fellowship | $6,250,000 |
| University of California RegentsIrvine Irvine, CA | Fellowship | $6,000,000 |
| UC Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Fellowship | $5,725,000 |
| UC Riverside Foundation Riverside, CA | Fellowship | $5,200,000 |
| Regents - University of California Merced Merced, CA | Fellowship | $3,700,000 |
| UC Santa Cruz Foundation Santa Cruz, CA | Fellowship | $3,650,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $1,138,979 | $5,606,760 | $69,950,335 | 14 | $1,010,141 | $1,575,176 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hellman Fellows Fund reported a distributable amount of $1.6M for 2020 — 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 funder’s website describes the program as supporting the research and professional development of assistant professors, generally two to four years into their careers. It spans the arts, humanities, social sciences, life sciences, engineering, and other academic disciplines. The fellowship is a one-time award, intended to help faculty advance research; the website says fellows may use resources for activities such as pursuing new inquiries, writing manuscripts, presenting at conferences, and hiring graduate students.
Its 2020 grants included university foundations and other academic institutions. The UC San Diego Foundation says its mission is to raise private support for UC San Diego’s research, teaching, and public service. The UCLA Foundation describes itself as the campus’s giving, receiving, and investing arm, enabling private support for its academic and research institution. The UC Santa Barbara Foundation says it raises and administers funds supporting the campus’s teaching, research, and public-service objectives. The UC Riverside Foundation says it supports the campus’s educational, research, and public functions and programs. The UC Santa Cruz Foundation says it benefits the University of California, Santa Cruz. The American Academy of Arts & Sciences says it honors excellence and convenes leaders to examine ideas and address issues important to the nation and the world.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2020, the fund reported 14 grants totaling $69,950,335. The median itemized grant was $5,462,500, with amounts ranging from $250,000 to $12,457,472. The total includes a $7,417,863 grant to the Hellman Foundation for “Disposition of Assets Upon Dissolution”; it should not be confused with a fellowship award.
Among the largest grants designated for fellowships were $12,457,472 to the UC San Diego Foundation, $9,650,000 to the UC Berkeley Foundation, $7,800,000 to the UCLA Foundation, $6,250,000 to the UC Davis Foundation, and $6,000,000 to the University of California Regents at Irvine. The fund also gave $600,000 to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences for a fellowship.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2020 filing were Frances Hellman, president/director; Susan Hirsch, secretary; Joanne Hagopian, treasurer; and Marco Hellman, director/audit committee.
Hellman Fellows Fund is led by Frances Hellman, President & Director on the 2020 filing; none of the 4 officers listed in 2020 report compensation.
Officers on the 2020 filing
Frances Hellman
President & Director
New on the 2020 filing
No compensation reported
Marco Hellman
Director & Audit Committee
New on the 2020 filing
No compensation reported
Joanne Hagopian
Treasurer
New on the 2020 filing
No compensation reported
Susan Hirsch
Secretary
New on the 2020 filing
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020. "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 Hellman Fellows Fund
How much does Hellman Fellows Fund give each year?
Hellman Fellows Fund gave $70.0M across 14 grants in 2020, according to its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is Hellman Fellows Fund's typical grant size?
Hellman Fellows Fund's median grant in 2020 was $5,462,500, and its average grant was $4,996,453, across 14 grants on its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Hellman Fellows Fund give grants?
Hellman Fellows Fund gives mostly in California: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Berkeley, CA (2 grants), San Francisco, CA (2 grants) and Irvine, CA (2 grants).
Does Hellman Fellows Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2020: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Hellman Fellows Fund's 2020 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Fellowship" (13 grants).
Who are Hellman Fellows Fund's largest grantees?
Hellman Fellows Fund's largest 2020 grantees include UC San Diego Foundation ($12,457,472), UC Berkeley Foundation ($9,650,000) and UCLA Foundation ($7,800,000), according to its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2020 grant dollars.
What does Hellman Fellows Fund fund?
The funder’s website describes the program as supporting the research and professional development of assistant professors, generally two to four years into their careers. It spans the arts, humanities, social sciences, life sciences, engineering, and other academic disciplines. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hellman Fellows Fund?
The foundation states that it 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 ↑
How much is Hellman Fellows Fund required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2020, Hellman Fellows Fund reported a distributable amount of $1.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Hellman Fellows Fund's EIN?
Hellman Fellows Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1606457. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020.
Does Hellman Fellows Fund 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 year 2020
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Figures come from Hellman Fellows Fund'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.
Hellman Fellows Fund down — hundreds of funders to go?