Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer logo

Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer

Private foundation · Grantmaker Agoura Hills, CA EIN: 95-4589085 Website

Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer is a private foundation based in Agoura Hills, California. The foundation’s website says Herb and Jeanne Mayer established it to carry their entrepreneurial success forward and honor their family’s values. It focuses on investing in young people in California and supporting innovative multiple sclerosis (MS) research and services.

Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer at a glance

In short: Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer gave $1.9M across 32 grants in 2025 (avg $60K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$1,905,000
+5.3% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
32
-3.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$59,531
+8.6% vs 2024
Median grant
$50,000
Total assets
$33,785,257
-3.8% vs 2024
Primary geography
California (62% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.

How to apply to Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
Invitation Only

The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its website says new grant applications are by invitation only; organizations that believe their missions align may use the website’s form to introduce themselves.

Contact

Mailing address: 30101 Agoura Court 112, Agoura Hills, CA 91301
Phone: (818) 852-7281
Website: https://themayerfoundation.org

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Door of Hope: $150KDoor of Hope$150KGreenline Housing Foundation: $150KGreenline Housing Foundation$150KThe Cleveland Clinic Foundation: $145KThe Cleveland ClinicFoundation$145KCommunity Partners: $125K across 3 grantsCommunity Partners$125K · 3 grantsFirst Descents: $125KFirst Descents$125KTisch Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York Inc: $125KTisch Multiple SclerosisResearch Center of New York…$125KJohn Hopkins University: $105KJohn Hopkins University$105KC5 Youth Foundation of Southern California: $100KC5 Youth Foundation ofSouthern California$100KFood Finders: $100KFood Finders$100KNational Multiple Sclerosis Society: $100KNational Multiple SclerosisSociety$100K

The largest 2025 recipient was Door of Hope ($150K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.

Grant Size Distribution

160 grants across all recorded years

74<$50K51$50–100K30$100–250K3$250–500K2$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 74 grants of 160 (46%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s website identifies California youth-focused organizations as a priority. In 2025, 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, followed by Colorado (12%), New York (9%), Ohio (8%), and Maryland (6%). Its MS-focused grantmaking includes recipients outside California.

Grant Distribution by State

15states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.

Cities

Los AngelesPasadenaSan FranciscoNew YorkClevelandLong BeachBrooklynDenverAlhambraClaremontLos AlamitosNorth HollywoodNorthridgePalm DesertSanta MonicaAltadenaBaltimoreBostonColumbusGarden Grove

How Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer gives

  • 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−14%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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

$0$1M$2M$3M3 grants2019 28 grants2020 32 grants2021 28 grants2022 35 grants2023 33 grants2024 32 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2019) to $2.3M (2021). In 2025 it made 32 grants totaling $1.9M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Door of Hope Pasadena, CAUnrestricted Operating Support$150,000
Greenline Housing Foundation Sierra Madre, CAUnrestricted Operating Support$150,000
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, OHAstrocytic regulation of neuroinflammation during ms & epilepsy research$145,000
First Descents Denver, COJeanne c mayer rememberance relfection garden & ms focused programming$125,000
Tisch Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York Inc New York, NYIpsc technology to generate organoid models to study cognitive impairment$125,000
John Hopkins University Baltimore, MDIdentifying novel pkc modulating drugs to enhance myelin repair in ms$105,000
C5 Youth Foundation of Southern California Los Angeles, CAOngoing Operations$100,000
Food Finders Los Alamitos, CAFood Rescue and Hunger Relief$100,000
National Multiple Sclerosis Society Denver, COMs Navigator Service$100,000
College Access Plan Pasadena, CAUnrestricted Operating Support$75,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$33,785,257$1,360,707$2,680,123$1,905,00032$2,222,750$878,075$2,077,180
2024$35,114,306$1,026,650$2,600,349$1,808,33333$2,155,204$552,178$1,957,557
2023$36,677,574$-152,546$2,525,337$1,893,33335$2,125,570$394,488$1,866,714
2022$39,361,163$1,634,513$2,974,497$2,212,50028$2,468,595$929,181$2,159,329
2021$40,737,544$4,465,405$3,003,609$2,292,66732—$3,877,689$2,147,733
2020$39,241,180$4,826,108$2,420,370$1,842,76728—$904,991$1,984,020
2019$36,828,821$36,673,638$131,980$50,0003—$293,018$413,659

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer reported a distributable amount of $2.1M 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 website describes two areas of focus: young people from under-resourced communities in California, and organizations working to improve life for people living with MS. Its youth strategy includes housing, food and nutrition, physical health services, mental well-being, education, and training. Its MS work includes early-stage research aimed at treatment advances or a cure, as well as efforts to support patients and caregivers.

Its 2025 grants illustrate these interests. For example, Door of Hope describes its work as providing transitional housing and services to families facing homelessness, while College Access Plan supports students and families through college readiness and success. Food Finders says it works to eliminate hunger and food waste in food-insecure communities. Among MS-related grants, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation received support for research on neuroinflammation in MS and epilepsy, and First Descents received support for a remembrance garden and MS-focused programming.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation reported 32 grants totaling $1,905,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $150,000, with a median of $50,000.

Among the largest grants were $150,000 each to Door of Hope and Greenline Housing Foundation for unrestricted operating support; $145,000 to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation for research on astrocytic regulation of neuroinflammation during MS and epilepsy; $125,000 to First Descents for a Jeanne C. Mayer remembrance garden and MS-focused programming; and $125,000 to the Tisch Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York for organoid-model research on cognitive impairment. Other notable awards included $105,000 to Johns Hopkins University for research on drugs to enhance myelin repair in MS, and $100,000 each to C5 Youth Foundation of Southern California for ongoing operations, Food Finders for food rescue and hunger relief, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for its MS Navigator service.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Sarah J. Kalter as president and director; Katelyn M. Kalter as treasurer and director; and Eric Marton, Niel Widerschein, and Brooke Cutler as directors. The foundation’s website identifies Sarah Kalter as CEO and executive director and Katelyn Kalter as treasurer. It describes Sarah as a Mayer family member with experience in corporate and nonprofit settings, and Brooke Cutler as an international development consultant.

Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer is led by Sarah J. Kalter, President & Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Sarah J. Kalter

    President & Director

    On filings since 2019

    40 hrs/week

    $223K (2020) → $295K (2025)

  • Niel Widerschein

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Brooke Cutler

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Eric Marton

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Katelyn M. Kalter

    Treasurer & Director

    On filings since 2020

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (2)
  • Former: Irwin Helford (2019) — Director
  • Former: Thomas Liguori (2019) — Treasurer & 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

Sarah J Kalter — President/Director: $295KSarah J KalterPresident/Director$295K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $295K, to Sarah J Kalter (President/Director).

Frequently asked questions about Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer

How much does Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer give each year?

Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer gave $1.9M across 32 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.8M across 33 grants.

What is Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer's typical grant size?

Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $59,531, across 32 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer give grants?

Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer gives mostly in California: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (12%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (7 grants), Pasadena, CA (6 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Denver, CO (2 grants).

Does Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer give general operating support?

Yes: 50% of Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 32) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer's largest grantees?

Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer's largest 2025 grantees include Door of Hope ($150,000), Greenline Housing Foundation ($150,000) and The Cleveland Clinic Foundation ($145,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer?

Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer reported $33.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer fund?

The foundation’s website describes two areas of focus: young people from under-resourced communities in California, and organizations working to improve life for people living with MS. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer?

The foundation’s 2024 filing 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 ↑

What is Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer's EIN?

Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4589085. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer 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

(3)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
  2. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 8, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/herbert-r-mayer-and-jeanne-c-mayer-morg_8c15e1b5031b4f28b9f62cd08a21251a

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954589085_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/herbert-r-mayer-and-jeanne-c-mayer-morg_8c15e1b5031b4f28b9f62cd08a21251a},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Herbert R Mayer and Jeanne C Mayer'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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