Hoefer Family Foundation
The Hoefer Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Burlingame, California. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations working in areas including education, arts and culture, health, conservation, and community services, and describes a direct charitable activity to acquire and exhibit California plein air paintings.
Hoefer Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Hoefer Family Foundation gave $447K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in California. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $446,720
- +23.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- -5.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,756
- +29.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $4,992,373
- +13.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (6 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (94% 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 Hoefer Family Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 7487, Burlingame, CA 94010-7487
Phone: (650) 212-2240
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Hoefer Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Filoli ($104K). Together the top 10 received $349K.
Grant Size Distribution
209 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 200 grants of 209 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 6% to recipients in Colorado. The filing also reports 0% for New York and Louisiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Hoefer Family Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 38 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $298K (2021) to $447K (2025). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $447K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Filoli Woodside, CA | General Operations | $103,500 |
| University of California Berkeley Foundation Berkeley, CA | General Operations | $70,000 |
| California State Railroad Museum Foundation Sacramento, CA | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Cofam (Fine Arts Museums Foundation) San Francisco, CA | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Hospital De La Familia Foundation Berkeley, CA | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Mills Peninsula Hospital Foundation Burlingame, CA | General Operations | $25,000 |
| University of Colorado Foundation Denver, CO | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum Nevada City, CA | General Operations | $20,000 |
| Northern California Center for the Arts Grass Valley, CA | General Support | $15,000 |
| San Mateo County Historical Association Redwood City, CA | General Operations | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Hoefer Family Foundation?
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 | $4,992,373 | $1,083,253 | $473,665 | $446,720 | 38 | $458,047 | $1,067,636 | $478,726 |
| 2024 | $4,401,982 | $295,728 | $379,834 | $362,270 | 40 | $371,931 | $289,761 | $442,973 |
| 2023 | $4,256,282 | $-6,114 | $391,095 | $370,901 | 44 | $382,224 | $126,015 | $374,494 |
| 2022 | $4,568,834 | $244,079 | $401,358 | $376,750 | 46 | $384,240 | $238,627 | $385,087 |
| 2021 | $4,681,826 | $685,836 | $310,721 | $297,800 | 41 | $303,590 | $680,402 | $380,976 |
| 2020 | $4,098,878 | $101,109 | $327,341 | $316,200 | 46 | — | $120,347 | $297,410 |
| 2019 | $4,588,077 | $181,856 | $340,420 | $323,200 | 40 | — | $179,466 | $323,037 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hoefer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $479K 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 2025 filing describes its direct charitable activity as acquiring artwork by painters who depicted California scenes using the plein air approach, from approximately the post-Gold Rush era to 1940. Once it has acquired a sufficient number of paintings, it intends to seek opportunities to exhibit them as a standalone collection in public art museums and libraries to educate the public about this painting tradition.
Its 2025 grants included support for universities, schools, museums, arts organizations, a hospital foundation, and community-service organizations. The grantees describe their own work in varied terms: the University of California Berkeley Foundation says it advances the interests and welfare of the university and supports educational opportunities; the University of Colorado Foundation receives and manages philanthropic funds for the university; and Hospital De La Familia Foundation describes delivering medical, eye, maternal-health, and child-nutrition services in rural Guatemala. The Northern California Center for the Arts says it promotes and presents literary, visual, and performing arts, while the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation says its mission is to inspire ocean conservation. Hillsborough Schools Foundation says it provides supplementary support for local public schools, and Samaritan House describes providing food, shelter access, healthcare, and other supportive services.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 38 grants totaling $446,720. Grant amounts ranged from $220 to $103,500, with a median of $5,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $103,500 to Filoli, $70,000 to the University of California Berkeley Foundation, $25,000 each to the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, COFAM (Fine Arts Museums Foundation), Hospital De La Familia Foundation, Mills Peninsula Hospital Foundation, and University of Colorado Foundation, and $20,000 to Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum. The filing lists general operations as the purpose for these grants, except for Northern California Center for the Arts, which received $15,000 for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Alan R Hoefer, Craig Hoefer, Kurt Hoefer, and Gladys Hoefer as directors; Kurt Hoefer is also listed as president and director. Alan Hoefer Jr is listed as treasurer and director, and Melanie Hoefer as secretary.
Hoefer Family Foundation is led by Kurt Hoefer, President & Director since 2024 (on filings since 2019); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kurt Hoefer
President & Director
Treasurer & Director → President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alan Hoefer Jr.
Treasurer & Director
Director → Treasurer & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alan R. Hoefer
Director
President & Director → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Craig Hoefer
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gladys Hoefer
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melanie Hoefer
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Hoefer Family Foundation
How much does Hoefer Family Foundation give each year?
Hoefer Family Foundation gave $447K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $362K across 40 grants.
What is Hoefer Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Hoefer Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $11,756, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Hoefer Family Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Hoefer Family Foundation give grants?
Hoefer Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (6 grants), Burlingame, CA (4 grants), Hillsborough, CA (3 grants) and San Mateo, CA (3 grants).
Does Hoefer Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Hoefer Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Hoefer Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Hoefer Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Filoli ($103,500), University of California Berkeley Foundation ($70,000) and California State Railroad Museum Foundation ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Hoefer Family Foundation?
Hoefer Family Foundation reported $5.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $458K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $479K (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 Hoefer Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes its direct charitable activity as acquiring artwork by painters who depicted California scenes using the plein air approach, from approximately the post-Gold Rush era to 1940. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hoefer Family Foundation?
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 ↑
What is Hoefer Family Foundation's EIN?
Hoefer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6065404. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Hoefer Family 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 25, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 27, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Hoefer Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/hoefer-family-foundation-morg_08dc04009ab548abaeeed87d16bd13d7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366065404_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Hoefer Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/hoefer-family-foundation-morg_08dc04009ab548abaeeed87d16bd13d7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Hoefer Family 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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