Karsten Family Foundation

LOS ANGELES, CA EIN: 95-4247359

The Karsten Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 1990 and based in Los Angeles, California. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with no employees and functions as a grantmaking foundation.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.0M

-13.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$203K

+26.0% YoY

Grant Count

+31.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$10K

-4.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Karsten Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $58K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's stated mission is giving for higher education and Jewish organizations. The foundation's grant-making focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism & grantmaking, and human services.

Grantmaking

The foundation made total grants of $202,845 in its most recent fiscal year (2024). Typical grant awards range from $250 to $25,000.

Ready to take the next step with Karsten Family Foundation?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grant-making is primarily focused in New York, California, and North Carolina.

Grant Distribution by State

New York $244K (31%)

District of Columbia $211K (27%)

California $91K (12%)

Maryland $61K (8%)

North Carolina $33K (4%)

Montana $25K (3%)

Florida $24K (3%)

Massachusetts $17K (2%)

+9 more states

States

Alabama Arizona California Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Kentucky Massachusetts Maryland Michigan Montana North Carolina New Jersey New York Oregon Texas Virginia

Cities

AlbuquerqueAustinBeavertonBoonvilleBozemanBronxBrooklynBurlingtonCharlottesvilleDallasDetroitFairfieldFort LauderdaleFrankfortGreensboroHelenaLos AngelesMissoulaMontgomeryMorrisville

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year 2024:

Total Assets: $1,011,772
Total Revenues: $51,929
Total Expenses: $214,539
Investment Income and Dividends: $51,929

As of Fiscal Year 2023:

Investment Income and Dividends: $42,100

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$1,011,772	$1,164,146	$1,293,031
Revenue	$51,929	$44,586	$79,000
Expenses	$214,539	$173,471	$173,113
Qualifying Distributions	$205,037	$163,577	$161,434
Net Investment Income	$43,724	$35,675	$68,920
Distributable Amount	$58,047	$63,725	$68,265

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

114 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Brennan Center for Justice ($20,000), Project Shema ($15,000), Rock the Vote ($15,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ACADEMY FOR JEWISH RELIGION CA LOS ANGELES, CA	PUBLIC SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATION MISSION	$250
DEMOCRACY NORTH CAROLINA MORRISVILLE, NC	PUBLIC SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATION MISSION	$10,000
DOWN HOME NORTH CAROLINA BURLINGTON, NC	PUBLIC SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATION MISSION	$12,500
EVERYORG SAN FRANCISCO, CA	PUBLIC SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATION MISSION	$575
FOR THE NEXT GENERATION ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS NEW YORK, NY	PUBLIC SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATION MISSION	$7,500
FORWARD MONTANA FOUNDATION MISSOULA, MT	PUBLIC SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATION MISSION	$10,000
HIAS SILVER SPRING, MD	PUBLIC SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATION MISSION	$10,000
MI FAMILIA VOTA PHOENIX, AZ	PUBLIC SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATION MISSION	$10,000
MICHIGAN VOICES DETROIT, MI	PUBLIC SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATION MISSION	$10,000
MONTANA WOMEN VOTE MISSOULA, MT	PUBLIC SUPPORT OF ORGANIZATION MISSION	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Liza Karsten-Nienaltow serves as Director, Chief Financial Officer, and Trustee of the foundation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
LIZA KARSTEN-NIENALTOW	DIRECTOR/CFO	2	—
THOMAS KARSTEN JR	DIRECTOR/SECRETARY	1	—
LESLEY KARSTEN	DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT	2	—

Contact Information

Address: 11693 San Vicente Blvd # 299, Los Angeles, CA 90049-5105

Telephone: 707-575-9416

EIN: 95-4247359

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Karsten Family Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Karsten Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity & Amounts** The foundation made total grants of $202,845 in its most recent fiscal year (2024). Typical grant awards range from $250 to $25,000. **Recent Grants (2024)** • Brennan Center for Justice: $20,000 • Rock the Vote: $15,000 • Tides Foundation: $15,000 The foundation made 12 grants total in 2024.

Where does Karsten Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grant-making is primarily focused in New York, California, and North Carolina.

What size grants does Karsten Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Karsten Family Foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $203K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Karsten Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Karsten Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $58K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.