Leighton Foundation Inc
Leighton Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in La Jolla, California. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations and other recipients in California, including schools, educational programs, and community organizations.
Leighton Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Leighton Foundation Inc gave $570K across 45 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $569,740
- +236.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 45
- +125.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,661
- +49.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $6,644,666
- +4.7% vs 2024
- 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.
How to apply to Leighton Foundation Inc
- 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: 2480 Hidden Valley Road, La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone: (619) 921-2836
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Leighton Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Thurgood Marshall Middle School ($30K). Together the top 10 received $223K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($28,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
94 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 93 grants of 94 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars listed for 2025 went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 45 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Leighton Foundation Inc gives
- 24% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 319% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 148% 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $60K (2020) to $570K (2025). In 2025 it made 45 grants totaling $570K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Thurgood Marshall Middle School San Diego, CA | General Funds | $30,000 |
| Scripps Mesa STEAM Lab San Diego, CA | General Funds | $30,000 |
| Formosa Generations of Family Chamber of Mu San Diego, CA | General Funds | $26,000 |
| SRHS Baseball Booster Club San Diego, CA | General Funds | $22,700 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $28,000 |
| Marshall Mustang Organization MMO Science Olympiad San Diego, CA | General Funds | $20,000 |
| University of California San Digo Foundation Opals La Jolla, CA | General Funds | $20,000 |
| Mirmar Ranch Elementary PTA Violin Ensemble Classes and Special Add Program San Diego, CA | General Funds | $20,000 |
| SRHS Music Boosters San Diego, CA | General Funds | $17,500 |
| Ebsjerebak Music Program San Diego, CA | General Funds | $15,000 |
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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 | $6,644,666 | $959,394 | $662,221 | $569,740 | 45 | $572,740 | $869,913 | $387,975 |
| 2024 | $6,347,493 | $2,112,410 | $224,832 | $169,500 | 20 | $172,306 | $880,498 | $321,814 |
| 2023 | $4,459,917 | $91,106 | $151,389 | $107,000 | 10 | $112,328 | $78,395 | $214,364 |
| 2022 | $4,520,198 | $-285,944 | $160,019 | $135,900 | 10 | $135,900 | $70,694 | $217,517 |
| 2021 | $4,966,161 | $1,332,402 | $168,936 | $127,500 | 9 | $127,500 | $298,971 | $201,779 |
| 2020 | $3,802,696 | $2,755,386 | $69,856 | $60,000 | 4 | — | $245,530 | $59,335 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Leighton Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $388K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for schools and programs including STEAM, science, music, theater, athletics, and other general funds. One recipient, the Wolverine Athletic Foundation, describes its mission as supporting Westview’s athletic programs with financial assistance, resources, and organizational support to enhance the experience of student-athletes.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 45 grants totaling $569,740. Grants ranged from $480 to $30,000, with a median of $12,000. Notable grants included $30,000 each to Thurgood Marshall Middle School and Scripps Mesa STEAM Lab; $26,000 to Formosa Generations of Family Chamber of Music; and $22,700 to an individual recipient Club. The Wolverine Athletic Foundation received $6,800.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Rufina Chen as CEO, Anthony Chen as Secretary, and Chiu Shan Chen as CFO.
Leighton Foundation Inc is led by Rufina Chen, CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Rufina Chen
CEO
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anthony Chen
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chiu Shan Chen
CFO
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Chiushan Chen (2020–2023) — CFO
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.
Frequently asked questions about Leighton Foundation Inc
How much does Leighton Foundation Inc give each year?
Leighton Foundation Inc gave $570K across 45 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $170K across 20 grants.
What is Leighton Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Leighton Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $12,000, and its average grant was $12,661, across 45 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Leighton Foundation Inc give grants?
Leighton Foundation Inc 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 (31 grants), La Jolla, CA (2 grants), Escondido, CA (2 grants) and Carlsbad, CA (2 grants).
Does Leighton Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Leighton Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 45) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Leighton Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Leighton Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Thurgood Marshall Middle School ($30,000), Scripps Mesa STEAM Lab ($30,000) and Formosa Generations of Family Chamber of Mu ($26,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($28,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Leighton Foundation Inc?
Leighton Foundation Inc reported $6.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $573K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $388K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Leighton Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for schools and programs including STEAM, science, music, theater, athletics, and other general funds. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Leighton Foundation Inc?
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 Leighton Foundation Inc's EIN?
Leighton Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2908898. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Leighton Foundation Inc 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Leighton Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/leighton-foundation-inc-morg_a0cc2d8c7a1445849004585b16cd0036
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472908898_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Leighton Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/leighton-foundation-inc-morg_a0cc2d8c7a1445849004585b16cd0036},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Leighton Foundation Inc'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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