Louise M Davies Foundation
The Louise M Davies Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its 2025 grants supported organizations including schools, performing-arts institutions, a museum, and a science and educational institution.
Louise M Davies Foundation at a glance
In short: Louise M Davies Foundation gave $1.0M across 62 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in California. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,023,000
- +22.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 62
- +12.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,500
- +8.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $22,464,097
- +2.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (13 of 59, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (88% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Louise M Davies Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 235 Montgomery Street 735, San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 651-1915
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Louise M Davies Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was San Francisco Opera Association ($75K). Together the top 10 received $371K.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 grants to individuals ($55,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
276 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 263 grants of 276 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in California. The listed shares for other recipient states were New Hampshire 2%, New York 2%, Ohio 2%, and Virginia 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 62 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Louise M Davies Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 59 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $14K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $823K (2023) to $1.1M (2021). In 2025 it made 62 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Opera Association San Francisco, CA | General Support for Opera | $75,000 |
| San Francisco Symphony San Francisco, CA | Support Christmas Programs and Guest Conductor Endowment Fund | $75,000 |
| St Peter's School San Francisco, CA | Tuition Assistance and Symphony Christmas Tree | $35,000 |
| Immaculate Conception Academy San Francisco, CA | Tuition Assistance | $30,000 |
| 3 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $55,000 |
| St Anthony-Immaculate Conception SC San Francisco, CA | General Support for Kindergarten Through 8TH Grade School | $30,000 |
| St Anthony Foundation San Francisco, CA | General Support for Community Services | $26,000 |
| Bay Area Scholarhips for Inner-City San Francisco, CA | Scholarhips to catholic kindergarten through 8th grade schools in san francisco | $25,000 |
| Mission Dolores Academy San Francisco, CA | General Support for Kindergarten Through 8TH Grade School | $25,000 |
| St Brigid School San Francisco, CA | General Support for Kindergarten Through 8TH Grade School | $25,000 |
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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 | $22,464,097 | $1,973,606 | $1,366,688 | $1,023,000 | 62 | $1,196,393 | $1,803,311 | $1,225,723 |
| 2024 | $21,857,179 | $847,678 | $1,156,303 | $835,000 | 55 | $1,002,800 | $694,175 | $1,185,652 |
| 2023 | $22,165,804 | $519,983 | $1,182,407 | $823,000 | 48 | $1,024,644 | $593,980 | $1,082,587 |
| 2022 | $22,828,228 | $596,895 | $1,337,328 | $872,750 | 52 | $1,078,699 | $561,186 | $1,092,559 |
| 2021 | $23,568,661 | $3,743,612 | $1,466,673 | $1,144,500 | 59 | $1,301,729 | $3,578,668 | $1,222,144 |
| 2020 | $21,291,722 | $-365,243 | $1,390,336 | $1,094,500 | 56 | — | $412,659 | $1,117,820 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Louise M Davies Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for educational organizations, including schools that describe their work as serving students from preschool through eighth grade, providing tuition assistance, or offering scholarships. The San Francisco Opera Association describes its mission as bringing audiences together to experience opera’s transformative power; the San Francisco Symphony says it serves audiences and communities through musical performance. Other 2025 recipients included the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the California Academy of Sciences. The museum says it shares contemporary art through collections, exhibitions, and public programs; the Academy describes its mission as regenerating the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 62 grants totaling $1,023,000. Awards ranged from $2,500 to $75,000, with a median grant of $15,000. Among the largest listed grants were $75,000 each to the San Francisco Opera Association for general support for opera and the San Francisco Symphony for Christmas programs and its guest conductor endowment fund. Other listed grants included $35,000 to St Peter’s School for tuition assistance and the Symphony Christmas Tree, and $30,000 to Immaculate Conception Academy for tuition assistance.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Philip Hudner as director and president, and Ann C Matthews as secretary and Ann Matthews as treasurer.
Louise M Davies Foundation is led by Philip Hudner, Director & President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Philip Hudner
Director & President
On filings since 2020
22 hrs/week
$90K (2020) → $103K (2025)
Ann C. Matthews
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $103K, to Philip Hudner (Director).
Frequently asked questions about Louise M Davies Foundation
How much does Louise M Davies Foundation give each year?
Louise M Davies Foundation gave $1.0M across 62 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $835K across 55 grants.
What is Louise M Davies Foundation's typical grant size?
Louise M Davies Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $16,500, across 62 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Louise M Davies Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Louise M Davies Foundation give grants?
Louise M Davies Foundation gives mostly in California: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (29 grants), Menlo Park, CA (2 grants) and San Rafael, CA (2 grants).
Does Louise M Davies Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 74% of Louise M Davies Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (46 of 62) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Louise M Davies Foundation's largest grantees?
Louise M Davies Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include San Francisco Opera Association ($75,000), San Francisco Symphony ($75,000) and St Peter's School ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 grants to individuals ($55,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Louise M Davies Foundation?
Louise M Davies Foundation reported $22.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (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 Louise M Davies Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for educational organizations, including schools that describe their work as serving students from preschool through eighth grade, providing tuition assistance, or offering scholarships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Louise M Davies Foundation?
The foundation 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 Louise M Davies Foundation's EIN?
Louise M Davies Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7359841. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Louise M Davies Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Louise M Davies Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/louise-m-davies-foundation-morg_63a6d669c42c4e15bbd856d0d9a3d63a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237359841_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Louise M Davies Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/louise-m-davies-foundation-morg_63a6d669c42c4e15bbd856d0d9a3d63a},
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 Louise M Davies 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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