Lowell Berry Foundation
The Lowell Berry Foundation is a private foundation based in Lafayette, California. Established in 1950, it supports organizations working to strengthen leadership in local Christian church ministry and also serves its local community through support for people in need.
Lowell Berry Foundation at a glance
In short: Lowell Berry Foundation gave $1.8M across 142 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in California. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,832,664
- +11.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 142
- +7.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,906
- +3.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $37,579,920
- +9.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (22 of 142, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (93% 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 Lowell Berry Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its filing says applications are submitted online through a grants management system, with no standard request form required. The foundation’s website describes an application process for organizations that reside or conduct programs in Alameda or Contra Costa counties and says applicants create an account to submit a request. Its stated restrictions exclude individuals, capital projects, and equipment.
- Review Cycle
- The foundation’s website lists application deadlines of February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1, with grant decisions made quarterly. Its 2025 filing states that no deadline date is required.
- Deadline
- The foundation’s website lists application deadlines of February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1, with grant…
- Contact
Application contact: The Lowell Berry Foundation
Mailing address: 3685 Mt Diablo Blvd Ste 351, Lafayette, CA 94549
Phone: (925) 284-4427
Email: info@lowellberryfoundation.org
Website: https://lowellberryfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Lowell Berry Foundation
Who Lowell Berry Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Bay Area Urban Network ($188K). Together the top 10 received $917K.
Grant Size Distribution
681 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 638 grants of 681 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s guidelines say new grants are restricted to programs in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and its filing says applicants must be located in one of those counties. In 2025, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 3% to Hawaii, and 1% each to Connecticut, Illinois, and Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 142 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lowell Berry Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 22 of 142 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 109% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $1.5M (2019) to $1.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 142 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Bay Area Urban Network Oakland, CA | General Support | $188,000 |
| Fuller Theological Seminary Pasadena, CA | Various Programs | $168,000 |
| School of Urban Missions Oakland, CA | Various programs | $129,000 |
| City Team Ministries Oakland, CA | General Support | $81,500 |
| WellSpring Menlo Park, CA | East Bay Candidates | $80,000 |
| The Leadership Connection Walnut Creek, CA | General Support | $63,000 |
| Hawaiian Islands Ministries Honolulu, HI | General support | $60,000 |
| Young Life - Diablo Valley Walnut Creek, CA | General Support | $52,000 |
| Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Dana Point, CA | Multiple Ministries | $48,000 |
| Harbor House Ministries Inc Oakland, CA | General Support | $47,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Lowell Berry 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 | $37,579,920 | $3,093,334 | $2,057,430 | $1,832,664 | 142 | $1,875,538 | $3,084,437 | $1,721,309 |
| 2024 | $34,280,804 | $2,550,162 | $1,827,763 | $1,648,680 | 132 | $1,820,574 | $2,542,973 | $1,634,745 |
| 2023 | $32,128,907 | $2,671,669 | $1,834,658 | $1,634,230 | 127 | $1,814,319 | $2,651,330 | $1,478,311 |
| 2022 | $29,516,025 | $1,761,770 | $1,798,644 | $1,646,833 | 135 | $1,785,540 | $1,748,666 | $1,532,771 |
| 2021 | $35,940,746 | $2,863,773 | $1,921,781 | $1,755,333 | 145 | $1,910,784 | $2,852,776 | $1,683,819 |
| 2020 | $32,711,846 | $1,238,158 | $1,748,218 | $1,623,000 | 135 | — | $1,231,899 | $1,408,909 |
| 2019 | $30,271,780 | $1,210,610 | $1,610,318 | $1,465,000 | 155 | — | $1,200,477 | $1,392,157 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lowell Berry Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.7M 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 primary purpose is to strengthen Christian ministry at the local church level. It also supports social service programs in the California areas where Lowell W. Berry lived and operated his business.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate the range of supported work. The Bay Area Urban Network describes its mission as bringing hope to Oakland youth; Fuller Theological Seminary says it prepares students for Christian vocations; and WellSpring says it provides retreats and seminars on Christian spiritual formation. Harbor House Ministries describes itself as a Christian community development organization serving Oakland families through programs including after-school tutoring and enrichment.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 142 grants totaling $1,832,664. Grants ranged from $500 to $188,000, with a median award of $5,000. Among its largest grants were $188,000 to The Bay Area Urban Network for general support, $168,000 to Fuller Theological Seminary for various programs, $129,000 to School of Urban Missions for various programs, and $81,500 to City Team Ministries for general support. Other notable awards included $80,000 to WellSpring for East Bay Candidates and $63,000 to The Leadership Connection for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ken Perez as President; Patricia B. Conklin as Vice President; Gary L. DePolo as Treasurer; and Jami S. Kane as Secretary. It also lists John D. Asher, Jayne S. Mordell, and Annette S. Robison as directors.
Lowell Berry Foundation is led by Ken Perez, President since 2025 (on filings since 2019); none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ken Perez
President
Director → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Annette S. Robison
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jayne S. Mordell
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John D. Asher
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gary L. Depolo
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jami S. Kane
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patricia B. Conklin
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Larry R. Langdon (2019–2024) — President
- Former: Barbara B. Corneille (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Bruce McIntosh (2019–2021) — 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.
Frequently asked questions about Lowell Berry Foundation
How much does Lowell Berry Foundation give each year?
Lowell Berry Foundation gave $1.8M across 142 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.6M across 132 grants.
What is Lowell Berry Foundation's typical grant size?
Lowell Berry Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $12,906, across 142 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lowell Berry Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Lowell Berry Foundation give grants?
Lowell Berry Foundation gives mostly in California: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Oakland, CA (36 grants), Berkeley, CA (10 grants), Walnut Creek, CA (9 grants) and Concord, CA (7 grants).
Does Lowell Berry Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 73% of Lowell Berry Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (104 of 142) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Social Service Fund" (8 grants), "Various Programs" (6 grants) and "Camperships" (5 grants).
Who are Lowell Berry Foundation's largest grantees?
Lowell Berry Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Bay Area Urban Network ($188,000), Fuller Theological Seminary ($168,000) and School of Urban Missions ($129,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lowell Berry Foundation?
Lowell Berry Foundation reported $37.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lowell Berry Foundation fund?
The foundation’s primary purpose is to strengthen Christian ministry at the local church level. It also supports social service programs in the California areas where Lowell W. Berry lived and operated his business. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lowell Berry Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lowell Berry Foundation's EIN?
Lowell Berry Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-6108391. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Lowell Berry 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 30, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lowell Berry Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lowell Berry Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lowell-berry-foundation-morg_99ba4b7d3cf4477ba2e73f32cf8c90e1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_946108391_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lowell Berry Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lowell-berry-foundation-morg_99ba4b7d3cf4477ba2e73f32cf8c90e1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Lowell Berry 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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