Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation
The Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Aliso Viejo, California. In its 2024 filing, it reported 17 grants totaling $208,716 to charitable organizations.
Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation gave $209K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $208,716
- -1.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- -26.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,277
- +32.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,272
- Total assets
- $2,466,983
- -9.3% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (88% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Masson-Shaffer 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. The filing lists Melinda Masson as the contact.
- Contact
Application contact: Melinda Masson
Mailing address: 1 Polaris, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Phone: (949) 715-5164
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Chapman University ($50K). Together the top 10 received $194K.
Grant Size Distribution
92 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 87 grants of 92 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to California recipients. The remaining shares were Colorado (5%), Washington, DC (4%), New York (2%), and Texas (0%, as reported).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
How Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation gives
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 53% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 158% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $136K (2020) to $213K (2023). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $209K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chapman University Orange, CA | Charitable Support | $50,000 |
| United Way of OC Irvine, CA | Charitable Support | $41,000 |
| Bowers Museum Santa Ana, CA | Charitable Support | $30,000 |
| Laguna Beach HS Water Polo Laguna Beach, CA | Charitable Support | $20,000 |
| Girls Inc Santa Ana, CA | Charitable Support | $15,000 |
| Action in Africa Aspen, CO | Charitable Support | $10,000 |
| National Park Foundation Washington DC, DC | Charitable Support | $9,000 |
| Orange County Sheriff's Advisory Co Santa Ana, CA | Charitable Support | $7,500 |
| Boys Girls Club Laguna Beach, CA | Charitable Support | $6,272 |
| Laguna Playhouse Laguna Beach, CA | Charitable Support | $5,462 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,466,983 | $55,617 | $297,071 | $208,716 | 17 | $243,009 | — | $154,233 |
| 2023 | $2,718,827 | $310,490 | $324,501 | $212,710 | 23 | $258,870 | $228,578 | $165,552 |
| 2022 | $2,716,472 | $472,132 | $313,124 | $212,094 | 24 | $215,955 | $347,608 | $136,179 |
| 2021 | $4,307,561 | $113,920 | $170,075 | $136,525 | 18 | $136,525 | $38,824 | — |
| 2020 | $3,543,928 | $43,486 | $169,397 | $135,550 | 10 | — | $9,639 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $154K for 2024 — 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 grants included support for educational, cultural, youth, community, health, and conservation organizations. These descriptions reflect grantees’ own missions: Chapman University says it provides a personalized education intended to foster ethical and productive lives; Girls Incorporated says it inspires girls to be strong, smart, and bold through educational programs; and Action in Africa says it advances development in Uganda through access to education and other resources. The National Park Foundation describes its work as supporting the protection, preservation, and restoration of America’s national parks.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation gave 17 grants totaling $208,716. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $50,000, with a median of $6,272. Its largest grants included $50,000 to Chapman University, $41,000 to United Way of OC, $30,000 to Bowers Museum, $20,000 to Laguna Beach HS Water Polo, and $15,000 to Girls Inc.
Other listed grants included $10,000 to Action in Africa, $9,000 to the National Park Foundation, $7,500 to Orange County Sheriff's Advisory Co, $6,272 to Boys Girls Club, $5,462 to an individual recipient, and $5,000 each to Cardinal Hayes and City of Hope. The filing describes the purposes of the listed grants as charitable support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Melena Masson as President, Melinda Masson as Vice President, Maurice Masson as Treasurer, and Pierre Masson as Secretary.
Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation is led by Melena Masson, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Melena Masson
President
Treasurer → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Maurice Masson
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Melinda Masson
Vice President
Secretary → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Pierre Masson
Secretary
President → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Benjamin Shaffer (2020–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation
How much does Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation give each year?
Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation gave $209K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $213K across 23 grants.
What is Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,272, and its average grant was $12,277, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation give grants?
Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Laguna Beach, CA (5 grants) and Santa Ana, CA (3 grants).
Does Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Support" (17 grants).
Who are Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Chapman University ($50,000), United Way of OC ($41,000) and Bowers Museum ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation?
Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $243K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $154K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants included support for educational, cultural, youth, community, health, and conservation organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Masson-Shaffer 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 Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation's EIN?
Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0758342. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Masson-Shaffer Family 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 4, 2021)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/masson-shaffer-family-foundation-morg_c25b8aadd07c401cab73f02fa86425ee
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330758342_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Masson-Shaffer Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/masson-shaffer-family-foundation-morg_c25b8aadd07c401cab73f02fa86425ee},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Masson-Shaffer 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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