May Foundation Trust
May Foundation Trust is a private foundation located in Oakland, California, designated as a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation has been tax-exempt since October 1989. It operates as an investment-focused foundation whose primary purpose is to generate funds from investment income and appreciate holdings that will ultimately contribute to charitable causes.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$930K
+18.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$78K
+10.4% YoY
Grant Count
49
+16.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
-5.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's stated purpose is solely to generate funds from investment income and holding investments that will appreciate, with contributions paid to qualifying charitable organizations.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education (including tuition-free education for low-income families)
- Environmental education and watershed preservation
- Science and garden-related grants
- Support for indigenous individuals, families, and communities in healing
- Support for victims of sexual abuse
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.
Grant Range
$1,000–$2,600
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grant-making focuses primarily on:
- California
- New York
- District of Columbia
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Data (2023-2024):
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $786,842–$930,000 |
| Total Revenues | $41,378–$224,000 |
| Total Expenses | $78,645–$80,400 |
| Total Liabilities | $0 |
| Annual Giving Rate | 8.6% of assets |
Financial Trend: The foundation maintains modest but stable assets with annual giving representing approximately 8-9% of total assets.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $930,468 | $786,842 | $824,109 |
| Revenue | $224,049 | $41,378 | $137,339 |
| Expenses | $80,423 | $78,645 | $70,861 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $73,839 | $72,471 | $63,493 |
| Net Investment Income | $204,507 | $32,968 | $25,805 |
| Distributable Amount | $61,464 | $58,151 | $55,214 |
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
224 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT MAY | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MARILYN MAY | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JOAN E MAY | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MELISSA M STROBEL | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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