Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation
The Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation is a private foundation based in Menlo Park, California. In its 2025 filing, it reported 22 grants totaling $321,000 to charitable organizations.
Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation at a glance
In short: Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation gave $321K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $321,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- Average grant
- $14,591
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $4,086,535
- Primary geography
- California (64% 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 Melvin & Geraldine Hoven 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. Its filing lists Barry Elkins as the contact.
- Contact
Application contact: Barry Elkins
Mailing address: 64 Willow Place 200, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone: (650) 363-8510
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Michael J Fox Foundation ($70K). Together the top 10 received $267K.
Grant Size Distribution
22 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 20 grants of 22 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the shares of grant dollars by recipient state were California, 64%; New York, 22%; Oregon, 10%; Idaho, 3%; and Florida, 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
How Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation gives
- In 2025 it paid out 73% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $321K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Michael J Fox Foundation New York, NY | Unrestricted | $70,000 |
| Post Palo Alto, CA | Unrestricted | $70,000 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank San Jose, CA | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Yosemite Conservancy San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| CTA Disaster Relief Fund Burlingame, CA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Sweet Home Alumni Foundation Sweet Home, OR | Unrestricted | $17,000 |
| University of Oregon Foundation Eugene, OR | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Silicon Valley Education Foundation San Jose, CA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Los Altos Mountain View Community F Los Altos, CA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Wildland Firefighter Foundation Boise, ID | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
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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 | $4,086,535 | $515,264 | $410,255 | $321,000 | 22 | $335,300 | $440,394 | $462,117 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation reported a distributable amount of $462K 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 a range of organizations. For example, Second Harvest Food Bank describes its mission as ending hunger and malnutrition by educating and involving the community. Sweet Home Alumni Foundation says it provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors for higher education. Save the Redwoods League says it protects and restores redwood forests and connects people with their natural beauty.
Other 2025 grantees include the University of Oregon Foundation, which says it supports and assists the University of Oregon, and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, which says it supports fallen or injured firefighters and their families and educates the public about wildland fires and firefighters.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $321,000 through 22 grants. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $70,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest grants were $70,000 each to the Michael J Fox Foundation and Post, followed by $25,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank. Other notable grants included $20,000 each to Yosemite Conservancy and CTA Disaster Relief Fund; $17,000 to Sweet Home Alumni Foundation; and $15,000 to University of Oregon Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Barry Elkins as President & CEO and Kathleen Elkins as Treasurer.
Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation is led by Barry Elkins, President & CEO on the 2025 filing; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barry Elkins
President & CEO
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Kathleen Elkins
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 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 Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation
How much does Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation give each year?
Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation gave $321K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation's typical grant size?
Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $14,591, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation give grants?
Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation gives mostly in California: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (22%) and Oregon (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Altos, CA (3 grants), Palo Alto, CA (2 grants), San Jose, CA (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation's largest grantees?
Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Michael J Fox Foundation ($70,000), Post ($70,000) and Second Harvest Food Bank ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation?
Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation reported $4.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $335K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $462K (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 Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Second Harvest Food Bank describes its mission as ending hunger and malnutrition by educating and involving the community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Melvin & Geraldine Hoven 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 Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation's EIN?
Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2999037. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2025.
Does Melvin & Geraldine Hoven 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Melvin & Geraldine Hoven Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/melvin-and-geraldine-hoven-foundation-morg_a1e17800ca2c4b33bed40223af741c63
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_272999037_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Melvin \& Geraldine Hoven Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/melvin-and-geraldine-hoven-foundation-morg_a1e17800ca2c4b33bed40223af741c63},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Melvin & Geraldine Hoven 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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