Must
MUST! Charities is a community philanthropy organization based in San Luis Obispo County that unites donors and pools resources to strategically invest in local nonprofit organizations addressing critical community needs including youth mentorship, poverty, hunger, and education. Since 2012, MUST! has committed over $12 million to nonprofit organizations through a research-driven, collaborative approach that focuses on organizational infrastructure and sustainable change. The organization operates with 100% of donor contributions going directly to investments in community projects, supported by an Executive Board and private donors who cover all operating costs.
Must at a glance
In short: Must gave $877K across 7 grants in 2024 (avg $125K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $876,955
- +94.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 7
- -56.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $125,279
- +343.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $71,192
- Total assets
- $6,677,493
- +20.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026.
Who Must funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lumina Alliance ($472K). Together the top 7 received $877K.
Grant Size Distribution
35 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 18 grants of 35 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 7 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Must gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−3%). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $452K (2023) to $900K (2021). In 2024 it made 7 grants totaling $877K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lumina Alliance San Luis Obispo, CA | Donation for Various Purposes | $472,166 |
| Vineyard Team Atascadero, CA | Donation for Various Purposes | $101,580 |
| Transitions Mental Health Association San Luis Obispo, CA | Donation for Various Purposes | $88,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of the Mid Central Coast Santa Maria, CA | Donation for Various Purposes | $71,192 |
| Paso Robles Youth Arts Center Paso Robles, CA | Donation for Various Purposes | $69,907 |
| El Camino Homeless Organization Atascadero, CA | Donation for Various Purposes | $67,810 |
| Studios on the Park Paso Robles, CA | Donation for Various Purposes | $6,300 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,677,493 | $2,741,117 | $1,586,962 | $876,955 | 7 | $272,316 |
| 2023 | $5,537,675 | $2,599,710 | $1,080,702 | $451,942 | 16 | $199,213 |
| 2022 | $3,937,088 | $2,290,002 | $1,079,496 | $588,441 | 5 | $-95,732 |
| 2021 | $2,712,456 | $2,370,083 | $1,318,899 | $899,984 | 3 | $48,448 |
| 2020 | $1,657,766 | $873,284 | $796,637 | $580,310 | 4 | $16,024 |
About Must
Based on IRS filings
Must is a public charity, based in Templeton, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $6.7M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 7 grants totaling $877K. Net investment income was $272K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Must is led by Becky Gray, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 8 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Becky Gray
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$94K (2020) → $122K (2024)
Stephen Silva
Chairman
Director → Vice Chairman, 2023
Vice Chairman → Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg Gregory
Director
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jenny Barton
Director
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maeve Pesquera
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelli Law
Treasurer
Secretary → Chairman, 2023
Chairman → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Justin Smith
Vice Chairman
Vice Chariman → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Vice Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lori Bickel
Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Andy Niner (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Michael Bickel (2020–2023) — Chairman -
- Former: Rob Osterbauer (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Paloma Bilson (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Bill Grant (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Don Witmer (2020–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Lisa Jensen (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Heather Smith (2020) — Secretary
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $122K, to Becky Gray (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Must
How much does Must give each year?
Must gave $877K across 7 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $452K across 16 grants.
What is Must's typical grant size?
Must's median grant in 2024 was $71,192, and its average grant was $125,279, across 7 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Must give grants?
Must gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Luis Obispo, CA (2 grants), Atascadero, CA (2 grants) and Paso Robles, CA (2 grants).
Does Must give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 7 grants with a stated purpose on Must's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation for Various Purposes" (7 grants).
Who are Must's largest grantees?
Must's largest 2024 grantees include Lumina Alliance ($472,166), Vineyard Team ($101,580) and Transitions Mental Health Association ($88,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Must?
Must reported $6.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.7M.
What is Must's EIN?
Must's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 90-0663200. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Must's focus areas in our free grants database
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Funders that support many of the same organizations
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Greater Horizons
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