Paramitas Foundation
Paramitas Foundation is a private foundation based in Saratoga, California. Established in California in 1991, it supports organizations working in education, science and medicine, economic and political policy, community services, and religious services.
Paramitas Foundation at a glance
In short: Paramitas Foundation gave $2.2M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $172K), mostly in California. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,237,500
- +6.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $172,115
- +14.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $23,137,395
- -4.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (66% 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 Paramitas 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 2699, Saratoga, CA 95070
Phone: (408) 395-8868
Website: https://paramitasfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Paramitas Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Stanford University ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
81 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 81 (74%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in California (66%), Massachusetts (22%), New York (7%), Washington (4%), and Missouri (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Paramitas Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $255K; repeat grants $157K. How we count
Medians: $255K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.8M (2022) to $2.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University Palo Alto, CA | CONTRIBUTE AND PROMOTE EDUCATION and support research activities | $1,470,000 |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Brookline, MA | To provide expert, compassionate, and equitable care to children, adults, and their families, while advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of cancer and related diseases. | $500,000 |
| Columbia University New York, NY | Contribute and Promote Higher Education | $150,000 |
| University of Washington Foundation Seattle, WA | Contribute and Promote Education | $50,000 |
| University of Central Missouri Warrenburg, MO | Contribute and Promote Education | $20,000 |
| Northwest Harvest Seattle, WA | Provide Funding to Shelter Poors | $10,000 |
| Treehouse for Kids Seattle, WA | FUNDING FOR underprivileged children | $10,000 |
| Taiwanese American Conference - WC Solana Beach, CA | To foster fellowship and connection among Taiwanese Americans of all ages and genders, particularly on the West Coast. | $10,000 |
| Global Partnership Seattle, WA | To Promote Community Service | $8,000 |
| Formosan Association for Public AFF Washington DC, DC | To support activities to promote awareness, peace and rights of taiwaness communities | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Paramitas 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 | $23,137,395 | $1,460,034 | $2,435,842 | $2,237,500 | 13 | $2,371,097 | $1,395,609 | $2,284,934 |
| 2024 | $24,109,455 | $874,680 | $2,310,116 | $2,108,540 | 14 | $2,280,446 | $910,823 | $2,135,597 |
| 2023 | $25,546,667 | $-35,999 | $2,077,303 | $1,906,750 | 15 | $2,056,558 | $848,069 | $1,907,448 |
| 2022 | $27,755,120 | $829,135 | $1,857,299 | $1,758,000 | 15 | $1,758,000 | $829,135 | — |
| 2021 | $28,892,525 | $1,380,104 | $2,092,683 | $2,003,619 | 24 | $2,003,619 | $1,162,251 | — |
| 2020 | $28,666,473 | $1,040,870 | $1,894,390 | $1,805,102 | 20 | — | $1,040,870 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Paramitas Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M 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 website lists education, science and medicine, economic and political policies, community services, religious services, and environmental and wildlife sustainability as areas of work. Its education programs include scholarships and fellowships at universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Santa Clara, the University of Washington, the University of Central Missouri, and the University of Hawaii. Its science and medicine work includes cancer research programs at Stanford and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The website also names policy programs at Stanford, community services, and Buddhist organizations among its work.
Among its 2025 grantees, the University of Washington Foundation describes its role as soliciting and facilitating private contributions for the benefit of the University of Washington. Water 1st International says its mission is to help the world’s poorest people implement and sustain community-managed projects integrating clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $2,237,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $1,470,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest reported grants included $1,470,000 to Stanford University for education and research activities, $500,000 to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and $150,000 to Columbia University for higher education. Other listed grants included $50,000 to the University of Washington Foundation and $20,000 to the University of Central Missouri. The foundation also reported grants of $10,000 each to Northwest Harvest, Treehouse for Kids, and Taiwanese American Conference–WC, and smaller grants to other organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Winston Chen as chairman, Alex Chen as secretary, and Phyllis Huang as CFO. The foundation’s website identifies Winston Chen as chairman and Phyllis Huang as president.
Paramitas Foundation is led by Winston Chen, Chairman on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Winston Chen
Chairman
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Phyllis Huang
CFO
CFO → President, 2022
President → CFO, 2023
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$9K (2022) → $36K (2025)
Alex Chen
Secretary
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $36K, to Phyllis Huang (CFO).
Frequently asked questions about Paramitas Foundation
How much does Paramitas Foundation give each year?
Paramitas Foundation gave $2.2M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.1M across 14 grants.
What is Paramitas Foundation's typical grant size?
Paramitas Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $172,115, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Paramitas Foundation that year got $255K on average.
Where does Paramitas Foundation give grants?
Paramitas Foundation gives mostly in California: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (22%) and New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (5 grants).
Does Paramitas Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Paramitas Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Paramitas Foundation's largest grantees?
Paramitas Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Stanford University ($1,470,000), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ($500,000) and Columbia University ($150,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Paramitas Foundation?
Paramitas Foundation reported $23.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Paramitas Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website lists education, science and medicine, economic and political policies, community services, religious services, and environmental and wildlife sustainability as areas of work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Paramitas 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 Paramitas Foundation's EIN?
Paramitas Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0295773. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Paramitas 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 30, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 7, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Paramitas Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Paramitas Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/paramitas-foundation-morg_bec912a849544aef88d9353206f811d0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_770295773_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Paramitas Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/paramitas-foundation-morg_bec912a849544aef88d9353206f811d0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Paramitas 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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