Pearl Colman Foundation
The Pearl Colman Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in areas including philanthropy, environmental work, technology, education, and health.
Pearl Colman Foundation at a glance
In short: Pearl Colman Foundation gave $142K across 35 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), top state District of Columbia. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $142,483
- +11.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 35
- -2.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,071
- +14.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,800
- Total assets
- $2,210,242
- -3.3% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (34% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Pearl Colman 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: 1801 Page Mill Road 100, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: (650) 845-8100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Pearl Colman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Accelerate Change ($20K). Together the top 10 received $112K.
Grant Size Distribution
98 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 98 grants of 98 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in the District of Columbia (34%), California (27%), Massachusetts (15%), New York (12%), and Washington (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Pearl Colman Foundation gives
- 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 2275% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 91% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $6K (2021) to $154K (2022). In 2024 it made 35 grants totaling $142K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerate Change Boston, MA | Philanthropy | $20,000 |
| All Americans Vote Washington, DC | Philanthropy | $20,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | Philanthropy | $10,000 |
| Coltura Seattle, WA | Environmental | $10,000 |
| Future Now Institute States Project Washington, DC | Technology | $10,000 |
| Schwab Charitable - DAF San Francisco, CA | Philanthropy | $10,000 |
| Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund Redwood City, CA | Philanthropy | $10,000 |
| American Immigration Council Washington, DC | Philanthropy | $7,000 |
| Project Glimmer San Leandro, CA | Educational | $5,100 |
| Jewish Family & Children's Services San Francisco, CA | Philanthropy | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Pearl Colman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,210,242 | $76,558 | $149,728 | $142,483 | 35 | $147,733 | $74,563 | $162,156 |
| 2023 | $2,284,822 | $20,765 | $149,880 | $127,702 | 36 | $137,415 | $53,781 | $141,554 |
| 2022 | $2,387,649 | $-8,362 | $186,421 | $154,325 | 26 | $154,325 | $33,829 | $144,974 |
| 2021 | $3,067,765 | $90,971 | $26,088 | $6,000 | 1 | $6,000 | $634,171 | $150,305 |
| 2020 | $3,002,882 | $3,002,882 | — | — | — | — | $6,415 | $121 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Pearl Colman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $162K 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 2024 grants included organizations working on voting and civic engagement, community organizing, anti-hate efforts, immigration policy, girls’ empowerment, and First Amendment freedoms and democratic values. These are grantees’ stated missions: All Americans Vote aims to motivate underrepresented Americans to vote; Accelerate Change develops and tests models for citizen organizing, particularly in communities of color; and the Anti-Defamation League works to combat antisemitism and other forms of hate. The American Immigration Council works to shape immigration policy and practice, while Project Glimmer aims to inspire girls to envision and realize an empowered future. People for the American Way Foundation conducts research, legal, and education work on First Amendment freedoms and democratic values.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 35 grants totaling $142,483. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $20,000, with a median of $1,800. Among its largest grants were $20,000 each to Accelerate Change and All Americans Vote; $10,000 each to the Anti-Defamation League, Coltura, Future Now Institute States Project, Schwab Charitable - DAF, and Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund; and $7,000 to the American Immigration Council.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Julie C Pearl as president; Fredric C Colman as CFO and secretary; and Daniela P Colman and Samuel C Colman as directors.
Pearl Colman Foundation is led by Julie C. Pearl, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Julie C. Pearl
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniela P. Colman
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Samuel C. Colman
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fredric C. Colman
CFO & Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Pearl Colman Foundation
How much does Pearl Colman Foundation give each year?
Pearl Colman Foundation gave $142K across 35 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $128K across 36 grants.
What is Pearl Colman Foundation's typical grant size?
Pearl Colman Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,800, and its average grant was $4,071, across 35 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Pearl Colman Foundation give grants?
Pearl Colman Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (27%) and Massachusetts (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (7 grants), New York, NY (4 grants), San Francisco, CA (4 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Pearl Colman Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 35 grants with a stated purpose on Pearl Colman Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Philanthropy" (15 grants), "Health" (12 grants) and "Educational" (5 grants).
Who are Pearl Colman Foundation's largest grantees?
Pearl Colman Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Accelerate Change ($20,000), All Americans Vote ($20,000) and American Immigration Council ($10,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Pearl Colman Foundation?
Pearl Colman Foundation reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $148K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $162K (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 Pearl Colman Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included organizations working on voting and civic engagement, community organizing, anti-hate efforts, immigration policy, girls’ empowerment, and First Amendment freedoms and democratic values. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pearl Colman 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 Pearl Colman Foundation's EIN?
Pearl Colman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-4298352. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Pearl Colman 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
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Pearl Colman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/pearl-colman-foundation-morg_06a945b5b61343f2ad9e3fbbb9fa5a31
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_854298352_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Pearl Colman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/pearl-colman-foundation-morg_06a945b5b61343f2ad9e3fbbb9fa5a31},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Pearl Colman 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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