The Penney Family Fund is a third and fourth-generation family foundation based in Berkeley, California. Established in 1998, it operates as a private 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to advancing social and economic justice through strategic grantmaking and community partnerships.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$7.0M
+2.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$414K
-53.5% YoY
Grant Count
23
-30.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$18K
-33.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Penney Family Fund reported a distributable amount of $348K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The Penney Family Fund uses its resources to invest in and amplify grassroots leaders, organizations, and movements to achieve a more just, equitable, and anti-racist society.
Vision: A society where power and resources are redistributed to address racial, economic, and other structural injustices and where diverse local leaders and their communities drive the change they wish to see in the world.
Primary Funding Areas:
- Racial Justice
- Economic and Environmental Justice
Guiding Principles:
- People closest to the problem are best equipped to understand the problem and develop solutions
- Grassroots, local, place-based organizing and movement building are crucial to create and sustain long-term, national, structural shifts
- Trust-based philanthropy that empowers partners to use support as they see best fit
- Commitment to challenging structural inequities by prioritizing organizations led by Black, Latinx, Asian, Native, and other communities of color who have been under-resourced and underestimated
Grantmaking
The foundation made 26 grants in 2024, including:
Grant Range
$500 to $35,000
Average Grant
amount varies by program
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on North Carolina, California, and Arizona, with support for organizations engaged in grassroots organizing and movement building across these regions.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total assets: $7,046,650
- Total revenues: $425,206
- Total expenses: $578,309
- Investment income and dividends: $122,669
- Total giving: $414,452
- Giving rate: 14.4%
Historical Giving (2023):
- Total giving: $996,643
- Total assets: $6,858,005
- Total revenue: $397,476
- Total expenses: $712,283
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,046,650 | $6,858,005 | $6,979,283 |
| Revenue | $425,206 | $397,476 | $55,555 |
| Expenses | $578,309 | $712,283 | $455,311 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $513,116 | $996,643 | $404,125 |
| Net Investment Income | $357,051 | $308,743 | $34,250 |
| Distributable Amount | $348,163 | $353,648 | $367,663 |
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
135 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include We Are Down Home ($35,000), Momentum Community ($25,000), Tides Foundation ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Momentum Community Long Beach, CA | Partnership Grant | $25,000 |
| One Arizona Phoenix, AZ | Wingbeat 88 Learning Grant | $20,000 |
| One Arizona Phoenix, AZ | Learning Grant | $15,000 |
| Sogorea Te Land Trust Oakland, CA | Shuumi Land Tax | $3,860 |
| Tides Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Poder Latinx Collective Fund | $25,000 |
| We Are Down Home Greensboro, NC | Partnership Grant | $25,000 |
| Georgia Alliance Education Fund Inc Atlanta, GA | Learning Grant | $20,000 |
| Somos Siembra Greensboro, NC | Partnership Grant | $25,000 |
| Rural Arizona Engagement RAZE Coolidge, AZ | Partnership Grant | $25,000 |
| OL Education Fund Albuquerque, NM | Partnership Grant | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board Members:
- Luisa Guyer (Co-President)
- Maraya Keny-Guyer (Co-President)
- Alissa Huntington (Secretary)
- Jordan Keny-Guyer (Treasurer)
- Marion Guyer (Trustee)
- Jeff Malachowsky (Trustee)
- Nate Huntington (Trustee)
- Sarah Malachowsky (Trustee)
- Tom Huntington (Trustee)
- Diana Trump (Trustee)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luisa Guyer | Co-President | 2 | — |
| Maraya Keny-Guyer | Co-President | 2 | — |
| Alissa Huntington | Secretary | 2 | — |
| Jordan Keny-Guyer | Treasurer | 2 | — |
| Marion Guyer | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jeff Malachowsky | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Nate Huntington | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Sarah Malachowsky | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Tom Huntington | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Diana Trump | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Alissa Keny-Guyer | Trustee | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Penney Family Fund fund?
**Mission Statement:** The Penney Family Fund uses its resources to invest in and amplify grassroots leaders, organizations, and movements to achieve a more just, equitable, and anti-racist society. **Vision:** A society where power and resources are redistributed to address racial, economic, and other structural injustices and where diverse local leaders and their communities drive the change they wish to see in the world. **Primary Funding Areas:** • Racial Justice • Economic and Environmenta…
How do I apply for a grant from Penney Family Fund?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Grant range: $500 to $35,000 • Median grant amount: $25,000 • Average grant amount varies by program **Grant Programs:** • Learning Grant (average $25,000) • General Operating Support (average $24,615) • General Support (average $13,250) • Black Futures Lab (average $32,500) • Rapid Response (average $7,000) **Recent Grant Activity:** The foundation made 26 grants in 2024, including: • We Are Down Home: $35,000 (Partnership Grant) • Momentum Community: $25,000 (Part…
Where does Penney Family Fund make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on North Carolina, California, and Arizona, with support for organizations engaged in grassroots organizing and movement building across these regions.
What size grants does Penney Family Fund award?
In 2024, Penney Family Fund awarded 23 grants totaling $414K — an average of about $18K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Penney Family Fund required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Penney Family Fund reported a distributable amount of $348K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Penney Family Fund's EIN?
Penney Family Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3314431. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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