Petaluma Educational Foundation
Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF) is a public charity based in Petaluma, California. Founded in 1982, it supports educational opportunities for students in the Petaluma area through school impact grants and scholarships.
Petaluma Educational Foundation at a glance
In short: Petaluma Educational Foundation gave $425K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in California. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $425,474
- +110.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- +140.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,728
- -12.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $16,447
- Total assets
- $7,649,353
- +7.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (6 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Petaluma Educational Foundation
- Next open deadline
- December 1, 2026 (PEF Scholarships)
- Contact
Mailing address: 100 Fourth Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
Phone: (707) 778-4632
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Petaluma Educational Foundation
Who Petaluma Educational Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Vincents High School ($82K). Together the top 10 received $265K.
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 97 grants of 99 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
PEF describes its service area as the Petaluma area. All grant dollars in the 2025 filing went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Petaluma Educational Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 24 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $17K first-time, $16K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $133K (2021) to $425K (2025). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $425K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Vincents High School Petaluma, CA | Education for STEAM | $82,000 |
| Spring Hill School Petaluma, CA | Education for STEM | $29,853 |
| River Montessori Petaluma, CA | Education for Literacy and STEAM | $20,191 |
| Penngrove School Penngrove, CA | Education for Literacy | $20,000 |
| McKinley School Petaluma, CA | Education for Literacy | $19,786 |
| Grant School Petaluma, CA | Education for Literacy | $19,700 |
| Old Adobe Union School District Petaluma, CA | Education for Health & Wellness | $18,829 |
| McDowell School Petaluma, CA | Education for Literacy | $18,543 |
| Petaluma High School Petaluma, CA | Education for STEAM, Health and Wellness | $18,023 |
| Waugh School District Petaluma, CA | Education for STEAM, Health and Wellness | $17,703 |
Ready to take the next step with Petaluma Educational Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,649,353 | $1,464,418 | $1,276,304 | $425,474 | 24 | $438,548 |
| 2024 | $7,146,536 | $1,469,694 | $985,107 | $202,206 | 10 | $408,844 |
| 2023 | $6,604,645 | $1,208,172 | $977,781 | $252,045 | 18 | $248,488 |
| 2022 | $6,121,635 | $1,393,764 | $836,524 | $198,037 | 21 | $297,523 |
| 2021 | $6,654,747 | $1,090,670 | $746,056 | $133,342 | 26 | $292,535 |
| 2020 | $5,683,024 | $883,641 | $782,376 | $180,615 | 17 | $354,243 |
| 2019 | $5,903,975 | $980,389 | $774,053 | $198,301 | 17 | $291,293 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
PEF’s mission is to create impactful educational opportunities for students in its community by funding programs that promote critical thinking, creativity, student well-being, and lifelong learning. Its stated grant focus areas include literacy and language arts, math and science, STEAM, fine arts, vocational education and life skills, athletics, nutrition, and well-being.
PEF’s programs include grants to teachers for innovative educational projects and scholarships for graduating seniors pursuing higher education or vocational studies. The foundation says scholarship criteria vary by fund and may include grades, community service, and school service. Among its 2025 grantees was Harvest Christian School, whose stated mission includes building Christian character and providing a quality education.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, PEF reported 24 grants totaling $425,474. Grant amounts ranged from $29 to $82,000, with a median of $16,447. The largest listed awards included $82,000 to St. Vincent’s High School for STEAM education; $29,853 to Spring Hill School for STEM education; $20,191 to River Montessori for literacy and STEAM; and $20,000 to Penngrove School for literacy. Other listed recipients included McKinley School, Grant School, Old Adobe Union School District, McDowell School, Petaluma High School, Waugh School District, Dunham School, and Petaluma Junior High.
PEF says its grant committee scores educational grant requests using an objective matrix, invites preliminary recipients to present in person, and selects final recipients from that group. Its 2024 filing narrative says grant projects must be completed by June 1 of the current fiscal year, with school administrators ordering supplies through their districts. PEF says it monitors awarded grants during the academic year and records outcomes. Its website states that the 2026–2027 Impact Grant application is open through October 5, 2026.
PEF scholarships are for students in their senior year attending a Petaluma-area high school. The scholarship application portal for the Class of 2026 opened December 1, 2025; that application cycle is past as of September 28, 2026. The separate scholarship program listing gives a December 1, 2026 deadline.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Craig Walker as president, Neal Reardon as secretary, Tim McGaughey as treasurer, and Joanie Benedetti Claussen as member at large. It also lists Carol Ann Libarle, Carol Isaak, Melinda Hepp, and Teresa Hatcher as board members. Mark Niemann and Andrew Fishman are listed as board members who left in 2024.
Petaluma Educational Foundation is led by Maureeen Highland, Executive Director on the 2025 filing; 2 of 28 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Maureeen Highland
Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$116K (2025)
Craig Walker
President
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Kimball
Accounting Manager
New on the 2025 filing
17 hrs/week
$80K (2025)
Andrew Fishman Left
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anusuya Mokashi Joined
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Breanne Sturdevant
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Ann Libarle
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Isaak
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chad Fillinger
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cristina Hess Bagwell
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniele Bugbee
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debra Dow Left
Past President
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hoby Wedler
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joanie Benedetti Claussen
Member at Large
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kalli Fishman Joined
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Gettman
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly Strickland
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Quinlan
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Niemann Left
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melinda Hepp
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Morelli
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Regan
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Neal Reardon
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Celli
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Kagin
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Takami
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Teresa Hatcher
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tim McGaughey
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (77)
- Former: Celli Rebecca (2019–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Claussen Joanie (2019–2024) — Member at Large
- Former: Highland Maureen (2019–2024) — Executive Director
- Former: Isaak Carol (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Kimball Sharon (2019–2024) — Accounting Manager
- Former: Libarle Carol Ann (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: McGaughey Tim (2019–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Wedler Hoby (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Reardon Neal (2020–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Fishman Andrew (2021–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Hepp Melinda (2021–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Walker Craig (2021–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Hatcher Teresa (2022–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Neimann Mark (2022–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Strickland Kimberly (2022–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Bugbee Daniele (2023–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Dow Debra (2023–2024) — President
- Former: Fillinger Chad (2023–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Bagwell Cristina H. (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Gettman Karen (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Harris Mike Left (2024) — Past President
- Former: Kagin Rebecca (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Maddalena Mike Left (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Michael Regan Joined (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Morelli Melissa (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Qunilan Marilyn Joined (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Ranadive Rajina Left (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Sturdevant Breanne (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Takami Susan (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Harris Mike (2019–2023) — Past President
- Former: Ranadive Rajina (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Maddalena Mike (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Bagwell Cristina H. Joined (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Buerger Leslie Left (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Burns John Left (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Gettman Karen Joined (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Isaak Carol Rejoined (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Kagin Rebecca Joined (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Morelli Melissa Joined (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Sturdevant Breanne Joined (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Takami Susan Joined (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Burns John (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Buerger Leslie (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Bugbee Daniele Joined (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Celli Rebecca Joined (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Dow Debra Joined (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Isaak Carol Left (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Philbin Susan Left (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Rabbitt Jane Left (2022) — Past President
- Former: Rudder Maureen Left (2022) — Secretary
- Former: Soiland Mark Left (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Rabbitt Jane (2019–2021) — Past President
- Former: Rudder Maureen (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Soiland Mark (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Philbin Susan (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Avery Michael Left (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Buerger Leslie Joined (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Hatcher Teresa Joined (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Marquardt Elizabeth Left (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Neimann Mark Joined (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Marquardt Elizabeth (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Avery Michael (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Celli Rebecca Left (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Fishman Andrew Joined (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Hepp Melinda Joined (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Leoni Regina Left (2020) — Board Member
- Former: McBride Wes Left (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Regan Michael (2020) — Past President
- Former: Walker Craig Joined (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Breen Brian (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Gorman Rick (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Leoni Regina (2019) — Board Member
- Former: McBride Wes (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Philbin Susan Joined (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Reardon Neal Joined (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Regan Micahel (2019) — Past President
- Former: Souza Paula (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $116K, to Maureeen Highland (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Petaluma Educational Foundation
How much does Petaluma Educational Foundation give each year?
Petaluma Educational Foundation gave $425K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $202K across 10 grants.
What is Petaluma Educational Foundation's typical grant size?
Petaluma Educational Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $16,447, and its average grant was $17,728, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Petaluma Educational Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does Petaluma Educational Foundation give grants?
Petaluma Educational Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Petaluma, CA (22 grants).
Does Petaluma Educational Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Petaluma Educational Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education for Literacy" (6 grants), "Education for Health & Wellness" (5 grants) and "Education for STEAM" (5 grants).
Who are Petaluma Educational Foundation's largest grantees?
Petaluma Educational Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Vincents High School ($82,000), Spring Hill School ($29,853) and River Montessori ($20,191), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Petaluma Educational Foundation?
Petaluma Educational Foundation reported $7.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.5M.
What does Petaluma Educational Foundation fund?
PEF’s mission is to create impactful educational opportunities for students in its community by funding programs that promote critical thinking, creativity, student well-being, and lifelong learning. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Petaluma Educational Foundation?
Petaluma Educational Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Petaluma Educational Foundation's EIN?
Petaluma Educational Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2847212. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 26, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 15, 2021)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Petaluma Educational Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Creative Impact Grants $500 - $2,500 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Petaluma Educational Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Petaluma Educational Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/petaluma-educational-foundation-morg_d22559517b78493da53ce7fe8d68ca4a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_942847212_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Petaluma Educational Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/petaluma-educational-foundation-morg_d22559517b78493da53ce7fe8d68ca4a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Petaluma Educational 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.
Petaluma Educational Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?