Pony Barnes Foundation
Pony Barnes Foundation is a private foundation focused on Education, based in Sacramento, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. In 2025, it awarded 3 grants totaling $4.7M. Net investment income was $72K.
Pony Barnes Foundation at a glance
In short: Pony Barnes Foundation gave $4.7M across 3 grants in 2025 (avg $1.6M), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,676,084
- Grants made (2025)
- 3
- Average grant
- $1,558,695
- Median grant
- $1,500,025
- Primary geography
- California (53% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Pony Barnes Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 3 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Tower Foundation of San Jose Un ($2.5M). Together the top 3 received $4.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
18 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 15 grants of 18 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 3 itemized grants.
Cities
How Pony Barnes Foundation gives
- Giving grew 4875% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $8K (2020) to $4.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 3 grants totaling $4.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Tower Foundation of San Jose Un San Jose, CA | To Support Teacher Training and Educational Programs | $2,481,364 |
| Jane Goodall Institute Washington, DC | To support the Roots and Shoots Program | $1,500,025 |
| American Camping Association Inc Martinsville, IN | To Support Camp Scholarships | $694,695 |
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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 | — | $72,271 | $4,719,856 | $4,676,084 | 3 | $4,717,125 | $72,271 | $196,816 |
| 2024 | $4,650,204 | $8,951 | $56,047 | — | — | $44,070 | $97,693 | $224,222 |
| 2023 | $4,484,848 | $100,902 | $273,585 | $98,000 | 8 | $252,770 | $1,699 | $213,176 |
| 2022 | $4,181,088 | $663,804 | $263,138 | $94,000 | 7 | $241,560 | $65,676 | $196,026 |
| 2021 | $4,292,654 | $4,315,421 | $22,134 | — | — | $14,744 | $103,572 | $130,016 |
| 2020 | $69,015 | $1,738 | $19,325 | $7,743 | 2 | — | — | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Pony Barnes Foundation reported a distributable amount of $197K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Pony Barnes Foundation is led by Marion Soloway, President & Executive Director since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marion Soloway
President & Executive Director
President → President & Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$6K (2025)
Steven Lei
Director
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
$2K (2023) → $0 (2025)
Grace Clark
Vice President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carl Garrubba
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Madelyn Gelpi (2022–2024) — Executive Director
- Former: Garrett Omeste (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Wildman (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Cindy Norris (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Debra Banks (2020) — Chairman
- Former: Virginia Barnes (2020) — Chairman
- Former: Wendy Zinn (2020) — Chairman
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 $6K, to Marion Soloway (President/ED).
Frequently asked questions about Pony Barnes Foundation
How much does Pony Barnes Foundation give each year?
Pony Barnes Foundation gave $4.7M across 3 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is Pony Barnes Foundation's typical grant size?
Pony Barnes Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500,025, and its average grant was $1,558,695, across 3 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Pony Barnes Foundation give grants?
Pony Barnes Foundation gives mostly in California: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (32%) and Indiana (15%).
Does Pony Barnes Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 3 grants with a stated purpose on Pony Barnes Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
What is Pony Barnes Foundation?
Pony Barnes Foundation is a private foundation focused on Education, based in Sacramento, CA.
How much is Pony Barnes Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Pony Barnes Foundation reported a distributable amount of $197K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Pony Barnes Foundation's EIN?
Pony Barnes Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-4154533. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 17, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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