Quest Foundation
Quest Foundation is a private foundation based in Danville, California. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in education, youth development, literacy, and mentoring.
Quest Foundation at a glance
In short: Quest Foundation gave $7.5M across 173 grants in 2024 (avg $43K), mostly in California. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $7,523,675
- +2.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 173
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $43,489
- +2.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $109,508,317
- +4.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (17 of 173, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (76% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Quest Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 339, Danville, CA 94526
Phone: (925) 743-1925
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Quest Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Teen Esteem ($200K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
908 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 614 grants of 908 (68%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, California organizations received 76% of grant dollars, followed by Oregon at 9%, Illinois at 5%, Nebraska at 2%, and Florida at 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 173 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Quest Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 17 of 173 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $45K. How we count
Medians: $28K first-time, $35K repeat.
- 57% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 151% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $7.1M (2021) to $7.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 173 grants totaling $7.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Teen Esteem Danville, CA | General Operating Support | $200,000 |
| Friends of the Children - Portland Portland, OR | Impacting generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors | $150,000 |
| Friends of the Children - SF Bay Area San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $150,000 |
| Teach for America Los Angeles, CA | Finds, develops, and supports equity-oriented leaders-individually and in teams-so they can transform education and expand opportunity with children, starting in the classroom | $150,000 |
| College Track Oakland, CA | General Operating Support | $125,000 |
| Lighthouse Community Charter School Oakland, CA | To transform the landscape of education for historically underserved students in oakland. | $120,000 |
| Oakland Public Education Fund Oakland, CA | Think College Now Science Program | $115,000 |
| Fresh Lifelines for Youth Milpitas, CA | General Operating Support | $100,000 |
| Reading Partners Oakland, CA | To help children become lifelong readers by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction with measurable results. | $100,000 |
| Safe and Sound (FKA San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center) San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Quest 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 | $109,508,317 | $10,039,857 | $8,297,441 | $7,523,675 | 173 | $7,865,326 | $9,267,738 | $5,193,824 |
| 2023 | $104,441,761 | $6,454,263 | $8,851,339 | $7,336,150 | 173 | $7,679,618 | $4,869,224 | $4,819,674 |
| 2022 | $97,905,568 | $5,903,108 | $8,360,439 | $7,861,028 | 192 | $8,190,203 | $3,911,750 | $5,105,877 |
| 2021 | $120,069,342 | $12,892,793 | $8,223,688 | $7,070,290 | 181 | $7,755,226 | $10,820,125 | $5,513,407 |
| 2020 | $108,835,060 | $5,242,164 | $7,941,648 | $7,442,240 | 189 | — | $4,828,643 | $4,839,722 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Quest Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available filing information does not establish a mission statement for Quest Foundation. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in education and youth services. For example, College Track describes its work as helping first-generation scholars from under-resourced communities through college graduation; Reading Partners describes providing personalized literacy support, primarily to K–4 students; and Friends of the Children–SF Bay Area describes providing long-term relationships with professional mentors to youth facing significant obstacles. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 173 grants totaling $7,523,675. Grants ranged from $4,500 to $200,000, with a median of $35,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $200,000 to Teen Esteem for general operating support; $150,000 each to Friends of the Children–Portland and Friends of the Children–SF Bay Area; and $150,000 to Teach For America. Other notable grants included $125,000 to College Track, $120,000 to Lighthouse Community Charter School, $115,000 to Oakland Public Education Fund for its Think College Now Science Program, and $100,000 each to Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Reading Partners, Safe and Sound, and Summer Search Bay Area.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Derek Jernstedt as Executive Director, CFO, and Director; Dorothy Jernstedt as President and Director; and Jennifer Jernstedt as Secretary, Audit Committee Chair, and Director.
Quest Foundation is led by Derek Jernstedt, Executive Director, CFO & Director since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Derek Jernstedt
Executive Director, CFO & Director
Executive Director → Executive Director, CFO & Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
32 hrs/week
$181K (2020) → $183K (2024)
Dorothy Jernstedt
President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Jernstedt
Secretary, Audit Committee Chair & Director
Assistant Secretary & Aud Committee → Secretary, Audit Committee Chair & Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Jaci Jernstedt (2020–2022) — Assistant Foundation Manager & Assistant
- Former: Myla Lara (2020–2022) — Foundation Manager
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $183K, to Derek Jernstedt (Executive Director, CFO & Director).
Frequently asked questions about Quest Foundation
How much does Quest Foundation give each year?
Quest Foundation gave $7.5M across 173 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $7.3M across 173 grants.
What is Quest Foundation's typical grant size?
Quest Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $35,000, and its average grant was $43,489, across 173 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Quest Foundation that year got $28K on average.
Where does Quest Foundation give grants?
Quest Foundation gives mostly in California: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Oregon (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Oakland, CA (32 grants), San Francisco, CA (17 grants), Portland, OR (9 grants) and Danville, CA (8 grants).
Does Quest Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 42% of Quest Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (72 of 173) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Quest Foundation's largest grantees?
Quest Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Teen Esteem ($200,000), Friends of the Children - Portland ($150,000) and Friends of the Children - SF Bay Area ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 7% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Quest Foundation?
Quest Foundation reported $109.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $7.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Quest Foundation fund?
The available filing information does not establish a mission statement for Quest Foundation. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in education and youth services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Quest Foundation?
The foundation 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 Quest Foundation's EIN?
Quest Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1844715. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Quest 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Quest Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Quest Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/quest-foundation-morg_2a90f84077db4f40a8b0599d7530d9ef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201844715_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Quest Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/quest-foundation-morg_2a90f84077db4f40a8b0599d7530d9ef},
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 Quest 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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