Red String Foundation
Red String Foundation is a private foundation based in Seal Beach, California. It primarily provides grants to qualified tax-exempt organizations working in their communities, especially with people who are poor, disadvantaged, or disenfranchised.
Red String Foundation at a glance
In short: Red String Foundation gave $64K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in California. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $64,093
- +28.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- -6.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,578
- +37.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,154
- Total assets
- $1,260,571
- +12.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (3 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (75% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Red String Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts grant inquiries throughout the year. The initial inquiry is submitted online and includes the organization’s name and address, EIN, estimated grant amount, and project idea. Awards are limited to $100–$10,000 and must align with at least one of the foundation’s focus programs. Applicants must be recognized 501(c)(3) community charities. Grants cannot be used for lobbying, conference fees, religious organizations, or individuals.
- Review Cycle
- None; the foundation accepts grant inquiries throughout the year.
- Deadline
- None; the foundation accepts grant inquiries throughout the year.
- Contact
Application contact: Red String Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 2415 2929 Westminster Ave, Seal Beach, CA 90740
Phone: (562) 330-9465
Email: admin@myredstring.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Red String Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was International Trade Education Programs DBA EXP ($10K). Together the top 10 received $54K.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 78 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 75% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 25% to recipients in Washington. The listed grants include organizations in cities such as San Francisco, Long Beach, Santa Ana, Bellevue, and Seattle.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Red String Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 14 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 70% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 112% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $13K (2020) to $64K (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $64K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| International Trade Education Programs DBA EXP Long Beach, CA | To Help People in Need | $10,000 |
| City Surf Project San Francisco, CA | To Help People in Need. | $6,000 |
| Jubilee Reach Bellevue, WA | To Help People in Need. | $6,000 |
| Heart of Ida Long Beach, CA | To Help People in Need. | $5,500 |
| YMCA San Francisco San Francisco, CA | To Help People in Need | $5,000 |
| Mission Science Workshop San Francisco, CA | To Help People in Need | $5,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Santa Montica Santa Montica, CA | To Help People in Need. | $4,308 |
| Kidworks Community Development Corporation Santa Ana, CA | To Help People in Need. | $4,000 |
| Rainier Scholars Seattle, WA | To Help People in Need. | $4,000 |
| Sunset Youth Services San Francisco, CA | To Help People in Need. | $4,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Red String 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,260,571 | $134,612 | $74,045 | $64,093 | 14 | $64,093 | $81,093 | $57,042 |
| 2024 | $1,123,087 | $91,465 | $59,094 | $50,000 | 15 | $56,558 | $26,507 | $53,005 |
| 2023 | $1,052,503 | $160,778 | $57,636 | $49,600 | 16 | $55,267 | $102,816 | $46,792 |
| 2022 | $914,370 | $359,829 | $41,357 | $37,625 | 19 | $38,436 | $13,914 | $36,872 |
| 2021 | $672,685 | $245,314 | $25,678 | $23,257 | 14 | $24,104 | $9,008 | $31,245 |
| 2020 | $433,236 | $99,493 | $26,972 | $12,710 | 7 | — | $7,197 | $18,203 |
| 2019 | $444,645 | $444,645 | — | — | — | — | — | $2,737 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Red String Foundation reported a distributable amount of $57K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated focus is community-based work benefiting children and youth, neighborhoods and communities, and seniors, particularly among people who are poor, disadvantaged, or disenfranchised. It primarily funds other qualified tax-exempt organizations.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of community services. Jubilee REACH describes its work as bringing healing, building community, and transforming the lives of students and families in Bellevue. City Surf Project says it uses surf instruction to expand Bay Area youth’s access to the coastline and support their health and well-being. Heart of Ida describes programs and services that help Long Beach seniors sustain independence and community connection. Other 2025 grantees include organizations whose stated missions involve youth development, educational opportunity, older-adult services, and early learning.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $64,093 across 14 grants. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median grant of $4,154. The filing describes the purpose of listed grants as helping people in need.
Notable 2025 grants included $10,000 to International Trade Education Programs (Long Beach, California); $6,000 each to City Surf Project (San Francisco, California) and Jubilee REACH (Bellevue, Washington); $5,500 to Heart of Ida (Long Beach, California); and $5,000 each to YMCA San Francisco and Mission Science Workshop, both in San Francisco.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Stan Adachi as president and chair; Christine Wang as CFO and director; Leslie Wang as secretary, COO, and director; Glenn Yamada as general counsel and CCO; and Pam Mabry as director.
Red String Foundation is led by Stan Adachi, President & Chair on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Stan Adachi
President & Chair
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christine Wang
CFO & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Wang
Secretary, COO & Director
Secretary → Secretary, COO & Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pam Mabry
Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Glenn Yamada
General Counsel & CCO
General Counsel → General Counsel & CCO, 2023
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Anna Sheen (2022) — Director
- Former: Matt Gonzalez (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Ron Adachi (2019–2021) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about Red String Foundation
How much does Red String Foundation give each year?
Red String Foundation gave $64K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $50K across 15 grants.
What is Red String Foundation's typical grant size?
Red String Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,154, and its average grant was $4,578, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Red String Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Red String Foundation give grants?
Red String Foundation gives mostly in California: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Washington (25%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (4 grants), Seattle, WA (3 grants) and Long Beach, CA (2 grants).
Does Red String Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Red String Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Help People in Need." (14 grants).
Who are Red String Foundation's largest grantees?
Red String Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include International Trade Education Programs DBA EXP ($10,000), City Surf Project ($6,000) and Jubilee Reach ($6,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Red String Foundation?
Red String Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $64K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $57K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Red String Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated focus is community-based work benefiting children and youth, neighborhoods and communities, and seniors, particularly among people who are poor, disadvantaged, or disenfranchised. It primarily funds other qualified tax-exempt organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Red String Foundation?
The foundation accepts grant inquiries throughout the year. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Red String Foundation's EIN?
Red String Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-4020796. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Red String Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/red-string-foundation-morg_e7bc0c16f4614165996cd92b3b3728f8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_844020796_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Red String Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/red-string-foundation-morg_e7bc0c16f4614165996cd92b3b3728f8},
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 Red String 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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