Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation
The Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1977 and based in San Francisco, California. Founded by Riley P. Bechtel, Chairman and CEO of the Bechtel Corporation, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status since June 1977.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$67.6M
+6.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.7M
+130.3% YoY
Grant Count
7
+40.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$950K
+64.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation has not provided a formal mission statement on public records. However, based on its grantmaking activity, the foundation supports initiatives in education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and healthcare. The foundation does not specify particular subject areas of focus on its public records, indicating a broad approach to charitable giving.
Grantmaking
The foundation indicates it is "preselected only," meaning it makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications.
Grant Range
$5,000 to $2,000,000
Average Grant
amount: $8,377
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports initiatives across multiple states, with primary focus areas including California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. Specific cities where the foundation has supported work include Cambridge, Englewood, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (Most Recent Filing - 2024):
- Total assets: $67,645,218
- Total giving: $6,650,000
- Total revenue: $4.22 million (2023 filing)
- Total expenses: $2.97 million (2023 filing)
- Total liabilities: $0
Historical Assets:
- 2023: $63.5 million in total assets
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $67,645,218 | $63,452,853 | $62,218,181 |
| Revenue | $10,962,653 | $4,220,113 | $20,745,655 |
| Expenses | $6,798,051 | $2,970,993 | $1,416,446 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $6,701,270 | $2,938,459 | $1,151,624 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,962,653 | $2,340,593 | $18,984,434 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,444,366 | $3,402,051 | $2,898,875 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
24 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Cleveland Clinic Foundation ($2,000,000), Uc San Diego Foundation ($2,000,000), Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research ($1,250,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CRAIG HOSPITAL FOUNDATION ENGLEWOOD, CO | TO SUPPORT THE CRAIG HOSPITAL NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROGRAM. | $100,000 |
| FOODBANK OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SANTA BARBARA, CA | TO SUPPORT THE BUILDING READINESS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. | $600,000 |
| MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION FOR PARKINSON'S RESEARCH NEW YORK CITY, NY | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $1,250,000 |
| THE CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION CLEVELAND, OH | TO CONDUCT A CLINICAL STUDY EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LP(A) AND PAD, AND RESEARCH THE IMPACT OF ELEVATED LP(A) ON AORTIC VALVES. | $2,000,000 |
| THE FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA FOUNDATION FERNANDINA BEACH, FL | TO IMPROVE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF LP(A), PROVIDE SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED LP(A), AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. | $500,000 |
| UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION LA JOLLA, CA | TO LAUNCH AND EXPAND A REGISTRY AND BIOBANK OF INDIVIDUALS TESTED FOR LP(A), ESTABLISH AN LP(A) CLINICAL TRIAL COORDINATING CENTER, AND INITIATE OPPORTUNITIES TO APPLY FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING. | $2,000,000 |
| UNITED WAY OF THE BAY AREA SAN FRANCISCO, CA | TO SUPPORT POVERTY-FIGHTING PROGRAMS TO HELP END THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY ENSURING ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS AND BUILDING SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS TO CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. | $200,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is led by a board of directors with no paid staff:
- Susan P. Bechtel — President & Director
- Riley P. Bechtel — Vice-President & Director
- Brendan P. Bechtel — Director
- Darren H. Bechtel — Director
- Katherine E. Thompson — Director
- Amy Dunphy — Secretary/Treasurer
None of the directors or officers receive compensation for their roles.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN P BECHTEL | PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR | — | — |
| RILEY P BECHTEL | VICE-PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR | — | — |
| AMY DUNPHY | SECRETARY/TREASURER | — | — |
| BRENDAN P BECHTEL | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| DARREN H BECHTEL | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| KATHERINE E THOMPSON | DIRECTOR | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation fund?
The foundation has not provided a formal mission statement on public records. However, based on its grantmaking activity, the foundation supports initiatives in education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and healthcare. The foundation does not specify particular subject areas of focus on its public records, indicating a broad approach to charitable giving.
How do I apply for a grant from Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Total giving reported at $6.65 million in recent filings • Grant range: $5,000 to $2,000,000 • Median grant amount: $600,000 • Average grant amount: $8,377 • Recent grant activity shows 7 grants with a median of $600,000 and range from $100,000 to $2,000,000 **Application Process:** The foundation indicates it is "preselected only," meaning it makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications.
Where does Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation make grants?
The foundation supports initiatives across multiple states, with primary focus areas including California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. Specific cities where the foundation has supported work include Cambridge, Englewood, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara.
What size grants does Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation award?
In 2024, Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation awarded 7 grants totaling $6.7M — an average of about $950K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation's EIN?
Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2416417. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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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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