Robert & Margaret McNamara
Robert & Margaret McNamara is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. In 2024, it gave 31 grants totaling $96,287 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in food access, literacy, humanitarian relief, civil rights, and environmental protection.
Robert & Margaret McNamara at a glance
In short: Robert & Margaret McNamara gave $96K across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), top state District of Columbia. 19% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $96,287
- +35.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 31
- -16.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,106
- +61.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $1,055,406
- -7.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (6 of 31, 2024)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (49% 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 Robert & Margaret McNamara
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3390 Federal Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Phone: (202) 965-7731
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert & Margaret McNamara funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Doctors Without Borders ($6K). Together the top 10 received $51K.
Grant Size Distribution
152 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 152 grants of 152 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest share of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC (49%), followed by California (11%), Virginia (10%), New York (9%), and Alabama (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Robert & Margaret McNamara open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 31 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 45% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $59K (2020) to $114K (2022). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $96K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | General Donation | $6,010 |
| Martha's Table Washington, DC | General Donation | $5,164 |
| Amnesty International Washington, DC | General Donation | $5,000 |
| Capital Area Food Bank Washington, DC | General Donation | $5,000 |
| Center for Land Based Learning Woodland, CA | General Donation Big Day of Giving | $5,000 |
| Reading Is Fundamental Washington, DC | General Donation | $5,000 |
| Realding Is Fundamental Nova Arlington, VA | General Donation | $5,000 |
| Southern Poverty Law Center Montgomery, AL | General Donation | $5,000 |
| The Carter Center Atlanta, GA | General Donation | $5,000 |
| Unhcr Washington, DC | General Donation | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Robert & Margaret McNamara?
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 | $1,055,406 | $27,573 | $109,335 | $96,287 | 31 | $96,287 | $6,889 | $101,313 |
| 2023 | $1,137,168 | $23,273 | $74,420 | $71,159 | 37 | $71,159 | $20,874 | $94,984 |
| 2022 | $1,188,315 | $19,050 | $127,531 | $113,584 | 30 | $113,584 | — | $68,733 |
| 2021 | $1,296,796 | $32,323 | $82,769 | $66,415 | 27 | $66,415 | $14,037 | $115,482 |
| 2020 | $1,347,242 | $20,502 | $70,699 | $58,600 | 27 | — | $19,192 | $101,758 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert & Margaret McNamara reported a distributable amount of $101K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Martha’s Table says it works to support stronger children, families, and communities through education, healthy food, and family supports. Reading Is Fundamental says it works to inspire children’s joy of reading and address the U.S. literacy crisis. The Capital Area Food Bank describes its mission as helping neighbors thrive through more equitable access to food and opportunity.
Other 2024 recipients include organizations focused on humanitarian response, racial justice, housing, environmental protection, and support for children affected by HIV/AIDS. These descriptions reflect the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 31 grants totaling $96,287. Grants ranged from $510 to $6,010, with a median of $3,000. Among the largest were Doctors Without Borders ($6,010), Martha’s Table ($5,164), and grants of $5,000 each to Amnesty International, Capital Area Food Bank, Reading Is Fundamental, Reading Is Fundamental NOVA, Southern Poverty Law Center, the Carter Center, UNHCR, and Center for Land Based Learning.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Margaret Pastor, Tiffin Pastor Eisenberg, and Robert Kiplin Pastor as directors.
Robert & Margaret McNamara's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Margaret Pastor
Director
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Kiplin Pastor
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Tiffin Pastor Eisenberg
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Robert & Margaret McNamara
How much does Robert & Margaret McNamara give each year?
Robert & Margaret McNamara gave $96K across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $71K across 37 grants.
What is Robert & Margaret McNamara's typical grant size?
Robert & Margaret McNamara's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $3,106, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert & Margaret McNamara that year got $2K on average.
Where does Robert & Margaret McNamara give grants?
Robert & Margaret McNamara's top state is District of Columbia, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (11%) and Virginia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (15 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Robert & Margaret McNamara give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Robert & Margaret McNamara's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (31 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Robert & Margaret McNamara's largest grantees?
Robert & Margaret McNamara's largest 2024 grantees include Doctors Without Borders ($6,010), Martha's Table ($5,164) and Amnesty International ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Robert & Margaret McNamara?
Robert & Margaret McNamara reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $96K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $101K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Robert & Margaret McNamara fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Martha’s Table says it works to support stronger children, families, and communities through education, healthy food, and family supports. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert & Margaret McNamara?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Robert & Margaret McNamara's EIN?
Robert & Margaret McNamara's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2141567. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Robert & Margaret McNamara 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Robert & Margaret McNamara funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Robert & Margaret McNamara funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-and-margaret-mcnamara-morg_3a19ca543a1b45108e2c8636668926f6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_272141567_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert \& Margaret McNamara funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-and-margaret-mcnamara-morg_3a19ca543a1b45108e2c8636668926f6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 Robert & Margaret McNamara'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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