Robert R Sprague Foundation
The Robert R Sprague Foundation is a private foundation based in Newport Beach, California. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations including education, community, health, housing, youth, and conservation organizations.
Robert R Sprague Foundation at a glance
In short: Robert R Sprague Foundation gave $1.0M across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $54K), mostly in California. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,019,000
- +17.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +18.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $53,632
- -0.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $12,648,833
- +3.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (2 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (100% 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 Robert R Sprague Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. The filing lists Joel Sprague as the contact.
- Contact
Application contact: Joel Sprague
Mailing address: 4695 Macarthur Court Suite 1500, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: (949) 216-2200
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert R Sprague Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Make-a-Wish Foundation Orange Count ($160K). Together the top 10 received $875K.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 113 (63%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Newport Beach, California. Its 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Robert R Sprague Foundation open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 19 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $58K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 88% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $800K (2021) to $1.1M (2023). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Make-a-Wish Foundation Orange Count Irvine, CA | Qualified Charitable Purpose | $160,000 |
| California Community Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Qualified Charitable Purpose | $110,000 |
| California Polytechnic State Univer San Luis Obispo, CA | Qualified Charitable Purpose | $100,000 |
| Manhattan Beach Education Foundatio Manhattan Beach, CA | Qualified Charitable Purpose | $100,000 |
| The Guiboard Center Los Angeles, CA | Qualified Charitable Purpose | $100,000 |
| The UCLA Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Qualified Charitable Purpose | $100,000 |
| Housing Works Los Angeles, CA | Qualified Charitable Purpose | $75,000 |
| Children's Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Qualified Charitable Purpose | $50,000 |
| The Memorial Medical Center Foundat Long Beach, CA | Qualified Charitable Purpose | $50,000 |
| Hermosa Beach Education Foundation Hermosa Beach, CA | Qualified Charitable Purpose | $30,000 |
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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 | $12,648,833 | $1,609,937 | $1,240,345 | $1,019,000 | 19 | $1,115,808 | $1,497,400 | $1,268,392 |
| 2024 | $12,279,241 | $896,299 | $1,042,329 | $864,000 | 16 | $939,125 | $805,816 | $1,110,092 |
| 2023 | $12,425,271 | $1,020,690 | $1,336,033 | $1,094,000 | 26 | $1,171,940 | $930,747 | $995,727 |
| 2022 | $12,740,614 | $4,839,521 | $1,144,675 | $955,000 | 27 | $1,035,815 | $4,743,983 | $1,104,172 |
| 2021 | $9,045,768 | $954,367 | $953,526 | $800,000 | 25 | — | $873,385 | $988,952 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert R Sprague Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.3M 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for educational institutions and foundations, community and housing organizations, hospitals, and youth and conservation organizations. For example, the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation says its mission is “to promote investment in Hermosa Beach public schools and provide educational grants,” while Housing Works says it creates affordable housing and service options for people of limited resources. Crystal Cove Conservancy describes its work as supporting educational activities, scientific studies, and restoration at Crystal Cove State Park.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $1,019,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $160,000, with a median of $30,000. Among the largest were $160,000 to Make-A-Wish Foundation Orange County, $110,000 to California Community Foundation, and $100,000 each to California Polytechnic State University, Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, The Guiboard Center, and The UCLA Foundation. The listed grant purposes were “qualified charitable purpose.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Joel Sprague is listed as President.
Robert R Sprague Foundation is led by Joel Sprague, President on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joel Sprague
President
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Robert R Sprague Foundation
How much does Robert R Sprague Foundation give each year?
Robert R Sprague Foundation gave $1.0M across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $864K across 16 grants.
What is Robert R Sprague Foundation's typical grant size?
Robert R Sprague Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $53,632, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert R Sprague Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does Robert R Sprague Foundation give grants?
Robert R Sprague Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (8 grants) and Manhattan Beach, CA (2 grants).
Who are Robert R Sprague Foundation's largest grantees?
Robert R Sprague Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Make-a-Wish Foundation Orange Count ($160,000), California Community Foundation ($110,000) and California Polytechnic State Univer ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Robert R Sprague Foundation?
Robert R Sprague Foundation reported $12.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.3M (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 R Sprague Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for educational institutions and foundations, community and housing organizations, hospitals, and youth and conservation organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert R Sprague Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Robert R Sprague Foundation's EIN?
Robert R Sprague Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-7052355. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Robert R Sprague 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Robert R Sprague Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-r-sprague-foundation-morg_0b9371871d1c4179904c0354cb80de6f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_957052355_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert R Sprague Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-r-sprague-foundation-morg_0b9371871d1c4179904c0354cb80de6f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 R Sprague 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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