Saga Foundation
Saga Foundation is listed as a private foundation based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It supports South Asian art and culture through artist profiling, mentorship and scholarships, exhibitions, and promotion, and its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations working in areas including job training, youth programs, health, and civic engagement.
Saga Foundation at a glance
In short: Saga Foundation gave $1.9M across 38 grants in 2024 (avg $51K), mostly in California. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,947,530
- +6.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 38
- +2.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $51,251
- +3.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $27,500
- Total assets
- $12,585,303
- -9.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (5 of 38, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (59% 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 Saga 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. Its website also provides an application process for the artist funding described above.
- Review Cycle
- Artist funding requests must be received by the end of each calendar quarter for consideration at the foundation’s quarterly board meeting.
- Deadline
- Artist funding requests must be received by the end of each calendar quarter for consideration at the foundation’s…
- Contact
Mailing address: 136 East Michigan Avenue Suite 1201, Kalamazoo, MI 49007-3936
Phone: (269) 382-5800
Website: https://sagafoundation.ca
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Saga Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jobtrain Inc ($310K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
176 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 110 grants of 176 (63%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s mission and website describe work promoting South Asian art and culture in Canada and globally. In 2024, 59% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 13% to recipients in Washington, DC, 6% each to recipients in Florida and New York, and 5% to recipients in Minnesota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Saga Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 38 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $56K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $35K repeat.
- 82% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 247% 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 $1.3M (2020) to $2.3M (2022). In 2024 it made 38 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jobtrain Inc Menlo Park, CA | Operating Support | $310,000 |
| Henry L Stimson Center Washington, DC | Operating Support | $250,000 |
| PGA Tour First Tee Foundation Inc Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | Operating Support | $125,000 |
| Positive Coaching Alliance Mountain View, CA | Operating Support | $110,000 |
| Redwood City Police Activities League Redwood City, CA | Operating Support | $102,000 |
| Free Guitars 4 Kids St Louis Park, MN | Operating Support | $100,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City Cathedral City, CA | Operating Support | $80,120 |
| San Mateo County Health Foundation San Mateo, CA | Operating Support | $70,000 |
| One Life Counseling Center San Carlos, CA | Operating Support | $55,000 |
| About-Face San Francisco, CA | Operating Support | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Saga 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 | $12,585,303 | $1,093,645 | $2,209,755 | $1,947,530 | 38 | $2,357,832 | $1,054,417 | $953,244 |
| 2023 | $13,928,245 | $635,681 | $2,275,015 | $1,834,000 | 37 | $2,242,935 | $594,908 | $795,933 |
| 2022 | $15,806,078 | $413,328 | $2,746,875 | $2,265,400 | 36 | $2,668,419 | $368,832 | $894,475 |
| 2021 | $17,766,736 | $2,178,963 | $2,143,487 | $1,886,600 | 37 | $2,140,418 | — | $67,561 |
| 2020 | $375,904 | $1,539,622 | $1,580,114 | $1,332,500 | 28 | — | $597 | $37,867 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Saga Foundation reported a distributable amount of $953K 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
The foundation’s stated mission is to promote South Asian art and culture in Canada and globally. Its four pillars are artist profiling, mentorship and scholarships, exhibitions, and promotion. Its website describes an emphasis on supporting emerging artists, profiling and archiving South Asian artists, and engaging the community.
Its 2024 grants also went to organizations with a range of missions. For example, JobTrain says it helps people succeed through assessment, job-skills training, and career placement. The PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation says it combines golf with life-skills programming for children, while Positive Coaching Alliance says it works to make youth sports a positive experience for all children. Other 2024 recipients include Free Guitars 4 Kids, which provides instruments to students who might otherwise be unable to afford them; San Mateo County Health Foundation, which supports health and well-being in its county; Children Now, which advances equitable solutions for California’s children; and Democracy Works, which uses web technologies to improve civic engagement and voter education.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 38 grants totaling $1,947,530. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $310,000, with a median of $27,500. Its largest grants included $310,000 to JobTrain for operating support, $250,000 to the Henry L. Stimson Center for operating support, $125,000 to the PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation for operating support, and $110,000 to Positive Coaching Alliance for operating support. Other large awards included $102,000 to Redwood City Police Activities League and $100,000 to Free Guitars 4 Kids, both for operating support.
The foundation’s website describes a separate funding application for artists: up to $5,000 CAD per quarter is distributed among successful applicants. Applicants may be residents of any country, must be dedicated full-time to an art career and self-identify as South Asian, and must use funding for a project related to education, materials, cataloguing, or exhibitions. The application calls for a completed form, portfolio, and supporting documentation, and says projects should have clear objectives, measurable indicators, a viable budget and timeframe, alignment with the foundation’s mission and pillars, and an execution plan of less than six months.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David J. Bartoshuk as president and director; James C. Melvin as vice president and director; Bradley E. Weller as treasurer and director; Loyal A. Eldridge III as secretary; and Sherie Berger as director.
Saga Foundation is led by David J. Bartoshuk, President & Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David J. Bartoshuk
President & Director
President & Trustee → President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$150K (2020) → $179K (2024)
Sherie Berger
Director
Trustee → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$14K (2022) → $31K (2024)
Bradley E. Weller
Treasurer & Director
Treasurer & Trustee → Treasurer & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James C. Melvin
Vice President & Director
Vice President & Trustee → Vice President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Loyal A. Eldridge III
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Julie A. Johnson (2020–2022) — Vice President & Trustee · Filing note: Through July 2022
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 $179K, to David J Bartoshuk (President/Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Saga Foundation
How much does Saga Foundation give each year?
Saga Foundation gave $1.9M across 38 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 37 grants.
What is Saga Foundation's typical grant size?
Saga Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $27,500, and its average grant was $51,251, across 38 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Saga Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Saga Foundation give grants?
Saga Foundation gives mostly in California: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (13%) and Florida (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Redwood City, CA (3 grants), Oakland, CA (3 grants), San Francisco, CA (2 grants) and San Carlos, CA (2 grants).
Does Saga Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Saga Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Saga Foundation's largest grantees?
Saga Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Jobtrain Inc ($310,000), Henry L Stimson Center ($250,000) and PGA Tour First Tee Foundation Inc ($125,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Saga Foundation?
Saga Foundation reported $12.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $953K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Saga Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to promote South Asian art and culture in Canada and globally. Its four pillars are artist profiling, mentorship and scholarships, exhibitions, and promotion. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Saga 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 Saga Foundation's EIN?
Saga Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3097160. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Saga 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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Saga Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/saga-foundation-morg_d4a02f1b3423416d9907908bd14615fd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383097160_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Saga Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/saga-foundation-morg_d4a02f1b3423416d9907908bd14615fd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Saga 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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