Sahm Family Foundation
The Sahm Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Fullerton, California. Established in 1997 as the philanthropic vehicle of Ramona and Roland Sahm, it is led today by their grandson Christopher Sahm and supports the visual and performing arts and the welfare of children and seniors.
Sahm Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Sahm Family Foundation gave $2.5M across 46 grants in 2025 (avg $55K), mostly in California. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,547,500
- +48.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 46
- +27.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $55,380
- +16.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $58,620,020
- -3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (8 of 46, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (56% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sahm Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation is not accepting new grant requests and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website says eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in good standing with the IRS in California and Idaho may use its contact form to provide an overview or a website link for the foundation to review if interested. It excludes individuals, private foundations, endowment funds, for-profit organizations, and religious and political groups.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2466 Fender Avenue Unit G, Fullerton, CA 92831
Phone: (949) 860-5009
Website: https://sahmfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sahm Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Idaho Basecampinc ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
207 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 120 grants of 207 (58%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its grantmaking history as serving charitable organizations throughout Southern California. Its website’s current-initiative eligibility criteria specify 501(c)(3) organizations in California and Idaho. In 2025, 56% of grant dollars went to California recipients and 36% to Idaho recipients; the remaining shares went to North Carolina (3%), Connecticut (2%), and Florida (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 46 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sahm Family Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 46 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $63K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $33K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 120% 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 $1.7M (2024) to $3.2M (2020). In 2025 it made 46 grants totaling $2.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho Basecampinc Ketchum, ID | General Support | $500,000 |
| San Diego Seniors Community Foundation San Diego, CA | General Support | $350,000 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego La Jolla, CA | General Support | $275,000 |
| Institute of Contemporary Art San Diegosd Art Institute San Diego, CA | General Support | $100,000 |
| Outdoor Outreach San Diego, CA | General Support | $100,000 |
| Thunder Dragon Fund Ketchum, ID | General Support | $100,000 |
| Flourish Foundation Ketchum, ID | General Support | $75,000 |
| Far and Wise Inc Hailey, ID | General Support | $65,000 |
| The Senior Connection Hailey, ID | General Support | $60,000 |
| Marjaree Mason Center Fresno, CA | General Support | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sahm Family 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 | $58,620,020 | $1,935,089 | $3,841,255 | $2,547,500 | 46 | $3,046,149 | $1,156,483 | $2,533,765 |
| 2024 | $60,526,186 | $1,003,385 | $3,064,544 | $1,714,000 | 36 | $2,276,473 | $231,157 | $2,526,212 |
| 2023 | $62,587,345 | $2,078,160 | $3,466,463 | $1,976,050 | 36 | $2,466,740 | $1,075,852 | $2,530,430 |
| 2022 | $63,974,269 | $102,857 | $5,438,268 | $2,940,225 | 43 | $3,500,176 | — | $2,688,417 |
| 2021 | $69,303,047 | $3,909,236 | $4,503,795 | $2,984,280 | 46 | $3,449,698 | $2,776,474 | $3,389,099 |
| 2020 | $69,897,606 | $-3,629,940 | $5,103,972 | $3,166,788 | 46 | — | — | $3,470,852 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sahm Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.5M 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 mission is to elevate and sustain the visual and performing arts and support the welfare of children and seniors. Its focus areas include arts programming, children’s welfare—including mentorship for disadvantaged and underserved youth—and resources for older adults, such as housing, transportation, employment training, and care.
Examples of 2025 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it has supported. Outdoor Outreach, which received $100,000, describes its mission as connecting youth to the transformative power of the outdoors. Ocean Institute, which received $50,000, says it uses the ocean as a classroom to inspire children and provides learning experiences designed to remove financial barriers. San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, which received $350,000, describes its work as raising awareness and action on issues affecting seniors and increasing philanthropy for senior-focused organizations.
Grantmaking
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists 46 grants totaling $2,547,500. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $500,000, with a median of $25,000. Among the largest awards were $500,000 to Idaho Basecamp Inc. and $350,000 to San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, both for general support. Other notable 2025 grants included $275,000 to Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego; $100,000 each to Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego/SD Art Institute and Outdoor Outreach; and $100,000 to Thunder Dragon Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Christopher Sahm is identified by the foundation as its current leader. The 2025 filing lists David A. Ebershoff, Christopher Sahm, Robert Cuthbertson, and Noah Levine as directors; Cuthbertson is also listed as manager of entitlement projects.
Sahm Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; all 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christopher Sahm
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$75K (2020) → $30K (2025)
David A. Ebershoff
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$75K (2020) → $30K (2025)
Robert Cuthbertson
Director & Manager of Entitlement Proj
Director & Entitlement Project → Director & Manager of Entitlement Proj, 2021
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
$145K (2020) → $100K (2025)
Noah Levine
Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
$15K (2022) → $30K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Linda Guinn (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: James Cowley (2020–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $100K, to Robert Cuthbertson (Director, Manager of Entitlement Proj). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Sahm Family Foundation
How much does Sahm Family Foundation give each year?
Sahm Family Foundation gave $2.5M across 46 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 36 grants.
What is Sahm Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Sahm Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $55,380, across 46 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sahm Family Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Sahm Family Foundation give grants?
Sahm Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Idaho (36%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (12 grants), Hailey, ID (4 grants), Ketchum, ID (3 grants) and Pasadena, CA (3 grants).
Does Sahm Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 98% of Sahm Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 46) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sahm Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Sahm Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Idaho Basecampinc ($500,000), San Diego Seniors Community Foundation ($350,000) and Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego ($275,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sahm Family Foundation?
Sahm Family Foundation reported $58.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sahm Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to elevate and sustain the visual and performing arts and support the welfare of children and seniors. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sahm Family Foundation?
The foundation is not accepting new grant requests and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sahm Family Foundation's EIN?
Sahm Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0753690. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Sahm Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 5, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sahm Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sahm-family-foundation-morg_2159fbceee704b58a68bfe4fe7d47b40
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330753690_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sahm Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sahm-family-foundation-morg_2159fbceee704b58a68bfe4fe7d47b40},
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 Sahm Family 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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