Sear Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Santa Barbara, CA EIN: 75-2673430

Sear Family Foundation is a private foundation, based in Santa Barbara, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2018 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $2.5M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $260K. Net investment income was $146K.

Sear Family Foundation at a glance

In short: Sear Family Foundation gave $260K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $260K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$260,000
-77.8% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
1
+0.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$260,000
-77.8% vs 2024
Median grant
$260,000
Total assets
$2,509,600
-8.0% vs 2024
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 September 2026.

Who Sear Family Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top recipient in 2025

Schwab Charitable Fund: $260KSchwab Charitable Fund$260K

The largest 2025 recipient was Schwab Charitable Fund ($260K).

Grant Size Distribution

7 grants across all recorded years

2<$50K$50–100K2$100–250K2$250–500K$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 2 grants of 7 (29%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.

Cities

BokeeliaSan FranciscoAtlantaAustinNewton Upper FallsPinelandSt James

How Sear Family Foundation gives

  • Giving grew 86% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 282% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$500K$1M$1.5M1 grant2018 9 grants2019 3 grants2020 3 grants2021 1 grant2022 1 grant2023 1 grant2024 1 grant2025

From 2018 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $140K (2022) to $1.2M (2024). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $260K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Schwab Charitable Fund San Francisco, CAUnrestricted$260,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$2,509,600$145,892$364,568$260,0001$260,000$145,732$92,073
2024$2,727,960$254,925$1,322,376$1,170,0001$1,170,000$254,739$98,792
2023$3,794,419$257,157$284,068$260,0001$260,000$223,865$145,426
2022$3,853,020$271,370$143,930$140,0001$140,000$96,257$139,079
2021$3,726,511$487,877$186,524$182,5003$182,500$281,934$138,503
2020$3,344,362$145,115$234,410$220,2003—$43,659$108,970
2019$3,337,983$275,480$354,342$301,5509—$66,739$94,128
2018$3,837,412$962,397$301,856$288,5501—$146,737$94,893

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sear Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $92K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Sear Family Foundation is led by Adam J T Sear, President since 2022 (on filings since 2018); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Adam J T Sear

    President

    Director → President, 2022

    On filings since 2018

    No compensation reported

  • Charles D Sear

    Director

    On filings since 2018

    No compensation reported

  • Katherine M Johnson

    Director

    On filings since 2018

    No compensation reported

  • Judith Sear

    Secretary & Treasurer

    On filings since 2018

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Timothy R G Sear (2018–2021) — President

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2025. "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 Sear Family Foundation

How much does Sear Family Foundation give each year?

Sear Family Foundation gave $260K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 1 grant.

How large is Sear Family Foundation?

Sear Family Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $260K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $92K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

Where does Sear Family Foundation operate?

Sear Family Foundation has awarded grants in California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Texas.

What is Sear Family Foundation's EIN?

Sear Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2673430. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

Data update history

(4)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS August 23, 2019)
  2. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 24, 2020)
  3. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 17, 2026)
  4. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Sear 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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