Service Station Foundation
Service Station Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including recipients in California, New York, and Massachusetts.
Service Station Foundation at a glance
In short: Service Station Foundation gave $4.6M across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $383K), mostly in California. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,591,665
- +106.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- -14.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $382,639
- +140.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $89,000
- Total assets
- $2,483,048
- -50.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (2 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (87% 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 Service Station Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 11812 San Vicente Bl 200, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Phone: (310) 826-0909
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Service Station Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Uc Berkeley Foundation ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $4.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 78 (69%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 11% to New York, and 2% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Service Station Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 12 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $454K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $139K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 160% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $1.7M (2022) to $4.9M (2020). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $4.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Uc Berkeley Foundation Berkeley, CA | For Charitable Purposes | $2,000,000 |
| La Promise Fund Los Angeles, CA | For Charitable Purposes | $1,568,165 |
| Malaria No More New York, NY | For Charitable Purposes | $350,000 |
| ACLU Los Angeles, CA | For Charitable Purposes | $250,000 |
| Every Town for Gun Safety New York, NY | For Charitable Purposes | $150,000 |
| The Getty Trust Los Angeles, CA | For Charitable Purposes | $128,000 |
| Harbor Homes of Martha's Vineyard Vineyard Haven, MA | For Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
| 7TH Generation Advisors Friends of KBLA Santa Monica, CA | For Charitable Purposes | $25,000 |
| Kounkuey Design Initiative Los Angeles, CA | For Charitable Purposes | $25,000 |
| Martha's Vineyard Community Foundation- Ron Rappaport Fund Vineyard Haven, MA | For Charitable Purposes | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,483,048 | $3,692,128 | $4,676,403 | $4,591,665 | 12 | $4,591,665 | $1,655,709 | $101,432 |
| 2023 | $4,997,848 | $7,941,676 | $2,246,324 | $2,224,369 | 14 | $2,224,369 | $1,454,718 | $175,423 |
| 2022 | $583,339 | $-49,345 | $1,676,142 | $1,658,065 | 14 | $1,658,065 | $30,285 | $80,475 |
| 2021 | $2,348,333 | $113,455 | $1,787,723 | $1,766,027 | 20 | $1,766,027 | $89,830 | $167,679 |
| 2020 | $4,102,697 | $189,938 | $4,934,394 | $4,882,372 | 18 | — | $158,261 | $308,509 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Service Station Foundation 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
The foundation’s filing describes its grants as being for charitable purposes. Its 2024 grantees include organizations working in education and community development. LA Promise Fund says its mission is to provide students with academic and enrichment opportunities that support leadership and prepare them for college and careers. Kounkuey Design Initiative describes itself as a nonprofit design and community development organization that partners with under-resourced communities to advance equity and develop neighborhood potential.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $4,591,665. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $2,000,000, with a median of $89,000. The largest grants included $2,000,000 to UC Berkeley Foundation, $1,568,165 to LA Promise Fund, $350,000 to Malaria No More, and $250,000 to ACLU. Each was listed for charitable purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Megan Chernin as president; Peter Chernin as secretary/CFO; and John Chernin, David Chernin, and Margaret Chernin as board members.
Service Station Foundation is led by Megan Chernin, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Megan Chernin
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Chernin
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Chernin
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Chernin
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Chernin
Secretary & CFO
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
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 Service Station Foundation
How much does Service Station Foundation give each year?
Service Station Foundation gave $4.6M across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.2M across 14 grants.
What is Service Station Foundation's typical grant size?
Service Station Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $89,000, and its average grant was $382,639, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Service Station Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does Service Station Foundation give grants?
Service Station Foundation gives mostly in California: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (4 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Vineyard Haven, MA (3 grants).
Who are Service Station Foundation's largest grantees?
Service Station Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Uc Berkeley Foundation ($2,000,000), La Promise Fund ($1,568,165) and Malaria No More ($350,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Service Station Foundation?
Service Station Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $101K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Service Station Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its grants as being for charitable purposes. Its 2024 grantees include organizations working in education and community development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Service Station Foundation?
The foundation 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 Service Station Foundation's EIN?
Service Station Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2281012. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Service Station 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). Service Station Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/service-station-foundation-morg_0aed81eeaeec46328130ef7c90231a29
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_522281012_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Service Station Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/service-station-foundation-morg_0aed81eeaeec46328130ef7c90231a29},
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 Service Station 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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