Sierra Health Foundation
Sierra Health Foundation is a private foundation based in Sacramento, California. It supports efforts to improve health and quality of life, promote health and racial equity, and address health disparities in Northern California through grantmaking, education, and collaboration.
Sierra Health Foundation at a glance
In short: Sierra Health Foundation gave $2.4M across 249 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,424,986
- +28.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 249
- +25.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,739
- +2.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $58,704,602
- +1.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (97% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Sierra Health Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and accepts unsolicited requests. The filing directs applicants to online information for application materials and award restrictions. Sponsorship requests have submission dates of February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1; funding decisions are made within six weeks. Late requests and requests for past events are not considered.
- Contact
Application contact: Sierra Health Foundation
Mailing address: 1321 Garden Highway, Sacramento, CA 95833
Phone: (916) 922-4755
Website: https://sierrahealth.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Sierra Health Foundation
Who Sierra Health Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Center for Health Program Mgmt ($590K). Together the top 10 received $989K.
Grant Size Distribution
690 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 651 grants of 690 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s funding region covers 26 Northern California counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, eastern Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba. The Foundation states that it is not currently considering an expansion of this region. Its 2024 grant dollars went primarily to California recipients (97%); 1% each went to New York and Florida, with less than 1% each to recipients in Washington, D.C., and Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 249 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Sierra Health Foundation gives
- 34% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 55% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 159% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $1.9M (2023) to $5.4M (2021). In 2024 it made 249 grants totaling $2.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Center for Health Program Mgmt Sacramento, CA | General Program | $590,000 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation Mountain View, CA | General Program | $100,000 |
| United Way of Northern California Redding, CA | Disaster Response Fund | $75,000 |
| Community Partners Los Angeles, CA | General Program | $50,000 |
| Asian Health Services Oakland, CA | Public Policy | $25,000 |
| California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce Foundation Sacramento, CA | Responsive Grants Program | $25,000 |
| California Community Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Public Policy | $25,000 |
| Center for Community Health & Well-Being Inc Sacramento, CA | President's Discretionary | $25,000 |
| Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice Oakland, CA | Public Policy | $25,000 |
| Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission Fresno, CA | Public Policy | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sierra Health Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The Foundation says investment-portfolio earnings are its primary funding source. It also says it allocates at least 5% of net invested assets to direct grants, in-kind support, and operating expenses, in accordance with IRS regulations.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $58,704,602 | $18,625,579 | $18,302,889 | $2,424,986 | 249 | $4,041,325 | $2,052,850 | $2,538,859 |
| 2023 | $57,860,059 | $13,619,116 | $16,128,886 | $1,891,402 | 199 | $3,696,975 | $1,926,199 | $2,418,866 |
| 2022 | $54,840,577 | $10,671,066 | $14,900,664 | $2,332,785 | 144 | $4,069,910 | $3,334,903 | $2,415,840 |
| 2021 | $61,368,491 | $9,085,728 | $12,453,662 | $5,370,689 | 95 | $6,243,900 | $3,332,977 | $2,736,922 |
| 2020 | $59,945,722 | $848,191 | $10,278,817 | $2,492,788 | 3 | — | $1,183,335 | $2,237,995 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sierra Health Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.5M 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 mission is to invest in and serve as a catalyst for ideas, partnerships, and programs that improve health and quality of life through convening, educating, and strategic grantmaking. Its stated program areas include improving health equity and reducing health disparities; public policy and education focused on health equity; and leadership development and capacity building for nonprofit and public-sector leaders and organizations.
The Foundation supports nonprofits and public agencies, including school districts and state, county, and city governments. Its grants illustrate a range of supported organizations: Silicon Valley Community Foundation describes its work as addressing systemic inequities in areas including housing, early childhood development, and financial stability; United Way of Northern California says it focuses on education, financial stability, and health; and National Academic Youth Corps says its mission is to explore and celebrate African American history, experiences, and culture through art education and outreach.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 249 grants totaling $2,424,986. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $590,000, with a median of $5,000. Its largest grants included $590,000 to Center for Health Program Management for general program support, $100,000 to Silicon Valley Community Foundation for general program support, and $75,000 to United Way of Northern California for a disaster response fund. Other grants of $25,000 included awards to Asian Health Services and California Community Foundation for public policy, and to National Academic Youth Corps for general program support.
The Responsive Grants Program supports community-driven efforts to improve health, promote access, and reduce health inequity in the Foundation’s 26-county region. Its 2024 program prioritized projects experiencing funding gaps due to state budget cuts affecting health and quality of life. The Foundation also offers limited event sponsorships to qualifying nonprofits in its funding region when the event is compatible with its mission and programs. Sponsorship requests are for one event and must include detailed event information.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Chet P. Hewitt as president and CEO; Edward Harris as COO/CFO; Nancy P. Lee as chair; and Shamus Roller as vice chair. Directors listed are Robert Petersen, Dr. Claire Pomeroy, Jose Hermocillo, Debra McKenzie, and David W. Gordon.
Sierra Health Foundation is led by Chet P. Hewitt, President & CEO on every filing since 2022; 8 of 9 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Chet P. Hewitt
President & CEO
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$558K (2022) → $543K (2024)
Nancy P. Lee
Chair
Director → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.1 hrs/week
$17K (2020) → $23K (2024)
Claire Pomeroy
Director
Vice Chair → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
1.1 hrs/week
$17K (2020) → $17K (2024)
David W. Gordon
Director
Chair → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
1.1 hrs/week
$15K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Debra McKenzie
Director
Director → Chair, 2021
Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.1 hrs/week
$21K (2020) → $16K (2024)
Jose R. Hermocillo
Director
Director → Vice Chair, 2021
Vice Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.1 hrs/week
$19K (2020) → $17K (2024)
Robert A. Petersen CPA
Director
On filings since 2020
1.1 hrs/week
$16K (2020) → $17K (2024)
Shamus Roller
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.1 hrs/week
$4K (2020) → $19K (2024)
Edward Harris
COO & CFO
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$295K (2024)
Former officers (6)
- Former: Beatrix Koev (2022–2023) — Chief Financial Officer · Filing note: Thru 3/2023
- Former: Ed Harris (2023) — COO & CFO · Filing note: As of 12/2023
- Former: Gilbert Alvarado (2022) — Executive Vice President & COO · Filing note: Through 62022
- Former: Alvarado Gilbert (2020–2021) — Executive Vice President & COO
- Former: Hewitt Chet P. (2020–2021) — President & CEO
- Former: Carol Whiteside (2020) — Director
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 $543K, to Chet P Hewitt (President & CEO). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Sierra Health Foundation
How much does Sierra Health Foundation give each year?
Sierra Health Foundation gave $2.4M across 249 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.9M across 199 grants.
What is Sierra Health Foundation's typical grant size?
Sierra Health Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,739, across 249 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Sierra Health Foundation give grants?
Sierra Health Foundation gives mostly in California: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Sacramento, CA (114 grants), Fresno, CA (14 grants), Oakland, CA (10 grants) and San Francisco, CA (8 grants).
Does Sierra Health Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of Sierra Health Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 249) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Matching Gift" (163 grants), "Responsive Grants Program" (54 grants) and "Public Policy" (12 grants).
Who are Sierra Health Foundation's largest grantees?
Sierra Health Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Center for Health Program Mgmt ($590,000), Silicon Valley Community Foundation ($100,000) and United Way of Northern California ($75,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sierra Health Foundation?
Sierra Health Foundation reported $58.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sierra Health Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to invest in and serve as a catalyst for ideas, partnerships, and programs that improve health and quality of life through convening, educating, and strategic grantmaking. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sierra Health Foundation?
The Foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sierra Health Foundation's EIN?
Sierra Health Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 68-0050036. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sierra Health Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sierra Health Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sierra Health Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sierra-health-foundation-morg_9d9ad4e026644ab7bf6c9cb8ac486415
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_680050036_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sierra Health Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sierra-health-foundation-morg_9d9ad4e026644ab7bf6c9cb8ac486415},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Sierra Health 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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