Sonora Area Foundation
Sonora Area Foundation is a public charity based in Sonora, California, formed in 1989. It strengthens Tuolumne County communities through donor services, competitive grants to qualified nonprofit and public agencies, and community leadership.
Sonora Area Foundation at a glance
In short: Sonora Area Foundation gave $1.5M across 58 grants in 2024 (avg $26K), mostly in California. 47% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,513,482
- +63.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 58
- +41.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,095
- +15.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,746
- Total assets
- $21,837,865
- +11.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (27 of 58, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sonora Area Foundation
- How to Apply
-
For a Foundation grant, submit a grant-application letter and attachments; there is no application form. The letter must include a designated grant contact and follow the content and length guidelines above. The guidelines distinguish attachments for tax-exempt or governmental applicants from those applying through a fiscal sponsor.
- Contact
Mailing address: 362 S Stewart St, Sonora, CA 95370
Website: https://sonora-area.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Sonora Area Foundation
Community Recovery Fund (COVID-19)
Sonora Area Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Competitive & Foundation-Initiated Grant Programs
Sonora Area Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Elaine Symons Baker Community Impact Award
Sonora Area Foundation
Amount
$10,000 per recipient
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Sonora Area Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Sierra Bible Church ($104K). Together the top 10 received $797K.
Grant Size Distribution
219 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 182 grants of 219 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation states that its competitive grants are intended to improve quality of life in Tuolumne County. Its scholarship program is also limited to Tuolumne County residents. In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to California recipients; the remaining reported shares went to Idaho, North Carolina, Tennessee, and New York, at 1% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 58 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sonora Area Foundation open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 27 of 58 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $35K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 40% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $927K (2023) to $1.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 58 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sierra Bible Church Sonora, CA | Program Support | $103,500 |
| Cornerstone Bible Church Standard, CA | Program Support | $100,000 |
| Sierra Repertory Theater Sonora, CA | Program Support | $88,250 |
| Interfaith Sonora, CA | Program Support | $85,450 |
| San Joaquin County Office of Educat Stockton, CA | program support | $84,737 |
| Columbia College Foundation Sonora, CA | Program Support | $82,000 |
| Sierra Senior Providers Sonora, CA | Program Support | $73,734 |
| Sonora High School Sonora, CA | Program Support | $69,750 |
| Watch Resources Inc Sonora, CA | Program support | $54,835 |
| Central Sierra Search and Rescue Sonora, CA | program support | $54,771 |
Ready to take the next step with Sonora Area Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $21,837,865 | $3,987,911 | $2,894,851 | $1,513,482 | 58 | $1,114,934 |
| 2023 | $19,533,337 | $2,655,943 | $1,944,547 | $926,636 | 41 | $287,721 |
| 2022 | $17,091,050 | $3,834,313 | $2,063,988 | $1,185,212 | 48 | $525,161 |
| 2021 | $18,817,138 | $3,939,364 | $2,499,254 | $1,393,390 | 33 | $1,234,540 |
| 2020 | $16,753,444 | $2,718,541 | $1,910,086 | $1,013,522 | 39 | $307,397 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to strengthen its community through assisting donors, making grants, and providing leadership. Its stated grant interests include human services; education; arts, culture and humanities; health; public and societal benefit; and environment and animals. It also describes grant projects in areas such as recreation and the environment.
Its 2024 grants illustrate support for varied organizations. Columbia College Foundation, which received $82,000, says its mission is to promote student success by providing community resources that support and expand educational opportunities for Columbia College students. Sierra Senior Providers, which received $73,734, says it provides essential services to qualified seniors, including nutritious meals for seniors in Tuolumne County. WATCH Resources, which received $54,835, says it provides services for developmentally disabled adults. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 58 grants totaling $1,513,482. Grants ranged from $5,500 to $103,500, with a median of $15,746. Among the largest awards were $103,500 to Sierra Bible Church, $100,000 to Cornerstone Bible Church, $88,250 to Sierra Repertory Theater, $85,450 to Interfaith, $84,737 to San Joaquin County Office of Education, and $82,000 to Columbia College Foundation. Most of the grant dollars went to California recipients.
The Foundation says its governing board awards competitive grants from a pool of discretionary funds. Its grant guidelines call for a letter on the applicant organization’s letterhead, no more than two pages, stating the requested amount and intended use. The letter should explain the organization’s community support and accomplishments, the proposal’s expected impact, its activities and timeline, other funding pursued or secured, plans for sustaining the work, and how results will be evaluated. Grant reports are required for awards. The Foundation accepts multi-year proposals, though it generally requires specific criteria to be met before funding beyond the first year. It may require matching funds or make a challenge grant.
The Foundation also lists community award programs supported by affiliated organizations. The Irving J. Symons Foundation Award recognizes organizations with positive community impact in Tuolumne County; its stated award range is $40,000–$50,000. The Elaine Symons Baker Community Impact Award recognizes meaningful community impact in Tuolumne County and lists awards of $10,000. Separately, the Foundation offers more than 75 scholarships for Tuolumne County graduating high school seniors pursuing post-secondary education. The listed scholarship deadline is February 6, 2027.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Darrell Slocum as CEO; Vicki Albrecht as President; Dana Mayo as Vice President; Marianne Wright as Treasurer; and David Marquez as Secretary. It also lists Mark Kraft, Derek Maxson, Clark Segerstrom, Edward Clinite, and Jeff Sargo as board members. The Foundation’s website identifies Derek Maxson as Board President.
Sonora Area Foundation is led by Darrell Slocum, CEO since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 10 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Darrell Slocum
CEO
Executive Di → CEO, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$110K (2020) → $175K (2024)
Vicki Albrecht
President
Treasurer → Vice President, 2021
Vice President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Clark Segerstrom
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dana Mayo
Vice President
Secretary → Treasurer, 2021
Treasurer → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Derek Maxson
Board Member
Vice President → President, 2021
President → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marianne Wright
Treasurer
Director → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Kraft
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Marquez
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward Clinite
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Sargo
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Ed Clinite (2021–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Bob Ozbirn (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Gary Dambacher (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Carey Haughy (2020) — President
- Former: Pete Kerns (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 $175K, to Darrell Slocum (CEO).
Frequently asked questions about Sonora Area Foundation
How much does Sonora Area Foundation give each year?
Sonora Area Foundation gave $1.5M across 58 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $927K across 41 grants.
What is Sonora Area Foundation's typical grant size?
Sonora Area Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,746, and its average grant was $26,095, across 58 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sonora Area Foundation that year got $16K on average.
Where does Sonora Area Foundation give grants?
Sonora Area Foundation gives mostly in California: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Sonora, CA (30 grants), Soulsbyville, CA (4 grants), Columbia, CA (3 grants) and Tuolumne, CA (3 grants).
Does Sonora Area Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 52 grants with a stated purpose on Sonora Area Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (50 grants).
Who are Sonora Area Foundation's largest grantees?
Sonora Area Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Sierra Bible Church ($103,500), Cornerstone Bible Church ($100,000) and Sierra Repertory Theater ($88,250), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sonora Area Foundation?
Sonora Area Foundation reported $21.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.0M.
What does Sonora Area Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to strengthen its community through assisting donors, making grants, and providing leadership. Its stated grant interests include human services; education; arts, culture and humanities; health; public and societal benefit; and environment and animals. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sonora Area Foundation?
For a Foundation grant, submit a grant-application letter and attachments; there is no application form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sonora Area Foundation's EIN?
Sonora Area Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-1023051. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sonora Area Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sonora Area Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sonora-area-foundation-morg_a1e676db339f4d398c903031e564f078
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_931023051_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sonora Area Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sonora-area-foundation-morg_a1e676db339f4d398c903031e564f078},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Sonora Area 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.
Sonora Area Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?