Specialty Family Foundation
Specialty Family Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) foundation located in El Segundo, California. Established in 2020, the foundation operates as a grantmaking organization focused on philanthropic investments and organizational capacity building to address persistent poverty.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$78.6M
+10.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.3M
-0.7% YoY
Grant Count
56
+7.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$41K
-7.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Specialty Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to alleviate the conditions that lead to persistent poverty through philanthropic investments, organizational capacity building, and programs that transform individual lives across Los Angeles County.
Primary funding strategies include:
- Education — Focus on education for low-income families
- Substance Abuse Treatment — Treatment programs for persons struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse
- Housing — Investments in stable, safe housing as a human right to support families
- Catholic Education — Support for Catholic schools to transform lives and break poverty cycles
- Emerging Areas — The foundation is exploring grantmaking programs that address homelessness and food security
Grantmaking
The foundation does not respond to unsolicited applications for funding.
Grant Range
$14,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports organizations nationally, with particular emphasis on Los Angeles County.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $71.3 million
- Total Revenue: $1.85 million
- Total Expenses: $2.96 million
- Total Liabilities: $884,000
- Total Giving: $2.3 million
Contact Information:
- Address: 2260 E Maple Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245
- Phone: (310) 535-9000
- Website: specialtyfamilyfoundation.org
- Email: info@specialtyfamilyfoundation.org
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $78,554,925 | $71,299,576 | $63,214,854 |
| Revenue | $18,550,464 | $1,851,773 | $3,692,537 |
| Expenses | $3,991,623 | $2,961,523 | $3,321,783 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,304,822 | $3,346,923 | $4,416,734 |
| Net Investment Income | $18,328,074 | $1,649,026 | $3,317,826 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,532,000 | $3,248,394 | $3,397,054 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Archdiocese of La ($468,000), Our Lady Queen of Angels Housing Alliance ($450,000), St Joseph Center ($130,500).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A SENSE OF HOME HAWTHORNE, CA | GENERAL | $58,000 |
| ALLIANCE FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION NOTRE DAME, IN | GENERAL | $600 |
| AMERIGO EDUCATION CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL | $7,600 |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF LA LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL | $468,000 |
| ART TREK INC NEWBURY PARK, CA | GENERAL | $40,000 |
| BEREA COLLEGE BEREA, KY | GENERAL | $5,000 |
| CALIFORNIA YOUTH CONNECTION EMERYVILLE, CA | SCHOLARSHIPS | $2,000 |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES USA ALEXANDRIA, VA | SCHOLARSHIPS | $25,000 |
| CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION LOS ANGELES, CA | SCHOLARSHIPS | $6,375 |
| COLLEGE MATCH LA LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board & Staff:
- Deborah A Estes — Family Director/Chair
- Joseph B Womac — President ($360,418 compensation)
- Michael Estes — Family Director, Vice President
- Arthur Peter — Family Director/Treasurer
- Regina Peter — Family Director, Secretary
- James B Peter Jr — Family Director
- Karen Peter — Family Director
- Christine Mary Peter — Family Director
- Sean Gard — Family Director
- Daniel Estes — Program Director
The foundation employs 4 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEBORAH A ESTES | FAMILY DIRECTOR/CHAIR | 30 | — |
| JAMES B PETER JR | FAMILY DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KAREN MARIE PETER CANE | FAMILY DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHRISTINE MARY PETER | FAMILY DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ARTHUR PETER | FAMILY DIRECTOR/TREASURER | 1 | — |
| REGINA PETER | FAMILY DIRECTOR, SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| JOSEPH B WOMAC | PRESIDENT | 40 | $376,981 |
| MICHAEL ESTES | FAMILY DIRECTOR, VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| SEAN GARD | FAMILY DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAVID FIELDS | INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MADELEINE CANE | FAMILY DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CATALINA SAENZ | INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOSEPH M LUMARDA | INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KEVIN MCCARDLE | INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MEGAN GARD | FAMILY DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Specialty Family Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is to **alleviate the conditions that lead to persistent poverty** through philanthropic investments, organizational capacity building, and programs that transform individual lives across Los Angeles County. Primary funding strategies include: • **Education** — Focus on education for low-income families • **Substance Abuse Treatment** — Treatment programs for persons struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse • **Housing** — Investments in stable, safe housing as a …
How do I apply for a grant from Specialty Family Foundation?
**Grant Activity (2023):** • Total distributions: $3.3 million • Number of grants: 52 • Median grant size: $14,000 • Maximum grant: $535,000 **Recent Notable Grants (2023):** • California Community Foundation: $450,000 • Southern California Grantmakers: $301,500 • Partners for Children South LA: $115,000 **Application Process:** The foundation does not respond to unsolicited applications for funding.
Where does Specialty Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation supports organizations nationally, with particular emphasis on Los Angeles County.
What size grants does Specialty Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Specialty Family Foundation awarded 56 grants totaling $2.3M — an average of about $41K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Specialty Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Specialty Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Specialty Family Foundation's EIN?
Specialty Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-2676634. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Specialty Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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