Stephenson Foundation
The Stephenson Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including economic policy, education, research, military-family scholarships, journalism, and family support.
Stephenson Foundation at a glance
In short: Stephenson Foundation gave $1.2M across 30 grants in 2024 (avg $42K), mostly in California. 35% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,248,103
- +1.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $41,603
- +1.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $21,371,271
- +2.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (9 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (77% 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 Stephenson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Frankrimerman 1801 Page Mill, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: (650) 854-3927
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Stephenson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Hoover Institution ($850K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
167 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 135 grants of 167 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 77% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 12% to Oklahoma, 4% each to Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, and 1% to New York. The listed grants also included smaller awards to organizations in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Stephenson Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 26 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $69K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 88% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $1.2M (2023) to $1.6M (2022). In 2024 it made 30 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hoover Institution Stanford, CA | To support the promotion of personal and economic liberty, free enterprise, and limited government. | $850,000 |
| Folds of Honor Owasso, OK | To provide educational scholarships to the families of military men and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty in the united states armed forces | $100,000 |
| American Enterprise Institute Washington, DC | To support research and education on issues of government, politics, economics and social welfare | $50,000 |
| Folds of Honor Owasso, OK | To provide educational scholarships to the families of military men and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty in the united states armed forces | $50,000 |
| Cal Matters Oakland, CA | To prepare students in underserved communities for success in college and in life | $25,000 |
| Cure Alzheimer's Fund Wellesley Hills, MA | To Support Alzheimer's Research | $25,000 |
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA | To Support Harvard Athletics Football | $25,000 |
| Leland Stanford Junior University (Siepr) Stanford, CA | To Help Support Early-Career Economists | $25,000 |
| Kipp Bay Area Schools Oakland, CA | To prepare students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. | $15,000 |
| Anti Corruption Foundation New York, NY | To maintain and build upon a standard of excellence in invetigations exposing to corruption and crimes. | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Stephenson Foundation?
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 | $21,371,271 | $1,901,258 | $1,424,822 | $1,248,103 | 30 | $1,248,103 | $1,744,279 | $1,410,855 |
| 2023 | $20,890,359 | $1,474,279 | $1,392,290 | $1,226,700 | 30 | $1,226,700 | $1,326,499 | $1,282,599 |
| 2022 | $20,820,653 | $471,548 | $1,730,998 | $1,562,500 | 34 | $1,562,500 | $435,489 | $1,330,914 |
| 2021 | $22,092,236 | $3,050,958 | $1,449,990 | $1,266,500 | 39 | $1,266,500 | $2,884,187 | $1,461,882 |
| 2020 | $20,528,656 | $1,063,273 | $1,384,723 | $1,229,280 | 34 | — | $920,028 | $1,259,881 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Stephenson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M 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 own stated mission is not provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations and causes. For example, KIPP Bay Area Schools describes its mission as creating academically excellent schools with families and communities to prepare students for college, careers, and beyond. The Postpartum Support Center describes its mission as providing support for mothers, parents, and families and promoting awareness and prevention of perinatal mental health disorders. All Stars Helping Kids says it seed-funds Bay Area start-up nonprofits working across academics, health and fitness, and life skills.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 30 grants totaling $1,248,103. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $850,000, with a median of $5,000. Its largest grant was $850,000 to the Hoover Institution to support the promotion of personal and economic liberty, free enterprise, and limited government. Other large grants included $100,000 to Folds of Honor for educational scholarships for families of fallen or disabled military service members, and $50,000 to the American Enterprise Institute for research and education on government, politics, economics, and social welfare.
Other 2024 grants included $25,000 each to CalMatters, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, Harvard University for Harvard Athletics Football, and Leland Stanford Junior University’s SIEPR to help support early-career economists. KIPP Bay Area Schools received $15,000, and the Postpartum Support Center received $10,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Barbara Stephenson as president and Thomas F. Stephenson as vice president.
Stephenson Foundation is led by Barbara Stephenson, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barbara Stephenson
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas F. Stephenson
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Stephenson Foundation
How much does Stephenson Foundation give each year?
Stephenson Foundation gave $1.2M across 30 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.2M across 30 grants.
What is Stephenson Foundation's typical grant size?
Stephenson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $41,603, across 30 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Stephenson Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Stephenson Foundation give grants?
Stephenson Foundation gives mostly in California: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Oklahoma (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants), Stanford, CA (2 grants), Owasso, OK (2 grants) and Oakland, CA (2 grants).
Does Stephenson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on Stephenson Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Stephenson Foundation's largest grantees?
Stephenson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Hoover Institution ($850,000), Folds of Honor ($150,000 across 2 grants) and American Enterprise Institute ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Stephenson Foundation?
Stephenson Foundation reported $21.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Stephenson Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own stated mission is not provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations and causes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Stephenson Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Stephenson Foundation's EIN?
Stephenson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3320092. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Stephenson 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). Stephenson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/stephenson-foundation-morg_8650dcbbad8849ee946638d26fd7c877
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943320092_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Stephenson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/stephenson-foundation-morg_8650dcbbad8849ee946638d26fd7c877},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Stephenson 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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