Swenson Family Foundation

ORANGE, CA EIN: 33-0603766 Website

The Swenson Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 1994 and based in Orange, California (with a principal address in Dana Point, CA). The foundation operates as a nonprofit public benefit corporation governed by the California Secretary of State and maintains an active filing status.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$97.1M

-2.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$6.0M

-36.4% YoY

Grant Count

+20.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$165K

-47.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Swenson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's giving focuses primarily on secular and Lutheran higher education. The foundation supports education initiatives, with particular emphasis on university and higher education institutions.

Grantmaking

The foundation has made 25 grants totaling approximately $2,903,333 in documented recent activity.

Average Grant

amount and median grant amount data available but specific figures not disclosed in sources

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in California, Wisconsin, and Missouri.

Grant Distribution by State

California $16.3M (47%)

Wisconsin $7.1M (21%)

Minnesota $6.5M (19%)

Montana $3.5M (10%)

District of Columbia $200K (1%)

Alabama $167K (0%)

Missouri $138K (0%)

Illinois $104K (0%)

+4 more states

States

Alabama Arizona California District of Columbia Illinois Minnesota Missouri Montana Oregon Texas Utah Wisconsin

Cities

AndalusiaBillingsConcordiaCosta MesaCovinaDana PointDuluthEugeneHopeIron RiverKanabLaguna HillsLong BeachMinneapolisMissionMoorheadNewport BeachNorthbrookOrangePrior Lake

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Most Recent Filing (2024):

Total assets: $97,139,565
Total giving: $5,951,073
Total revenues: $3,886,325
Total expenses: $6,254,287
Number of employees: 0

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$97,139,565	$99,502,157	$105,346,093
Revenue	$3,886,325	$3,751,040	$3,930,758
Expenses	$6,254,287	$9,611,926	$8,742,261
Qualifying Distributions	$6,043,334	$9,429,748	$8,511,707
Net Investment Income	$3,775,837	$3,822,632	$3,770,778
Distributable Amount	$4,649,058	$4,718,524	$5,179,487

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

148 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include University Mn Duluth ($1,600,000), Choc Children's Foundation ($1,000,000), California Lutheran University ($500,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ACHIEVEMENT INSTITUTE FOR STEM SCHOLARS SANTA ANA, CA	STEM SCHOLARS	$50,000
ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE WASHINGTON, DC	TO REDUCE ANIMAL SUFFERING CAUSED BY PEOPLE.	$25,000
BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY KANAB, UT	TO END THE KILLING IN AMERICA'S ANIMAL SHELTERS AND CREATE A TIME WHEN THERE ARE NO MORE HOMELESS PETS.	$25,000
CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY THOUSAND OAKS, CA	SUMMER 2024 SCHOLARSHIPS	$97,350
CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY THOUSAND OAKS, CA	STUDENT EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT	$50,000
CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY THOUSAND OAKS, CA	FALL SWENSON SCHOLARS - 2024	$185,500
CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY THOUSAND OAKS, CA	SPRING SWENSON SCHOLARS-2025	$185,500
CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY THOUSAND OAKS, CA	ENGINEERING BUILDING - 2024	$500,000
CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY THOUSAND OAKS, CA	SUMMER 2025 SWENSON SCHOLARS	$97,350
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY ORANGE, CA	THE STUDENT HARDSHIP ASSISTANCE FUND	$41,667

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Key Personnel:

Susan G. Swenson (Dana Point, CA) – Chief Executive Officer
Cheryl L. Lentz (Santa Ana, CA) – Chief Financial Officer
Rosie Swenson (San Juan Capistrano, CA) – Secretary
Eoin L. Kreditor (Irvine, CA) – Registered Agent

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
SUSAN G SWENSON	PRESIDENT	0.5	—
ROSIE SWENSON	SECRETARY	0.5	—
CHERYL L LENTZ	TREASURER	2	—
EOIN L KREDITOR	DIRECTOR	0.5	—
CHRISTOPHER LENTZ	DIRECTOR	0.5	—
TIMOTHY J SWENSON	DIRECTOR	0.5	—

Contact Information

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 12263, Orange, CA 92859-8263
Principal Address: 34372 Cove Lanterns, Dana Point, CA 92629
Telephone: 714-264-6814
EIN: 33-0603766

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Swenson Family Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Swenson Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving: $5,951,073 (most recent fiscal year) • Typical award range: $1,030–$2,250,000 • Average grant amount and median grant amount data available but specific figures not disclosed in sources **Recent Grants (2024):** • California Lutheran University: $500,000 (Engineering Building) • Friends of Holy Innocents: $500,000 (New Church) • University of Wisconsin-Superior Foundation: $206,172 (Spring 2025 Swenson Scholars) The foundation has made 25 grants totaling appr…

Where does Swenson Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in California, Wisconsin, and Missouri.

What size grants does Swenson Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Swenson Family Foundation awarded 36 grants totaling $6.0M — an average of about $165K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Swenson Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Swenson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.