Szekely Family Foundation
The Szekely Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Diego, California. It made 20 grants totaling $170,500 in 2024.
Szekely Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Szekely Family Foundation gave $171K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $170,500
- -8.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- +1900.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,525
- -95.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,793,553
- +21.1% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (86% 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 Szekely Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Its filing says to submit a letter stating the request to Deborah Szekely. It lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Deborah Szekely
Mailing address: 1840 Neale Street, San Diego, CA 92103
Phone: (619) 295-3144
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Szekely Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was San Diego Foundation ($100K). Together the top 10 received $146K.
Grant Size Distribution
24 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 19 grants of 24 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 6% to Illinois, 4% to Texas, and 4% to New Mexico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
How Szekely Family Foundation gives
- Giving fell 38% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 145% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $171K (2024) to $274K (2021). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $171K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Foundation San Diego, CA | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| New American Museum San Diego, CA | Unrestricted | $6,000 |
| Ilan Lael Foundation Julian, CA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Pachama Alliance San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Peacemaker Awards San Diego, CA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Re-wild Your Campus Austin, TX | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| San Diego History Center San Diego, CA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Bioneers Santa Fe, NM | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Gaia Girls Passages Lagunitas, CA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Los Cimientos Alliance Pingree Grove, IL | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Szekely Family 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 | $2,793,553 | $710,846 | $224,386 | $170,500 | 20 | $202,739 | $689,199 | $139,822 |
| 2023 | $2,307,093 | $112,244 | $224,612 | $186,605 | 1 | $214,487 | $88,781 | $145,333 |
| 2022 | $2,421,461 | $77,825 | $249,268 | $205,500 | 1 | $225,488 | $54,045 | $144,191 |
| 2021 | $2,590,904 | $312,365 | $322,088 | $273,575 | 1 | $298,086 | $278,363 | $174,457 |
| 2020 | $2,600,627 | $215,148 | $316,444 | $271,215 | 1 | — | $187,099 | $168,717 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Szekely Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $140K 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 2024 filing describes its direct charitable activity as activities related solely to grantmaking. Its 2024 recipients included organizations whose own stated missions address education, health, the environment, history, and community support. For example, Commonweal says it works on educational, charitable, and research activities contributing to individual health, public health, and the global environment. Arawaka Inc says its main goal is to promote a better relationship between human beings and the earth, including through spiritual education. Rotary Camp Pendleton Foundation says it supports Camp Pendleton through services including furniture for military families, morale-building events, memorials, and education and emergency-assistance grants.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation gave 20 grants totaling $170,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest grants included $100,000 to San Diego Foundation, $6,000 to New American Museum, and $5,000 each to Ilan Lael Foundation, Pachama Alliance, Peacemaker Awards, Re-wild Your Campus, San Diego History Center, Bioneers, Gaia Girls Passages, Los Cimientos Alliance, MAIA - Previously Starfish, and Street Of Dreams. The listed grants were unrestricted.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sara Livia Brightwood as president; Milenko Matanovic, Coleen Lassegard, and Barbara Merz as board members; Penny Livingston-Stark as secretary; and Esther Lev as CFO.
Szekely Family Foundation is led by Sara Livia Brightwood, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sara Livia Brightwood
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Merz
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Coleen Lassegard
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Esther Lev
CFO
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Milenko Matanovic
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Penny Livingston-Stark
Secretary
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 Szekely Family Foundation
How much does Szekely Family Foundation give each year?
Szekely Family Foundation gave $171K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $187K across 1 grant.
What is Szekely Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Szekely Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,525, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Szekely Family Foundation give grants?
Szekely Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (7 grants), Austin, TX (2 grants) and Calsbad, CA (2 grants).
Does Szekely Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Szekely Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Szekely Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Szekely Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include San Diego Foundation ($100,000), New American Museum ($6,000) and Ilan Lael Foundation ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Szekely Family Foundation?
Szekely Family Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $203K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $140K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Szekely Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its direct charitable activity as activities related solely to grantmaking. Its 2024 recipients included organizations whose own stated missions address education, health, the environment, history, and community support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Szekely Family Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Szekely Family Foundation's EIN?
Szekely Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3655645. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Szekely Family 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Szekely Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/szekely-family-foundation-morg_9d53142d92f342a181265b002ea3b9b5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_953655645_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Szekely Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/szekely-family-foundation-morg_9d53142d92f342a181265b002ea3b9b5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Szekely Family 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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