Tahoe Blue Foundation
Tahoe Blue Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. Its 2024 filing says it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Tahoe Blue Foundation at a glance
In short: Tahoe Blue Foundation gave $256K across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in California. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $255,680
- -15.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- -15.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,131
- -0.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,408
- Total assets
- $4,587,497
- +11.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (4 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (72% 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 Tahoe Blue 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: 314 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 804-7100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tahoe Blue Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Marin Academy ($80K). Together the top 10 received $246K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 82 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, California organizations received 72% of grant dollars, organizations in the District of Columbia received 24%, and Pennsylvania organizations received 4%. The filing also lists Virginia and New York at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Tahoe Blue Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 22 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $455; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $383 first-time, $3K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 145% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $134K (2022) to $304K (2023). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $256K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Marin Academy San Rafael, CA | Annual Fund, Penn Fellows and Ma Celebrates | $80,000 |
| Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC | Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute | $50,000 |
| Urban School of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Performing Arts and Community Center | $33,333 |
| Urban School of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Annual Fund 2023-24 & Endowment | $17,500 |
| Building 21 Plymouth Meeting, PA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Mount Tamalpais School Mill Valley, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Tahoe Fund Tahoe City, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Urban School of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| 826 Valencia Inc San Francisco, CA | General Support | $5,342 |
| California Film Institute San Rafael, CA | General Support | $5,217 |
Ready to take the next step with Tahoe Blue 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 | $4,587,497 | $828,014 | $210,605 | $255,680 | 28 | $310,261 | $255,792 | $214,206 |
| 2023 | $4,115,823 | $427,135 | $1,015,653 | $303,804 | 33 | $332,078 | $39,120 | $207,719 |
| 2022 | $4,030,391 | $2,120,134 | $236,935 | $134,498 | 21 | $157,339 | — | $66,940 |
| 2021 | $1,990,000 | $1,990,000 | — | — | — | — | — | $2,148 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tahoe Blue Foundation reported a distributable amount of $214K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 grants included support for schools, a research institute, an environmental organization, and other charitable organizations. Marin Academy describes its mission as encouraging students to think, question, and create while preparing them to take responsibility in a democratic society. The Smithsonian Institution describes its mission as increasing and diffusing knowledge by preserving heritage, discovering knowledge, and sharing resources. Tahoe Fund says it uses philanthropy to improve the Lake Tahoe environment.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $255,680. Grants ranged from $53 to $80,000, with a median of $2,408. Notable grants included $80,000 to Marin Academy, $50,000 to the Smithsonian Institution for its Tropical Research Institute, and three grants to Urban School of San Francisco totaling $60,833 for performing arts and a community center, its annual fund and endowment, and general support.
Other 2024 grants included $10,000 each to Building 21, Mount Tamalpais School, and Tahoe Fund. Building 21 describes its mission as empowering networks of learners to connect with their passions and build agency; Mount Tamalpais School says it aims to create joyful learning conditions and inspire action.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Cherity Payne as president and director, and C. Jason Payne as secretary, CFO, and director.
Tahoe Blue Foundation is led by Cherity Payne, President & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cherity Payne
President & Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
C. Jason Payne
Secretary, CFO & Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "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 Tahoe Blue Foundation
How much does Tahoe Blue Foundation give each year?
Tahoe Blue Foundation gave $256K across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $304K across 33 grants.
What is Tahoe Blue Foundation's typical grant size?
Tahoe Blue Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,408, and its average grant was $9,131, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tahoe Blue Foundation that year got $455 on average.
Where does Tahoe Blue Foundation give grants?
Tahoe Blue Foundation gives mostly in California: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (24%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (9 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants), San Rafael, CA (2 grants) and Mill Valley, CA (2 grants).
Does Tahoe Blue Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 79% of Tahoe Blue Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute" (3 grants).
Who are Tahoe Blue Foundation's largest grantees?
Tahoe Blue Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Marin Academy ($80,000), Urban School of San Francisco ($60,833 across 3 grants) and Smithsonian Institution ($59,815 across 4 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Tahoe Blue Foundation?
Tahoe Blue Foundation reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $310K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $214K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Tahoe Blue Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 grants included support for schools, a research institute, an environmental organization, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tahoe Blue 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 Tahoe Blue Foundation's EIN?
Tahoe Blue Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3825643. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Does Tahoe Blue 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Live grants for the work Tahoe Blue Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Tahoe Blue Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tahoe Blue Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tahoe-blue-foundation-morg_9a7b84354a0340d8a577c8db29c6e08a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_873825643_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tahoe Blue Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tahoe-blue-foundation-morg_9a7b84354a0340d8a577c8db29c6e08a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Tahoe Blue 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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