The Ahmanson Foundation
The Ahmanson Foundation is a private, independent grant-making foundation based in Beverly Hills, California. Incorporated in 1952 and tax-exempt since February 1955, the foundation administers funds for charitable, scientific, educational, literary, and religious purposes in service of the public welfare. The foundation operates with a staff of approximately 7-11 employees.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.5B
+18.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$65.5M
+4.0% YoY
Grant Count
442
+6.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$148K
-1.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ahmanson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $68.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's broad purpose, as stated in its articles of incorporation, is to administer funds for charitable, scientific, educational, literary, and religious purposes, all for the public welfare.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education at all levels
- The arts and humanities
- Human services
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
Grantmaking
Typical awards range from $2,000 to $7,500,000.
Grant Range
s and Range:**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations based in and serving Los Angeles County, California. Grant-making also extends to organizations in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- 2024: $1,458,740,356
- 2022: $1,198,575,686
Revenue:
- 2022: $107,282,633
Expenses:
- 2022: $56,341,238
Liabilities:
- 2022: $22,100,000
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,458,740,356 | $1,229,560,863 | $1,198,575,686 |
| Revenue | $70,015,184 | $62,851,119 | $107,282,633 |
| Expenses | $88,168,449 | $70,464,869 | $56,341,238 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $68,781,041 | $65,977,005 | $63,170,916 |
| Net Investment Income | $77,112,878 | $66,355,978 | $120,591,942 |
| Distributable Amount | $68,065,593 | $60,957,281 | $65,319,347 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Ahmanson Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American National Red Cross ($880,000), Altamed Health Services Corp ($704,000), Actors Gang Inc ($245,600).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 826LA LOS ANGELES, CA | FOR TECHNOLOGY AND WEBSITE UPGRADES | $55,900 |
| A NOISE WITHIN PASADENA, CA | TOWARD BACKSTAGE EQUIPMENT AND STAGE TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES | $105,000 |
| A NOISE WITHIN PASADENA, CA | TOWARD PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORT AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CO-FOUNDERS | $15,000 |
| A PLACE CALLED HOME LOS ANGELES, CA | FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE ATHLETIC FIELD SHADE SAIL SYSTEM | $150,000 |
| A STEP TO FREEDOM LOS ANGELES, CA | FOR ACQUISITION OF A TRUCK USED FOR CLIENT AND SUPPLIES TRANSPORTATION | $60,800 |
| ACTORS GANG INC CULVER CITY, CA | FOR EQUIPMENT UPGRADES AND SOUNDPROOFING | $245,600 |
| ALCOHOLISM CENTER FOR WOMEN INC LOS ANGELES, CA | FOR CAPITAL NEEDS | $137,000 |
| ALCOTT CENTER FOR MENTAL HLTH SVCS CULVER CITY, CA | TOWARD ACQUISITION OF A VEHICLE | $56,100 |
| ALEXANDRIA HOUSE LOS ANGELES, CA | FOR ACQUISITION OF A CLIENT TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE AND REPLACEMENT PICKUP TRUCK | $99,953 |
| ALL PEOPLES COMMUNITY CENTER LOS ANGELES, CA | FOR TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES AND EQUIPMENT | $140,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Historical Leadership: Howard F. Ahmanson founded the foundation with his wife, Dorothy Grannis Ahmanson. Howard Ahmanson was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1961. Robert H. Ahmanson became President of The Ahmanson Foundation in 1974.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAM H AHMANSON | TRUSTEE/PRES. | 40 | $729,400 |
| HOWARD F AHMANSON | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MARK A BROOKS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KAREN A HOFFMAN | TRUSTEE/MD & SECRETARY | 26 | $269,965 |
| STEPHEN D ROUNTREE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JOHN B WAGNER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| STEPHEN D YSLAS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KRISTEN K O'CONNOR | CFO & TREASURER | 40 | $459,583 |
| GLENVILLE A MARCH JR MD | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PATRICIA MCKENNA | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has supported several notable initiatives in recent years:
Casa Colina Hospital received Ahmanson Foundation funding to purchase assistive technology for patients with spinal cord injury (2024)
Casa Colina Hospital Receives Ahmanson Foundation Funding to Purchase AssistiveMartin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital received an Ahmanson grant to support a new endoscopy suite
Casa Colina Hospital Receives Ahmanson Foundation Funding to Purchase AssistiveEmanate Health received a major grant from the foundation
Eight major grants will power The L.A. Trust's missionKCET received a $1 million grant to support its conversion to independent public television
The Ahmanson Foundation Supports KCET's Conversion to ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Ahmanson Foundation fund?
The foundation's broad purpose, as stated in its articles of incorporation, is to administer funds for charitable, scientific, educational, literary, and religious purposes, all for the public welfare. Primary funding focus areas include: • Education at all levels • The arts and humanities • Human services • Philanthropy and voluntarism
How do I apply for a grant from The Ahmanson Foundation?
**Grant Sizes and Range:** Typical awards range from $2,000 to $7,500,000. **Recent Grant Activity:** Recent grants include: • $7,500,000 to California Science Center Foundation toward construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center (2022) • $1,723,690 to Huntington Library Art Museum and Botanical Gardens for painting acquisition (2022) • $1,250,000 to Dignity Community Care toward construction of a new patient tower (2022) The foundation made 346 grants totaling approximately $48.7 mil…
Where does The Ahmanson Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations based in and serving Los Angeles County, California. Grant-making also extends to organizations in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
What size grants does The Ahmanson Foundation award?
In 2024, The Ahmanson Foundation awarded 442 grants totaling $65.5M — an average of about $148K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Ahmanson Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Ahmanson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $68.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Ahmanson Foundation's EIN?
The Ahmanson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6089998. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ahmanson 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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