The Belle Jar Foundation
The Belle Jar Foundation is a private foundation based in Creston, California. It made 24 grants totaling $1,273,587 in 2024, supporting organizations whose work includes education, environmental literacy, economic development, and services for underserved communities.
The Belle Jar Foundation at a glance
In short: The Belle Jar Foundation gave $1.3M across 24 grants in 2024 (avg $53K), top state North Carolina. 50% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,273,587
- +30.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 24
- +14.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $53,066
- +14.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $3,613,593
- -18.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (12 of 24, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (34% 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 The Belle Jar Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Dr Christopher Payne as the contact and states that materials are limited to charitable purpose. It lists no deadlines and no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Dr Christopher Payne
Mailing address: 5890 Rocky Canyon Road, Creston, CA 93432
Phone: (415) 343-0831
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Belle Jar Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was NC East Alliance ($400K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
96 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 96 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina (34%), California (31%), and Massachusetts (20%), followed by Virginia (6%) and New York (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Belle Jar Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 24 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $80K; repeat grants $26K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 257% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 639% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $279K (2022) to $1.3M (2024). In 2024 it made 24 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NC East Alliance Edenton, NC | Unstricted | $400,000 |
| Catholic Charities Santa Clara County San Jose, CA | Unrestricted | $250,000 |
| Local Enterprise Assistance Fund Boston, MA | Unrestricted | $250,000 |
| Ron Brown Scholar Fund Charlottesville, VA | unrestricted | $75,000 |
| Watervliet City School District Watervliet, NY | unrestricted | $54,837 |
| Ten Strands San Rafael, CA | unrestricted | $50,000 |
| The Education Alliance - Business and Community fo Charleston, WV | unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Stanford University Redwood City, CA | unrestricted | $25,000 |
| College Track Oakland, CA | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC | unrestricted | $21,750 |
Ready to take the next step with The Belle Jar 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 | $3,613,593 | $601,081 | $1,436,965 | $1,273,587 | 24 | $1,334,497 | $503,730 | $208,829 |
| 2023 | $4,449,477 | $32,255 | $1,119,285 | $975,304 | 21 | $1,001,035 | $25,989 | $262,473 |
| 2022 | $5,536,507 | $194,797 | $466,755 | $278,749 | 13 | $328,911 | $74,555 | $312,553 |
| 2021 | $5,808,465 | $613,608 | $516,754 | $356,554 | 17 | $399,853 | $505,317 | $339,898 |
| 2020 | $5,711,611 | $620,861 | $735,039 | $537,193 | 21 | — | $475,568 | $329,726 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Belle Jar Foundation reported a distributable amount of $209K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for education, environmental learning, cooperative and social-purpose ventures, and other charitable organizations.
Grantees describe their own work in varied ways. The Local Enterprise Assistance Fund says it promotes human and economic development by financing and assisting cooperatives and social-purpose ventures that create and retain jobs for low-income people. Ten Strands says it advances environmental literacy and environmental learning for California TK–12 students. College Track describes its work as supporting first-generation students from under-resourced communities through college graduation. Cristo Rey San José High School says it combines academics with professional work internships to prepare students from underserved communities to pursue college.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 24 grants totaling $1,273,587. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $400,000, with a median grant of $7,500. The largest awards included $400,000 to NC East Alliance, $250,000 each to Catholic Charities Santa Clara County and the Local Enterprise Assistance Fund, and $75,000 to the Ron Brown Scholar Fund. The listed grants were described as unrestricted.
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists Dr Christopher Payne as the contact, materials limited to charitable purpose, no deadlines, and no restrictions on awards.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dr Christopher Payne as director and president, Gregory Payne as director, secretary, and treasurer, and Douglas Payne as director.
The Belle Jar Foundation is led by Christopher Payne, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christopher Payne
Director & President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Douglas Payne
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gregory Payne
Director, Secretary & Treasurer
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 The Belle Jar Foundation
How much does The Belle Jar Foundation give each year?
The Belle Jar Foundation gave $1.3M across 24 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $975K across 21 grants.
What is The Belle Jar Foundation's typical grant size?
The Belle Jar Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $53,066, across 24 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Belle Jar Foundation that year got $80K on average.
Where does The Belle Jar Foundation give grants?
The Belle Jar Foundation's top state is North Carolina, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (31%) and Massachusetts (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Jose, CA (4 grants), Oakland, CA (2 grants) and Raleigh, NC (2 grants).
Does The Belle Jar Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 92% of The Belle Jar Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Belle Jar Foundation's largest grantees?
The Belle Jar Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include NC East Alliance ($400,000), Catholic Charities Santa Clara County ($250,000) and Local Enterprise Assistance Fund ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Belle Jar Foundation?
The Belle Jar Foundation reported $3.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $209K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Belle Jar Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for education, environmental learning, cooperative and social-purpose ventures, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Belle Jar Foundation?
The filing lists Dr Christopher Payne as the contact and states that materials are limited to charitable purpose. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Belle Jar Foundation's EIN?
The Belle Jar Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 90-0432743. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Belle Jar Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in California
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
Marin Community Foundation
Novato, CA
Marin Community Foundation funds work in affordable housing and homelessness, community resilience and power, as well as social services, education, arts and conservation, with a focus on marginalized Marin County residents and some broader U.S. and international grantmaking. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, though amounts varied widely. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,573
Total Given
$186.1M
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
The California Community Foundation supports nonprofits through discretionary and donor-directed grants, with discretionary priorities including education, health, housing and immigration, alongside other areas such as arts, civic engagement and economic opportunity. Its 2025 grants had a median of $50,000, and its work is focused on Los Angeles County; prospective discretionary applicants are asked to contact the relevant program officer before submitting a letter of intent.
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
2,174
Total Given
$326.6M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation funds education, climate and conservation, the arts, democracy, gender equity, racial justice, and efforts to strengthen nonprofits and philanthropy, with work spanning the San Francisco Bay Area, the U.S. West, and locations including East and West Africa and Mexico. Its 2024 grants had a median award of $150,000, though amounts varied widely. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, but sometimes invites proposals through open processes.
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
Direct Relief
Santa Barbara, CA
Direct Relief supports healthcare providers serving people affected by poverty or emergencies, including community health centers, clinics, and grassroots organizations, with medicines, supplies, and funding for health access and equity. In 2025, its grants had a median award of about $65,000, and its work spans all 50 U.S. states and countries around the world; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,367
Total Given
$337.4M
Conrad N Hilton Foundation
Westlake Village, CA
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation funds nonprofits working to improve lives and alleviate poverty, with initiatives including early childhood development, homelessness, refugees, safe water, and support for foster and opportunity youth. Its work is global, and its 2024 grants had a median award of $76,000. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, except through its Good Neighbor Program for eligible local nonprofits and Title 1 schools.
Assets
$7.4B
Grants
1,339
Total Given
$287.7M
More similar funders
More Funders in California
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Belle Jar Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-belle-jar-foundation-morg_00980e83328c4668bcf40c7712e7b82f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_900432743_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Belle Jar Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-belle-jar-foundation-morg_00980e83328c4668bcf40c7712e7b82f},
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 The Belle Jar 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.
The Belle Jar Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?