The Big E Family Foundation
The Big E Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Yreka, California. In 2025, it made 27 grants totaling $1,625,000 to organizations in California and other states.
The Big E Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Big E Family Foundation gave $1.6M across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $60K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,625,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- Average grant
- $60,185
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $11,169,311
- Primary geography
- California (78% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Big E Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says potential recipients should contact Steven Ericson and submit a written letter explaining their need. It states there are no restrictions or limitations on awards.
- Review Cycle
- No submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- No submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Steven Ericson
Mailing address: 205 Lane Street, Yreka, CA 96097-2914
Phone: (949) 851-7261
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Big E Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fairchild Medical Center Foundation ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
27 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 16 grants of 27 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 8% to Arizona, 6% to Oregon, 3% to Virginia, and 3% to Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Big E Family Foundation gives
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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
In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fairchild Medical Center Foundation Yreka, CA | Program Support | $500,000 |
| 10TH District Junior Livestock Committee Yreka, CA | Educational purposes for children participating in the fair and annual livestock auction. | $100,000 |
| Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Friends Yreka, CA | Educational purposes for children participating in the fair and annual livestock auction. | $50,000 |
| Butte Valley Ambulance Service Inc Dorris, CA | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Butte Valley Fire Protection District Macdoel, CA | Equipment | $50,000 |
| California Cattlewomen Heritage Foundation Parkfield, CA | Program Support | $50,000 |
| California Deer Association - Mt Shasta Chapter Mt Shasta, CA | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Dorris Volunteer Fire Department Dorris, CA | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Mt Shasta Race Association Mt Shasta, CA | Support the Mt. Shasta Ski Team | $50,000 |
| NRA Foundation Inc Fairfax, VA | Program Support | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $11,169,311 | $710,604 | $1,643,186 | $1,625,000 | 27 | $1,625,000 | $456,307 | $120,710 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Big E Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $121K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Fairchild Medical Center Foundation says it stewards philanthropic support for the medical center’s programs, services, and facilities. Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Friends says it helps sustain the fair and museum after the loss of state funding, while Mt. Shasta Race Association says it supports ski, snowboard, and related activities.
Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions concern hospice care, safe water, community assistance, and firearm-related public-interest activities. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 27 grants totaling $1,625,000. Grants ranged from $25,000 to $500,000, with a median grant of $50,000. The largest grant was $500,000 to Fairchild Medical Center Foundation in Yreka, California, for program support.
Other notable awards included $100,000 to the 10th District Junior Livestock Committee for educational purposes for children participating in the fair and annual livestock auction, and $50,000 each to Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Friends, Butte Valley Ambulance Service, Butte Valley Fire Protection District, and several other organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Steven Ericson as CEO/President, Lukas Ericson as CFO, Jabob Ericson as Secretary, and Darrin Mercier as Director.
The Big E Family Foundation is led by Steven Ericson, CEO & President on the 2025 filing; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steven Ericson
CEO & President
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Darrin Mercier
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jabob Ericson
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lukas Ericson
CFO
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2025. "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 Big E Family Foundation
How much does The Big E Family Foundation give each year?
The Big E Family Foundation gave $1.6M across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is The Big E Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Big E Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $60,185, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Big E Family Foundation give grants?
The Big E Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Arizona (8%) and Oregon (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Yreka, CA (7 grants), Wickenburg, AZ (3 grants), Dorris, CA (2 grants) and Mt Shasta, CA (2 grants).
Does The Big E Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on The Big E Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (21 grants).
Who are The Big E Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Big E Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fairchild Medical Center Foundation ($500,000), 10TH District Junior Livestock Committee ($100,000) and Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Friends ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Big E Family Foundation?
The Big E Family Foundation reported $11.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $121K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Big E Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Fairchild Medical Center Foundation says it stewards philanthropic support for the medical center’s programs, services, and facilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Big E Family Foundation?
The 2025 filing says potential recipients should contact Steven Ericson and submit a written letter explaining their need. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Big E Family Foundation's EIN?
The Big E Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-3395997. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2025.
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
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 10, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Big E Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-big-e-family-foundation-morg_1c563de2f4a24a2c9f8ebe7330fbb41c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_333395997_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Big E Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-big-e-family-foundation-morg_1c563de2f4a24a2c9f8ebe7330fbb41c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Big E 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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