The Branscomb Family Foundation
The Branscomb Family Foundation is a private foundation located in Half Moon Bay, California. Chartered as a nonprofit corporation in Colorado in 1986, it supports charitable, educational, scientific, literary, and religious endeavors in the United States, with its website describing a primary emphasis on specific institutions that further education, research, and learning.
The Branscomb Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Branscomb Family Foundation gave $100K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state Kentucky. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $100,000
- +23.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- -28.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,556
- +71.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $641,331
- -4.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (4 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (30% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Branscomb Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds, according to its 2025 filing. It states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its website also describes its giving as selective.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 908, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Phone: (781) 878-9111
Website: https://branscomb.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Branscomb Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Foundation for the Horse ($30K). Together the top 10 received $80K.
Grant Size Distribution
111 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 111 grants of 111 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is located in California, while its 2025 grants went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Kentucky (30%), California (24%), Georgia (12%), Tennessee (8%), and Massachusetts (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Branscomb Family Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 18 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 122% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 137% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $33K (2023) to $100K (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $100K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Foundation for the Horse Lexington, KY | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Internet Archives San Francisco, CA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Union of Concerned Scientists Cambridge, MA | Charitable | $6,000 |
| Vanderbilt Nashville, TN | Charitable | $6,000 |
| GCSU Foundation Milledgeville, GA | Charitable | $6,000 |
| Global Harmony Foundation Chicago, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Electronic Frontier F San Francisco, CA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| AET Library Endowment Washington, DC | Charitablecharitablecharitable | $4,000 |
| The Council for the National Interest Foundation Purcellville, VA | Charitable | $4,000 |
| Institute for Research Middle Eastern Policy Washington, GA | Charitable | $4,000 |
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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 | $641,331 | $89,064 | $117,519 | $100,000 | 18 | $100,000 | $72,443 | $73,045 |
| 2024 | $669,676 | $76,454 | $97,967 | $81,000 | 25 | $81,000 | $60,987 | $68,352 |
| 2023 | $690,193 | $91,374 | $47,874 | $33,000 | 19 | $33,000 | $77,000 | $62,038 |
| 2022 | $647,402 | $58,136 | $60,256 | $45,000 | 20 | $45,000 | $43,380 | $61,098 |
| 2021 | $648,536 | $65,212 | $60,287 | $45,000 | 29 | $45,000 | $50,925 | $61,360 |
| 2020 | $643,497 | $82,524 | $50,363 | $37,500 | 23 | — | $70,077 | $51,139 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Branscomb Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $73K 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
The foundation’s stated purpose is to promote and fund charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational endeavors in the United States. Its website says it makes contributions to other educational and charitable institutions on a selective basis.
The 2025 grantees show a range of supported organizations. The Foundation for the Horse describes its mission as improving the health and welfare of horses. Bay Area Community Law Foundation says it supports the educational and charitable missions of the National Lawyers Guild–San Francisco Bay Area and the San Francisco Tenants Union. Free Flight says it connects the needs of birds and people through education and avian-care programs. Backbone Campaign describes its work as amplifying people’s aspirations through creative strategies and artful activism.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $100,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $30,000, with a median of $4,000.
The largest reported grants included $30,000 to The Foundation for the Horse; $10,000 to Internet Archives; $6,000 each to Union of Concerned Scientists, Vanderbilt, and GCSU Foundation; and $5,000 each to Global Harmony Foundation and Electronic Frontier F. Other listed grants included $4,000 to AET Library Endowment, the Council for the National Interest Foundation, Institute for Research Middle Eastern Policy, and CodePink, and $3,000 to Audit Elections USA. The 2025 filing also lists $2,500 each to Bay Area Community Law Foundation and Free Flight, and $2,000 to Backbone Campaign.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Harvie H. Branscomb as director, president, and CEO; Katharine C. Branscomb as director, vice president, and CFO; Clara Kelley as director and secretary; and Yayoi Wakabayashi as director.
The Branscomb Family Foundation is led by Harvie H. Branscomb, Director, President & CEO since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Harvie H. Branscomb
Director, President & CEO
Director, President & CFO → Director, President & CEO, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Clara Kelley
Director & Secretary
Director → Director & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yayoi Wakabayashi
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katharine C. Branscomb
Director, Vice President & CFO
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Katharine C. Branscomb Kelley (2020–2023) — Director, Vice President & CFO
- Former: Lewis Branscomb (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Branscomb Family Foundation
How much does The Branscomb Family Foundation give each year?
The Branscomb Family Foundation gave $100K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $81K across 25 grants.
What is The Branscomb Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Branscomb Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,000, and its average grant was $5,556, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Branscomb Family Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Branscomb Family Foundation give grants?
The Branscomb Family Foundation's top state is Kentucky, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (24%) and Georgia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (3 grants).
Does The Branscomb Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on The Branscomb Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (17 grants).
Who are The Branscomb Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Branscomb Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Foundation for the Horse ($30,000), Internet Archives ($10,000) and Union of Concerned Scientists ($6,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Branscomb Family Foundation?
The Branscomb Family Foundation reported $641K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $100K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $73K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Branscomb Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to promote and fund charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational endeavors in the United States. Its website says it makes contributions to other educational and charitable institutions on a selective basis. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Branscomb Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds, according to its 2025 filing. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Branscomb Family Foundation's EIN?
The Branscomb Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3355618. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Branscomb Family 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 19, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Branscomb Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-branscomb-family-foundation-morg_8ff7a43aa9bf4ee88fa04181180c4c60
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133355618_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Branscomb Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-branscomb-family-foundation-morg_8ff7a43aa9bf4ee88fa04181180c4c60},
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 The Branscomb 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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