The Bright Family Foundation
The Bright Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Modesto, California. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations for purposes including educational scholarships, child-abuse prevention, assistance to people in need, youth services, community mental health, and local arts.
Key facts about The Bright Family Foundation
In short: The Bright Family Foundation gave $1.3M across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $46K), mostly in California. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 77-0126942
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,280,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- Average grant
- $45,714
- Median grant
- $25,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 26, 2025)
- Total assets
- $24,405,976
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Contact Carol Bright Tougas. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- N/A
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$24.4M
+2.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.3M
+18.8% YoY
Grant Count
28
-9.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$46K
+31.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bright Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Bright Family Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 26 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 30% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 90% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2018–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for educational scholarships, medical research and services, child and family services, substance-abuse treatment, community programs, and local arts.
The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. United Samaritans Foundation says it provides food and related assistance to poor and homeless people in Stanislaus County. Center for Human Services describes its work as supporting youth and families through prevention, education, and counseling. State Theatre of Modesto says it preserves and operates the historic downtown theatre and provides community enrichment through entertainment and cultural, educational, and civic events.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $1,280,000. Grants ranged from $7,500 to $265,000, with a median grant of $25,000.
Review Cycle
** N/A
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in California. Recipients included organizations in Modesto, Merced, Turlock, and San Francisco.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 28 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
149 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UC MERCED HUB Merced, CA | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS | $265,000 |
| CHILDREN'S CRISIS CENTER Modesto, CA | SUPPORT PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE. | $200,000 |
| UC MERCED CEB SUCCESS CENTER Merced, CA | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS. | $100,000 |
| UNITED SAMARITANS FOUNDATION Turlock, CA | LIVING ASSISTANCE TO THE NEEDY. | $80,000 |
| UC MERCED ENGINEERING - UC MERCED F Merced, CA | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS | $75,000 |
| CENTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES Modesto, CA | SUPPORT TEENS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT. | $55,000 |
| CSU STANISLAUS FOUNDATION Turlock, CA | EDUCATIONAL | $45,000 |
| SIERRA VISTA CHILD FAMILY SERVICES Modesto, CA | COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. | $45,000 |
| BOYS GIRLS CLUBS OF STANISLAUS COUN Modesto, CA | COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN. | $35,000 |
| UCSF SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-DEPT OF NEU San Francisco, CA | MEDICAL RESEARCH. | $35,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $24,405,976 | $2,098,585 | $1,508,277 | $1,280,000 |
| 2024 | $23,798,362 | $2,058,287 | $1,246,881 | $1,077,500 |
| 2023 | $22,986,562 | $1,590,619 | $1,130,905 | $1,000,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $24,405,976 | $23,798,362 | $22,986,562 |
| Revenue | $2,098,585 | $2,058,287 | $1,590,619 |
| Expenses | $1,508,277 | $1,246,881 | $1,130,905 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,280,000 | $1,077,500 | $1,000,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $675,054 | $651,264 | $467,714 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,424,095 | $1,230,452 | $1,045,859 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS August 29, 2019)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 15, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John Dunn as director and secretary; Carol Bright Tougas as director and president; Rachel Tougas as director and treasurer; and Susan Hunter, Gary Hunter, and Loura Erickson as directors.
The Bright Family Foundation is led by Carol Bright Tougas, Director & President since 2021 (on filings since 2018); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carol Bright Tougas
Director & President
Vice President & Treasurer → President, 2020
President → Director & President, 2021
On filings since 2018
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Hunter
Director
On filings since 2018
No compensation reported
John Dunn
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2018
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Tougas
Director & Treasurer
Director → Director & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2018
No compensation reported
Susan Hunter
Director
On filings since 2018
No compensation reported
Loura Erickson
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Cathee Vaughn (2018–2021) — Director
- Former: Calvin E. Bright (2018–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Application contact: Carol Bright Tougas
Mailing address: 1620 N Carpenter Rd Bldg B, Modesto, CA 95351
Phone: (209) 526-8242
Frequently asked questions about The Bright Family Foundation
How much does The Bright Family Foundation give each year?
The Bright Family Foundation gave $1.3M across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 31 grants.
What is The Bright Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Bright Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $45,714, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Bright Family Foundation give grants?
The Bright Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Modesto, CA (16 grants), Merced, CA (3 grants), Turlock, CA (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does The Bright Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on The Bright Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support Local Arts" (4 grants), "Animal Rescue" (3 grants) and "Educational" (3 grants).
Who are The Bright Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Bright Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Uc Merced Hub ($265,000), Children's Crisis Center ($200,000) and Uc Merced Ceb Success Center ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bright Family Foundation?
The Bright Family Foundation reported $24.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bright Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for educational scholarships, medical research and services, child and family services, substance-abuse treatment, community programs, and local arts. The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. United Samaritans Foundation says it provides food and related assistance to poor and homeless people in Stanislaus County. Center for Human Services describes its work as supporting…
How do I apply for a grant from The Bright Family Foundation?
Contact Carol Bright Tougas. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Bright Family Foundation's EIN?
The Bright Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0126942. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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