The Burnham Foundation
The Burnham Foundation is a private foundation established in 1980 and based in San Diego, California (1100 Market Street, Suite 424, San Diego, CA 92101-7420). The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with EIN 95-3565278, having received its IRS ruling in February 1981.
Key facts about The Burnham Foundation
- EIN
- 95-3565278
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $467,243
- Grants made (2024)
- 25
- Average grant
- $18,690
- Median grant
- $4,500
- Total assets
- $6,040,051
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026.
Who The Burnham Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Burnham Foundation's 25 itemized 2024 grants were California (100%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (14 grants), San Deigo, CA (4 grants), La Jolla, CA (3 grants) and Julian, CA (3 grants). None of its 25 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$6.0M
-11.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$467K
-34.5% YoY
Grant Count
25
-32.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
-3.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Burnham Foundation reported a distributable amount of $274K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's stated purpose is to provide giving primarily for higher education, as well as for health associations, children, youth and social services, YMCAs, and United Way support.
According to recent grant activity, the foundation funds a diverse range of initiatives including:
- Elementary school education in Kenya
- Support for wounded warriors
- Support for U.S. sailing team athletes attending the Olympics
- Health services, particularly Rady Children's Hospital
- Community advancement and civic engagement
- Cross-border community development initiatives
Grantmaking
The foundation made 39 grants in 2023. Recent grants include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily focuses on San Diego, California, with particular emphasis on the San Diego-Tijuana binational region. The foundation has demonstrated interest in cross-border community development and collaboration between the United States and Mexico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 25 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2023:
- Total assets: $6,831,632
- Total revenues: $94,481
- Total expenses: $745,975
- Investment income and dividends: $37,572
- Number of employees: 0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $6,040,051 | $6,831,632 | $4,558,057 |
| Revenue | $3,326,315 | $94,481 | $1,119,484 |
| Expenses | $1,289,529 | $745,975 | $851,680 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $467,243 | $713,824 | $909,065 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,075,778 | — | $986,524 |
| Distributable Amount | $274,212 | $280,471 | $282,333 |
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
188 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include National Conflict Resolution Center ($225,000 across 2 grants), Campanile Foundation ($54,750 across 2 grants), Institute of the Americas ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION CENTER SAN DIEGO, CA | FUND THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE NCRC AND THE YMCA. | $150,000 |
| NATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION CENTER SAN DIEGO, CA | FUND THE CAMPUS CIVILITY PROJECT. | $75,000 |
| CAMPANILE FOUNDATION SAN DIEGO, CA | HAROLD K BROWN CAREER LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING BIASES PROGRAM FUND. | $50,000 |
| INSTITUTE OF THE AMERICAS LA JOLLA, CA | FUNDING FOR THE CROSS BOARDER STEAM LAB | $50,000 |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA SAN DEIGO, CA | TO PROVIDE LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS WITH EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE | $50,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SAN DIEGO, CA | BURNHAM MOORES CENTER FOR REAL ESTATE | $27,743 |
| TIMKEN MUSEUM OF ART SAN DIEGO, CA | PRESERVE ART FOR THE EDUCATION OF LOCAL CHILDREN | $10,000 |
| MEALS ON WHEELS SAN DIEGO, CA | FEED ELDERLY SHUT-INS | $5,000 |
| RYAN FAMILY YMCA SAN DIEGO, CA | PROVIDER OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. | $5,000 |
| ST THERESE OF CARMEL SAN DIEGO, CA | FUNDING OF PRISION MINISTRY AND CATHOLIC CHARITIES. | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Malin and Roberta Burnham are identified as founders and major supporters of the foundation's work. Malin Burnham is described as a San Diego native, veteran real estate developer, champion sailor, published author, and philanthropist who has given away upward of $100 million throughout his philanthropic career.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MALIN BURNHAM | PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR | — | — |
| ROBERTA BURNHAM | VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| KIT SPARKS | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| BRUCE MORRICE | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| GEORGE DELAFIELD ESQ | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| JACK MCGRORY | DIRECTOR | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Burnham family established the Burnham Center for Community Advancement (BCCA) in 2020-2021 as a "think-and-do tank" focused on civic engagement and collaboration in the San Diego region. In spring 2023, Malin and Roberta Burnham made a $20 million gift to BCCA to sustain its operations over multiple years—their largest charitable donation to a single organization.
Apply now for US Sailing Foundation's Kevin Burnham Memorial GrantsBCCA's focus areas include housing affordability, transit and mobility, rebuilding community fabric, economic prosperity for underserved communities, Balboa Park governance and sustainability, and the San Diego-Tijuana World Design Capital 2024 initiative.
The foundation has supported the Kevin Burnham Memorial Grants through the U.S. Sailing Foundation, which provide funding for sailing athletes.
Apply now for US Sailing Foundation's Kevin Burnham Memorial GrantsFrequently Asked Questions
What does The Burnham Foundation fund?
The foundation's stated purpose is to provide giving primarily for higher education, as well as for health associations, children, youth and social services, YMCAs, and United Way support. According to recent grant activity, the foundation funds a diverse range of initiatives including: • Elementary school education in Kenya • Support for wounded warriors • Support for U.S. sailing team athletes attending the Olympics • Health services, particularly Rady Children's Hospital • Community advancem…
How do I apply for a grant from The Burnham Foundation?
The foundation made 39 grants in 2023. Recent grants include: • National Conflict Resolution Center (Peacemaker Honorary Committee): $95,000 • Institute of the Americas (Cross Border Steam Lab): $75,000 • The Campanile Foundation (Sue Russell Scholarship Fund): $50,000 The foundation has also supported the University of San Diego and other educational institutions.
Where does The Burnham Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily focuses on San Diego, California, with particular emphasis on the San Diego-Tijuana binational region. The foundation has demonstrated interest in cross-border community development and collaboration between the United States and Mexico.
What size grants does The Burnham Foundation award?
In 2024, The Burnham Foundation awarded 25 grants totaling $467K — an average of about $19K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Burnham Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Burnham Foundation reported a distributable amount of $274K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Burnham Foundation's EIN?
The Burnham Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3565278. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Burnham 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.