The California Wellness Foundation
The California Wellness Foundation is a private independent foundation created in 1992, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization and non-operating foundation dedicated to philanthropic grantmaking focused on health and wellness initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.0B
+0.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$48.8M
-14.5% YoY
Grant Count
681
-14.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$72K
+0.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The California Wellness Foundation reported a distributable amount of $51.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to protect and improve the health and wellness of the people of California by increasing access to health care, quality education, good jobs, healthy environments and safe neighborhoods.
Primary funding interests include:
- Health services
- Community development
- Education
- Social and human services
- Health promotion, wellness education, and disease prevention
- Covid-19 relief and emergency funds
- Program funding and capacity building
Grantmaking
The foundation will not accept letters of intent or unsolicited grant proposals in 2026. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the Grants Management team at (818) 702-1900 or grants@calwellness.org for more information about current priorities and opportunities.
Grant Range
$10,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in California but reaches organizations across 43 states. Primary funding regions include California, District of Columbia, and New York, which account for 91% of all grants. The foundation supports initiatives in numerous cities and states across the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Income (2024):
- Total assets: $1.05 billion
- Total liabilities: $17.7 million
- Annual revenue: $13.8 million
- Annual expenses: $73.9 million
Historical Assets:
- Assets have grown from $794.3 million in 2011 to $1.05 billion in 2024
Staffing:
- 34 employees
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,049,009,252 | $1,042,135,742 | $1,019,736,613 |
| Revenue | $13,765,234 | $85,291,405 | $78,770,548 |
| Expenses | $73,867,741 | $80,915,254 | $73,097,281 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $68,520,496 | $75,460,522 | $73,068,593 |
| Net Investment Income | $36,804,285 | $79,696,971 | $96,273,881 |
| Distributable Amount | $50,981,294 | $49,763,872 | $53,469,983 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from The California Wellness Foundation
Community Well-Being Fund Grant
THE CALIFORNIA WELLNESS FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Economic Security & Dignity Grant Program
THE CALIFORNIA WELLNESS FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Equity in Access Fund
THE CALIFORNIA WELLNESS FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Youth Law Center ($500,000), Vera Institute of Justice Inc ($500,000), University of California San Francisco Foundation ($500,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| YWCA OF GLENDALE AND PASADENA GLENDALE, CA | CORE OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| YOUTH MUSIC MONTEREY MONTEREY, CA | CORE OPERATING SUPPORT | $1,500 |
| YOUTH MENTORING CONNECTION LOS ANGELES, CA | CORE OPERATING SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| YOUTH LAW CENTER SAN FRANCISCO, CA | CORE OPERATING SUPPORT | $500,000 |
| YOUTH JUSTICE COALITION LOS ANGELES, CA | CORE OPERATING SUPPORT | $300,000 |
| YOUTH HOMES MISSOULA, MT | CORE OPERATING SUPPORT | $750 |
| YOUTH EMPOWERMENT FINEST INC SAN DIEGO, CA | CORE OPERATING SUPPORT | $200,000 |
| YOUNG INVINCIBLES LOS ANGELES, CA | CORE OPERATING SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| YALE UNIVERSITY NEW HAVEN, CT | CORE OPERATING SUPPORT | $1,050 |
| YALE UNIVERSITY NEW HAVEN, CT | CORE OPERATING SUPPORT | $300 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Executive Leadership:
- Judy Belk: President & CEO (January-August 2023)
- Richard Tate: VP Executive/CEO & President
- Lori Cox: VP of Programs
- Rochelle Witharana: Chief Financial Officer
- Arun Baheti: VP of Operations
Board Leadership:
- Pamela Simms-Mackey: Director, Board Chair
- Terence P Mulligan: Director, Treasurer
- Angelica Salas: Director, Board Secretary
- Arnold Perkins: Director, Audit Chair
Current Leadership:
- Alex M Johnson: Chief Strategy Officer (joined November 2025)
- Caitlin Adams: Vice President Human Resources (joined November 2025)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICHARD TATE | CEO/PRESIDENT | 50 | $683,481 |
| ROCHELLE WITHARANA | CFO | 50 | $412,808 |
| LORI COX | VP OF PROGRAMS | 50 | $336,960 |
| ARUN BAHETI | VP OF OPERATIONS | 50 | $331,002 |
| ALEX JOHNSON | VP OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS | 50 | $261,529 |
| PAMELA SIMMS-MACKEY | DIRECTOR, BOARD CHAIR | 5 | $43,400 |
| TERENCE P MULLIGAN | DIRECTOR, TREASURER | 5 | $34,900 |
| ANGELICA SALAS | DIRECTOR, BOARD SECRETARY | 2 | $34,900 |
| ARNOLD PERKINS | DIRECTOR, AUDIT CHAIR | 2 | $34,900 |
| JOSEPH LUMARDA | DIRECTOR, PAST CHAIR | 2 | $34,900 |
| XOCHITL CASTANEDA | DIRECTOR | 2 | $30,900 |
| DEBRA NAKATOMI | DIRECTOR | 2 | $30,900 |
| ERNEST WILSON III | DIRECTOR | 2 | $30,900 |
| GERI YANG-JOHNSON | DIRECTOR | 2 | $30,900 |
| KATHERINE KATCHER | DIRECTOR | 2 | $30,900 |
| IRMA COTA | DIRECTOR | 2 | $30,900 |
| VIRGINIA HEDRICK | DIRECTOR | 2 | $30,900 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation awarded $26.5 million in grants during the first half of 2024
Cal Wellness Awards Grants Totaling $26.5 Million in First Half of 2024 -The foundation committed $4 million to combat the COVID-19 pandemic
Cal Wellness Commits $4 Million to Combat the COVID-19 PandemicThe Advancing Wellness Grants Program was announced for 2026
Cal Wellness Awards Grants Totaling $26.5 Million in First Half of 2024 -Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The California Wellness Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is to protect and improve the health and wellness of the people of California by increasing access to health care, quality education, good jobs, healthy environments and safe neighborhoods. Primary funding interests include: • Health services • Community development • Education • Social and human services • Health promotion, wellness education, and disease prevention • Covid-19 relief and emergency funds • Program funding and capacity building
How do I apply for a grant from The California Wellness Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Total grants made: 4,023 grants totaling $319.6 million (as of 2024) • Median grant size: $10,000 • Grant range: $100 to $2,000,000 • Average award: $79,000 • Annual distribution: Between $48.8 million and $113 million (2020-2024) • Highest grantmaking year: 2022 with $113 million distributed across 1,222 grants • Supported organizations: 1,589 unique organizations **Recent Grant Awards:** • Awarded $26.5 million in grants during the first half of 2024 • Committed $4 milli…
Where does The California Wellness Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in California but reaches organizations across 43 states. Primary funding regions include California, District of Columbia, and New York, which account for 91% of all grants. The foundation supports initiatives in numerous cities and states across the United States.
What size grants does The California Wellness Foundation award?
In 2024, The California Wellness Foundation awarded 681 grants totaling $48.8M — an average of about $72K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The California Wellness Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The California Wellness Foundation reported a distributable amount of $51.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The California Wellness Foundation's EIN?
The California Wellness Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4292101. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The California Wellness 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.
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