The Callison Foundation
The Callison Foundation is a private foundation based in Ross, California. It says it cares for the San Francisco Bay Area community by funding small agencies that support the educational success of marginalized children, provide basic services for youth at risk, and help care for vulnerable adults and senior communities.
The Callison Foundation at a glance
In short: The Callison Foundation gave $474K across 1 grant in 2024 (avg $474K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $474,000
- -40.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 1
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $474,000
- -40.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $474,000
- Total assets
- $9,445,981
- +1.7% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Callison Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Sheila DeVore as the contact and requests an emailed PDF letter of interest that includes a budget. It states “5YR OF FUND EVERY 8YRS” and notes a San Francisco area concentration.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists May 1.
- Deadline
- The filing lists May 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Sheila Devore
Mailing address: PO Box 677, Ross, CA 94957
Phone: (650) 207-3095
Email: sheila@callisonfoundation.org
Website: https://callisonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Callison Foundation
Who The Callison Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
94 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 94 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its community focus as the San Francisco Bay Area. Its 2024 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to a recipient in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2024 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How The Callison Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $474K (2024) to $790K (2023). In 2024 it made 1 grant totaling $474K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| See Attached Schedule Chicago, IL | General Operating | $474,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,445,981 | $772,227 | $545,635 | $474,000 | 1 | $525,307 | $751,899 | $548,170 |
| 2023 | $9,291,684 | $541,090 | $887,645 | $790,000 | 1 | $862,258 | $553,982 | $515,511 |
| 2022 | $9,461,988 | $624,943 | $653,226 | $560,000 | 28 | $592,136 | $594,053 | $706,656 |
| 2021 | $9,424,916 | $1,214,522 | $650,572 | $566,000 | 30 | $586,278 | $1,175,236 | $594,617 |
| 2020 | $8,924,459 | $545,751 | $703,103 | $645,000 | 34 | — | $533,514 | $524,288 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Callison Foundation reported a distributable amount of $548K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated focus is supporting small agencies working in education for marginalized children, basic services for youth at risk, and care for vulnerable adults and senior communities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported one grant totaling $474,000. The sole listed grant was $474,000, for general operating support, to a recipient identified in the filing as “SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE” in Chicago, Illinois. The filing reports 28 grants totaling $560,000 in 2022 and one grant totaling $790,000 in 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sheila DeVore as executive director; Mort Pactor, Peter O’Hara, Peter Hooker, John Loder, and Golnar Yazdi as directors; and Tyler Foster as treasurer.
The Callison Foundation is led by Sheila Devore, Executive Director on every filing since 2023; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sheila Devore
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$4K (2023) → $3K (2024)
Peter O'Hara
Director
CFO → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Golnar Yazdi
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Loder
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mort Pactor
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Hooker
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tyler Foster
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Audrey Scott (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Morton A Pactor (2020–2022) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $3K, to Sheila Devore (Executive DIR).
Frequently asked questions about The Callison Foundation
How much does The Callison Foundation give each year?
The Callison Foundation gave $474K across 1 grant in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $790K across 1 grant.
How large is The Callison Foundation?
The Callison Foundation reported $9.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $525K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $548K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Callison Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated focus is supporting small agencies working in education for marginalized children, basic services for youth at risk, and care for vulnerable adults and senior communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Callison Foundation?
The filing lists Sheila DeVore as the contact and requests an emailed PDF letter of interest that includes a budget. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The Callison Foundation make grants?
The foundation’s website describes its community focus as the San Francisco Bay Area. Its 2024 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to a recipient in Illinois.
What is The Callison Foundation's EIN?
The Callison Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-6127962. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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