The Charles and Roberta Katz
The Charles and Roberta Katz is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. It supports preselected charitable organizations through grants; its 2025 filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
The Charles and Roberta Katz at a glance
In short: The Charles and Roberta Katz gave $290K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), mostly in California. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $290,000
- +8.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $24,167
- -9.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $11,000
- Total assets
- $5,096,829
- +3.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (3 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (73% 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 Charles and Roberta Katz
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 411, Palo Alto, CA 94302-0411
Phone: (650) 323-9893
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Charles and Roberta Katz funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Earth Justice ($85K). Together the top 10 received $281K.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 51 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California recipients received 73% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in Washington, DC (13%), Alaska (6%), Illinois (5%), and Washington state (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Charles and Roberta Katz open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 12 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $267K (2021) to $340K (2019). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $290K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Earth Justice San Francisco, CA | General Funding | $85,000 |
| Exploratorium San Francisco, CA | General Funding | $85,000 |
| National Park Conservation Association (NPCA) Washington, DC | General Funding | $33,000 |
| Lifemoves Menlo Park, CA | General Funding | $20,000 |
| Second Harvest Chicago, IL | General Funding | $15,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | General Funding | $12,000 |
| East Palo Alto Academy Foundation Palo Alto, CA | General Funding | $10,000 |
| Tidelines Institute Gustavus, AK | General Funding | $10,000 |
| Tropical Landscape and Climate Program Fairbanks, AK | General Funding | $6,000 |
| Mary's Place Seattle, WA | General Funding | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Charles and Roberta Katz?
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 | $5,096,829 | $507,682 | $323,537 | $290,000 | 12 | $290,000 | $483,040 | $317,324 |
| 2024 | $4,925,827 | $412,437 | $300,320 | $267,000 | 10 | $267,000 | $385,975 | $299,239 |
| 2023 | $4,810,609 | $296,394 | $308,641 | $278,000 | 11 | $278,000 | $274,817 | $266,258 |
| 2022 | $4,839,794 | $518,673 | $307,552 | $279,500 | 9 | $279,500 | $425,199 | $255,270 |
| 2021 | $4,633,186 | $526,895 | $283,215 | $267,000 | 9 | $267,000 | $511,864 | $272,220 |
| 2020 | $4,395,178 | $191,160 | $306,137 | $277,000 | 10 | — | $166,311 | $242,129 |
| 2019 | $4,516,416 | $426,158 | $364,598 | $340,000 | 11 | — | $396,431 | $243,911 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Charles and Roberta Katz reported a distributable amount of $317K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including environmental and conservation groups, a science museum, housing and supportive-services providers, and education organizations.
The grantees describe their work in their own terms: LifeMoves says it provides interim housing and supportive services to help homeless families and individuals return to stable housing and achieve long-term self-sufficiency. East Palo Alto Academy Foundation says it supports the school’s students and graduates through high school and postsecondary pathways into meaningful careers. Tidelines Institute describes its work as educating and inspiring rising environmental leaders in Southeast Alaska. World Wildlife Fund says its mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $290,000. Grant amounts ranged from $4,000 to $85,000, with a median grant of $11,000. The listed grants were for general funding. The largest awards were $85,000 each to Earth Justice and Exploratorium, followed by $33,000 to the National Park Conservation Association.
Other 2025 grants included $20,000 to LifeMoves; $15,000 to Second Harvest; $12,000 to Stanford University; $10,000 each to East Palo Alto Academy Foundation and Tidelines Institute; $6,000 to Tropical Landscape and Climate Program; $5,000 each to Mary’s Place and World Wildlife Fund; and $4,000 to Free Arts NYC.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles J Katz Jr as president; Roberta B Katz as first vice president and secretary/treasurer; and Sarah B Katz and Sydney M Katz as vice presidents.
The Charles and Roberta Katz is led by Charles J. Katz Jr., President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles J. Katz Jr.
President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Roberta B. Katz
First Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Sarah B. Katz
Vice President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Sydney M. Katz
Vice President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Charles and Roberta Katz
How much does The Charles and Roberta Katz give each year?
The Charles and Roberta Katz gave $290K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $267K across 10 grants.
What is The Charles and Roberta Katz's typical grant size?
The Charles and Roberta Katz's median grant in 2025 was $11,000, and its average grant was $24,167, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Charles and Roberta Katz that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Charles and Roberta Katz give grants?
The Charles and Roberta Katz gives mostly in California: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (13%) and Alaska (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Charles and Roberta Katz give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Charles and Roberta Katz's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Charles and Roberta Katz's largest grantees?
The Charles and Roberta Katz's largest 2025 grantees include Earth Justice ($85,000), Exploratorium ($85,000) and National Park Conservation Association (NPCA) ($33,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Charles and Roberta Katz?
The Charles and Roberta Katz reported $5.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $290K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $317K (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 Charles and Roberta Katz fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including environmental and conservation groups, a science museum, housing and supportive-services providers, and education organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Charles and Roberta Katz?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Charles and Roberta Katz's EIN?
The Charles and Roberta Katz's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-2001806. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Charles and Roberta Katz 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Charles and Roberta Katz funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-charles-and-roberta-katz-morg_035de57584f547459510bbbe2839947e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_912001806_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Charles and Roberta Katz funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-charles-and-roberta-katz-morg_035de57584f547459510bbbe2839947e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Charles and Roberta Katz'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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