The Coto Foundation
Coto Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California with total assets of $1,217,189. The foundation provides grants primarily in the focus areas of Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services, with typical grant awards ranging from $5,000 to $164,800. Their grantmaking activities are concentrated in California and Kentucky.
The Coto Foundation at a glance
In short: The Coto Foundation gave $699K across 7 grants in 2025 (avg $100K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $699,000
- +129.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 7
- -30.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $99,857
- +228.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who The Coto Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lifesavers Inc ($500K). Together the top 6 received $699K.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 45 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 7 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Coto Foundation gives
- Giving grew 382% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $145K (2022) to $699K (2025). In 2025 it made 7 grants totaling $699K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lifesavers Inc Caliente, CA | Wild Horse Rescue & Sanctuary General Operating Support | $500,000 |
| Northridge Hospital Foundation Northridge, CA | General Operating Support | $80,000 |
| Discovery Science Center of Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | General Operating Support | $45,000 |
| Shelter Hope Enterprises Inc Los Angeles, CA | General Operating Support | $35,000 |
| Fulfillment Fund Los Angeles, CA | General Operating Support | $17,000 |
| Discovery Science Center of Orange County Santa Ana, CA | General Operating Support | $14,000 |
| Shelter Hope Enterprises Inc Los Angeles, CA | General Operating Support | $8,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | $398,060 | $761,681 | $699,000 | 7 | $702,384 | $78,981 | $51,045 |
| 2024 | $1,217,189 | $368,449 | $357,562 | $304,000 | 10 | $307,675 | $58,562 | $59,887 |
| 2023 | $1,206,302 | $314,425 | $527,421 | $472,240 | 8 | $475,412 | $16,414 | $53,904 |
| 2022 | $1,419,298 | $243,034 | $209,408 | $145,000 | 10 | $150,676 | $24,857 | $57,304 |
| 2021 | $1,385,675 | $633,755 | $293,822 | $242,000 | 10 | $287,747 | $327,680 | $57,852 |
| 2020 | $1,045,739 | $377,594 | $286,122 | $261,000 | 15 | — | $73,086 | $54,122 |
| 2019 | $954,267 | $322,497 | $331,798 | $299,500 | 12 | — | $18,633 | $47,499 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Coto Foundation reported a distributable amount of $51K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
About The Coto Foundation
Based on IRS filings
The Coto Foundation is a private foundation, based in Los Angeles, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. In 2025, it awarded 7 grants totaling $699K. Net investment income was $79K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Coto Foundation is led by Melanie Coto, CEO & Director since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Melanie Coto
CEO & Director
President → CEO & Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Stephenson
CFO & Secretary
Chief Financial Officer & Secretary → CFO & Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2021
8 hrs/week
$26K (2021) → $40K (2025)
Former officers (5)
- Former: Gohar Tutunjyan (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Anita Presman (2019–2020) — Second Vice President & Treasurer
- Former: Armando R. Salinas (2019–2020) — Trust Officer
- Former: Chloe Coto (2019–2020) — Vice President
- Former: Paul Coto (2019–2020) — Secretary
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $40K, to Michael Stephenson (CFO and Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about The Coto Foundation
How much does The Coto Foundation give each year?
The Coto Foundation gave $699K across 7 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $304K across 10 grants.
What is The Coto Foundation's typical grant size?
The Coto Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $35,000, and its average grant was $99,857, across 7 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Coto Foundation give grants?
The Coto 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 Los Angeles, CA (4 grants).
Does The Coto Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Coto Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 7) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Coto Foundation's largest grantees?
The Coto Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Lifesavers Inc ($500,000), Northridge Hospital Foundation ($80,000) and Discovery Science Center of Los Angeles ($45,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How much is The Coto Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Coto Foundation reported a distributable amount of $51K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Coto Foundation's EIN?
The Coto Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3896152. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 11, 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
Live grants for the work The Coto Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Coto Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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