The Country Friends
The Country Friends is a public charity based in Rancho Santa Fe, California. Founded in 1954, its stated purpose is to raise money for human care agencies, with an emphasis on services for women, children, and the elderly. Its 2025 filing says it supports San Diego-based agencies, including those serving military members and people with disabilities.
The Country Friends at a glance
In short: The Country Friends gave $248K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in California. 57% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $247,793
- -4.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- Average grant
- $10,774
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $878,491
- +0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 57% first-time grantees (13 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Country Friends
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 142, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Phone: (858) 756-1192
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Country Friends funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Walden Family Services ($18K). Together the top 10 received $133K.
Grant Size Distribution
50 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 50 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization describes its support as focused on San Diego-based human care agencies. In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 5% to Virginia, and 4% to Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Country Friends open to new grantees?
57%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 23 grantees (57%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- Giving grew 56% from 2022 to 2025. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $115K (2021) to $258K (2024). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $248K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Walden Family Services San Diego, CA | — | $18,000 |
| Girls Rising San Diego, CA | Recruit, Train & Provide Support Fo | $15,000 |
| Promises 2 Kids San Diego, CA | — | $15,000 |
| Voice for Our City Choir San Diego, CA | — | $15,000 |
| Rise up Industries Santee, CA | — | $14,130 |
| Be a Friend-Impact a Life San Diego, CA | — | $12,400 |
| Ritecare Childhood Language San Diego, CA | — | $12,000 |
| Armed Services YMCA Woodbridge, VA | — | $11,763 |
| A Step Beyond Escondido, CA | Purchase Market Place Items | $10,000 |
| Community Resource Center Encinitas, CA | Purchase Program & Training Materia | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $878,491 | $559,740 | $553,115 | $247,793 | 23 | $5,705 |
| 2024 | $871,307 | $479,616 | $452,958 | $258,230 | Total only | $6,183 |
| 2023 | $844,653 | $399,816 | $389,004 | $212,900 | Total only | $5,300 |
| 2022 | $836,908 | $718,356 | $442,506 | $159,200 | 16 | $22 |
| 2021 | $725,861 | $433,649 | $318,053 | $115,000 | 11 | $7 |
| 2020 | $635,706 | $334,956 | $296,561 | $132,042 | 36 | $14 |
| 2019 | $597,602 | $424,615 | $430,933 | $210,325 | 55 | $107 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states that its sole purpose is to raise money for human care agencies, emphasizing those that help women, children, and the elderly so people can help themselves. Its program description also identifies women, children, older adults, military members, and people with disabilities as communities served by the agencies it supports.
Examples of 2025 grantees illustrate a range of services. Girls Rising describes its mission as empowering girls through mentorship and career-readiness support. Rise Up Industries says it works to minimize gang involvement through prevention, intervention, and post-detention reentry services. A Step Beyond says it prepares underserved youth for college, careers, and life through dance education, academic support, and family services. Community Resource Center says it helps people experiencing hunger, homelessness, and trauma with food, housing, and safe relationships. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the funder’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, The Country Friends reported 23 grants totaling $247,793. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $18,000, with a median of $10,000.
Among the largest reported awards were $18,000 to Walden Family Services; $15,000 each to Girls Rising, Promises 2 Kids, and Voice for Our City Choir; $14,130 to Rise Up Industries; and $12,400 to Be a Friend-Impact a Life. Other reported grants included $12,000 to RiteCare Childhood Language and $11,763 to Armed Services YMCA. Additional $10,000 grants went to A Step Beyond, Community Resource Center, Emilio Nares, and Generate Hope.
The filing says the organization researches each charitable grantee, examines its financial statements, considers its standing in the community, studies its board and employees, and conducts a site visit. Agency directors read requests and prepare files for those meeting the organization’s funding criteria; the board then meets to consider them.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Suzanne Newman and Janean Stripe as President; Deborah Cross as First Vice President; Marci Cavanaugh as Second VP-Human; Yvette Letourneau as Third VP-Director; Trish Bugg as Recording Secretary; Jean Waters as Honoring & Remembrance; Erika Fetter and Becky Le Bret as Hospitality Co-Chairs; and Jolene Davidson as HCF Co-Director.
The Country Friends is led by Janean Stripe, President since 2023 (on filings since 2019); none of the 26 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Janean Stripe
President
Treasurer Chief Financial Officer → Treasurer CFO, 2021
Treasurer CFO → President, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne Newman
President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Epstein
Area Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elaine Becerra
Area Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jolene Davidson
Hcf Co-Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jolynn Shapiro
Area Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kim Quinn
Area Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Franks
Area Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robyn Hudgens
Hcf Co-Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sage Billick
Newsletter Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Ferges
Area Director C
Area Director Coordinator → Area Director C, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tamara Lafarga-Joseph
Area Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Terri Chivetta
Area Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Valerie Parker
Area Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yvette Letourneau
Third Vp-Dir
Third Vice President - Director of Business Operations → Third Vp-Dir, 2021
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$49K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Andrea Naverson
Publicity Co-Chair
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Becky Le Bret
Hospitality Co-
Hospitality Co-Director → Hospitality Co-, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Cross
First Vice President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Erika Fetter
Hospitality Co-
Hospitality Co-Director → Hospitality Co-, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jean Waters
Honoring & Reme
Honoring & Remembrance → Honoring & Reme, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura White
Events Voluntee
Events Volunteer Director → Events Voluntee, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maggie Bobileff
Special Events
Special Events Director → Special Events, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marci Cavanaugh
Second Vp-Human
Second Vice President → Second Vice President - Human Care Funding, 2020
Second Vice President - Human Care Funding → Second Vp-Human, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mia Park
Publicity Co-Chair
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Mauro
Cosignment Stor
Consignment Store Staff Representative → Cosignment Stor, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Trish Bugg
Recording Secretary
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
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.
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
Frequently asked questions about The Country Friends
How much does The Country Friends give each year?
The Country Friends gave $248K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it reported $258K in grants paid.
What is The Country Friends's typical grant size?
The Country Friends's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,774, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Country Friends that year got $10K on average.
Where does The Country Friends give grants?
The Country Friends gives mostly in California: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (12 grants), Escondido, CA (2 grants) and Carlsbad, CA (2 grants).
Who are The Country Friends's largest grantees?
The Country Friends's largest 2025 grantees include Walden Family Services ($18,000), Girls Rising ($15,000) and Promises 2 Kids ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Country Friends?
The Country Friends reported $878K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $560K.
What does The Country Friends fund?
The organization states that its sole purpose is to raise money for human care agencies, emphasizing those that help women, children, and the elderly so people can help themselves. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Country Friends?
The Country Friends has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Country Friends's EIN?
The Country Friends's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6514998. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 16, 2021)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 18, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 18, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Country Friends funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-country-friends-morg_95e507241dea400fafdc33e02b179768
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956514998_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Country Friends funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-country-friends-morg_95e507241dea400fafdc33e02b179768},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Country Friends'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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