The Curley Foundation
The Curley Foundation is a private foundation based in La Mesa, California. Its 2025 filing lists grants to individual recipients for college tuition and expenses, and states that it distributes application forms to San Diego-area high schools and colleges.
The Curley Foundation at a glance
In short: The Curley Foundation gave $140K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $140,300
- +18.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -4.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,015
- +24.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,300
- Total assets
- $1,040,287
- -0.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (87% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Curley Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it disseminates application forms to San Diego-area high schools and colleges for use in making grant applications. The filing lists no deadlines. It states that no more than one-third of total grants may be awarded to people who receive their primary and secondary education outside San Diego County, California, and that no other restrictions or limitations apply.
- Contact
Application contact: The Curley Foundation
Mailing address: 8405 Zeta Street, La Mesa, CA 91942
Phone: (619) 589-8151
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Curley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 110 grants of 110 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in California (87%), Connecticut (9%), and Iowa (4%). The filing also limits to no more than one-third the share of total grants awarded to people educated outside San Diego County for primary and secondary school.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Curley Foundation gives
- Giving grew 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 325% of 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $75K (2020) to $140K (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $140K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 20 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $140,300 |
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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 | $1,040,287 | $206,066 | $218,985 | $140,300 | 20 | $218,985 | $168,097 | $67,431 |
| 2024 | $1,048,735 | $125,119 | $196,839 | $118,000 | 21 | $196,839 | $84,892 | $68,349 |
| 2023 | $1,120,455 | $156,569 | $197,079 | $125,000 | 23 | $197,079 | $119,898 | $68,164 |
| 2022 | $1,160,965 | $51,416 | $187,846 | $112,000 | 23 | $187,846 | $7,201 | $76,363 |
| 2021 | $1,297,395 | $200,884 | $187,157 | $100,000 | 23 | $187,157 | $153,866 | $77,048 |
| 2020 | $1,284,910 | $105,155 | $174,013 | $75,000 | 20 | — | $62,786 | $77,538 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Curley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $67K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $140,300. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $8,300, with a median of $8,300. The largest grants were $8,300 each, primarily to individual recipients in California for college tuition and expenses; one individual recipient in Connecticut received $6,000 for that purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mona Nesheim as a director; Carmen J. Berry as president and director, and secretary and director; Christopher Ian Martin Berry as CFO and vice president and director; Christine D. Dobbins as vice president and director, and secretary and CFO; and Stephen D. Berry as president and director.
The Curley Foundation is led by Carmen J. Berry, President, Director, Secretary & Director since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carmen J. Berry
President, Director, Secretary & Director
President, Director, Secretary, Director, CFO & Director → President, Director, Secretary & Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$30K (2020) → $12K (2025)
Stephen D. Berry
President & Director
New on the 2025 filing
20 hrs/week
$18K (2025)
Mona Nesheim
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Ian Martin Berry
CFO, Vice President & Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christine D. Dobbins
Vice President, Director, Secretary & CFO
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Christopher Martin-Berry (2020–2021) — CFO, Vice President & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $18K, to Stephen D Berry (President & DIR). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Curley Foundation
How much does The Curley Foundation give each year?
The Curley Foundation gave $140K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $118K across 21 grants.
What is The Curley Foundation's typical grant size?
The Curley Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,300, and its average grant was $7,015, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Curley Foundation give grants?
The Curley Foundation gives mostly in California: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Connecticut (9%).
Does The Curley Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on The Curley Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "College Tuition and Expenses" (19 grants).
How large is The Curley Foundation?
The Curley Foundation reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $219K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $67K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
How do I apply for a grant from The Curley Foundation?
The foundation states that it disseminates application forms to San Diego-area high schools and colleges for use in making grant applications. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Curley Foundation's EIN?
The Curley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0640939. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 17, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
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