The David Chow Humanitarian Award
The David Chow Humanitarian Award is a private foundation based in Irvine, California. It recognizes and rewards dedicated individuals for humanitarian work and unselfish service to others.
The David Chow Humanitarian Award at a glance
In short: The David Chow Humanitarian Award gave $243K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $22K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $243,000
- -14.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +22.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $22,091
- -29.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $5,646,790
- -5.2% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (89% 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 David Chow Humanitarian Award
- How to Apply
-
A nomination form and three endorsement forms are required. The nomination should describe the nominee’s humanitarian service. The website asks for three endorsers who are not related to the nominee; its endorsement instructions specify separate professionals in the nominee’s community who are not related to the nominee or nominator and have direct knowledge of the nominee’s service. The filing states there are no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- September 15 each year. The 2025 cycle is past.
- Deadline
- September 15 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Daniel C Hales
Mailing address: 2372 Morse Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614
Phone: (949) 852-8181
Website: https://www.davidchowfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The David Chow Humanitarian Award funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 3 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Human Progress Foundation ($130K). Together the top 3 received $180K.
Organizations only. It also paid 8 grants to individuals ($63,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 45 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 10% to Tennessee, and less than 1% to Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
How The David Chow Humanitarian Award gives
- Giving grew 452% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 90% 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 $30K (2020) to $283K (2023). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $243K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Human Progress Foundation Irvine, CA | Passthrough Grant to Other Public Charities | $130,000 |
| American Red Cross Los Angeles, CA | Public Charities | $25,000 |
| St Jude's Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | Public Charities | $25,000 |
| 8 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $63,000 |
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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 | $5,646,790 | $413,968 | $769,588 | $243,000 | 11 | $418,128 | $89,345 | $465,003 |
| 2023 | $5,953,574 | $217,069 | $900,158 | $282,500 | 9 | $487,970 | — | $423,145 |
| 2022 | $6,048,067 | $474,548 | $624,335 | $41,000 | 12 | $250,507 | $133,207 | $401,594 |
| 2021 | $6,242,833 | $295,725 | $572,257 | $44,000 | 5 | $238,200 | — | $419,293 |
| 2020 | $6,333,129 | $194,373 | $747,504 | $30,000 | 8 | — | — | $431,998 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The David Chow Humanitarian Award reported a distributable amount of $465K 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 states that it recognizes and rewards dedicated and caring humanitarians found among charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational organizations. Its 2024 grants included humanitarian awards to individual recipients and grants to public charities, including a passthrough grant to another public charity.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $243,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $130,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest grants were $130,000 to The Human Progress Foundation for a passthrough grant to other public charities, $25,000 to the American Red Cross, and $25,000 to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The foundation also reported seven grants to individual recipients, totaling $62,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Daniel C. Hales, Curtis F. Wong, David Freeman, and Rudy Hill as trustees.
The David Chow Humanitarian Award's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; all 4 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Curtis F. Wong
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Daniel C. Hales Esq.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $53K (2024)
David Freeman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Rudy Hill
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Harry Wong (2020–2023) — Trustee
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 $53K, to Daniel C Hales ESQ (Trustee). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The David Chow Humanitarian Award
How much does The David Chow Humanitarian Award give each year?
The David Chow Humanitarian Award gave $243K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $283K across 9 grants.
What is The David Chow Humanitarian Award's typical grant size?
The David Chow Humanitarian Award's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $22,091, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The David Chow Humanitarian Award give grants?
The David Chow Humanitarian Award gives mostly in California: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (10%).
Does The David Chow Humanitarian Award give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on The David Chow Humanitarian Award's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Humanitarian Award" (8 grants).
Who are The David Chow Humanitarian Award's largest grantees?
The David Chow Humanitarian Award's largest 2024 grantees include The Human Progress Foundation ($130,000), American Red Cross ($25,000) and St Jude's Children's Research Hospital ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 8 grants to individuals ($63,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The David Chow Humanitarian Award?
The David Chow Humanitarian Award reported $5.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $418K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $465K (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 David Chow Humanitarian Award fund?
The foundation states that it recognizes and rewards dedicated and caring humanitarians found among charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The David Chow Humanitarian Award?
A nomination form and three endorsement forms are required. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The David Chow Humanitarian Award's EIN?
The David Chow Humanitarian Award's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-6181586. 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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