The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation
The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. Its 2025 filing reports 22 grants totaling $2,695,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations in California and other states.
The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation at a glance
In short: The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation gave $2.7M across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $123K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,695,000
- +130.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- +22.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $122,500
- +88.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $23,934,428
- +1.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (68% 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 Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 11835 W Olympic Blvd 650E, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone: (310) 481-5000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Well Family Marian Place ($900K). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 16 grants of 41 (39%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 68% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 11% to New York, 10% to the District of Columbia, 4% to West Virginia, and 4% to Virginia. The listed grants also included a $75,000 award to Bennington College in Vermont.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation gives
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 53800% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 231% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $5K (2022) to $2.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Well Family Marian Place Los Angeles, CA | To Further Organization's Charitable Purpose. | $900,000 |
| ACLU of so CA Los Angeles, CA | To Further Organization's Charitable Purpose. | $250,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Fed of America New York, NY | To Further Organization's Charitable Purpose. | $250,000 |
| Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, CA | To Further Organization's Charitable Purpose. | $250,000 |
| National Public Radio Inc Washington, DC | To Further Organization's Charitable Purpose. | $250,000 |
| Esperanza Community Housing Los Angeles, CA | To Further Organization's Charitable Purpose. | $100,000 |
| Mother Jones Foundation Van, WV | To Further Organization's Charitable Purpose. | $100,000 |
| PBS Foundation Arlington, VA | To Further Organization's Charitable Purpose. | $100,000 |
| Bennington College Bennington, VT | To Further Organization's Charitable Purpose. | $75,000 |
| 826 LA Los Angeles, CA | To further organization's charitbale purpose.to further organization's charitable purpose. | $50,000 |
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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 | $23,934,428 | $1,996,321 | $2,996,766 | $2,695,000 | 22 | $2,695,000 | $1,253,791 | $1,166,136 |
| 2024 | $23,568,998 | $11,057,175 | $1,368,817 | $1,167,500 | 18 | $1,167,500 | $80,495 | $1,144,065 |
| 2023 | $13,588,230 | $13,500,122 | $7,312 | — | — | — | $122 | $32,358 |
| 2022 | $95,420 | $100,000 | $5,575 | $5,000 | 1 | $5,000 | — | $4,517 |
| 2021 | $995 | $1,000 | $5 | — | — | — | — | $4 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M 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 public media organizations, community and social-service organizations, an educational institution, and organizations whose grantee-stated missions concern climate resilience, reproductive health, civil liberties, and immigrant rights. These grant recipients’ missions describe the grantees, not the foundation.
For example, NPR describes its mission as collaborating with member public radio stations to create a more informed public through noncommercial programming meeting high standards of journalism and cultural expression. PBS Foundation says it seeks philanthropic support for public broadcasting and to promote and enhance public broadcasting programs and services. Esperanza Community Housing describes its work as comprehensive community development in South Central Los Angeles, including developing and preserving affordable housing.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $2,695,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $900,000, with a median grant of $50,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $900,000 to Well Family Marian Place; $250,000 each to ACLU of So CA, Planned Parenthood Fed of America, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, and National Public Radio Inc; and $100,000 each to Esperanza Community Housing, Mother Jones Foundation, and PBS Foundation. Other reported grants included $75,000 to Bennington College and $50,000 each to 826 LA, Climate Resolve, and National Resources Defense Council. Venice Family Clinic received $50,000, while Family Rescue Center and Project Open Hand each received $30,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Deborah Groening as CEO and director, Paul Rother as secretary and director, and Abraham Groening as director.
The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation is led by Deborah Groening, CEO & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Deborah Groening
CEO & Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Abraham Groening
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Rother
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation
How much does The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation give each year?
The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation gave $2.7M across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 18 grants.
What is The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation's typical grant size?
The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $122,500, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation give grants?
The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation gives mostly in California: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (11%) and District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (8 grants), New York, NY (2 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Who are The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation's largest grantees?
The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Well Family Marian Place ($900,000), ACLU of so CA ($250,000) and Planned Parenthood Fed of America ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation?
The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation reported $23.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation's EIN?
The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3147290. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Live grants for the work The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-deborah-groening-rother-foundation-morg_97088b39f3764868b88786360f5cb444
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_873147290_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-deborah-groening-rother-foundation-morg_97088b39f3764868b88786360f5cb444},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-15. 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 Deborah Groening-Rother Foundation'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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