The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation
THE DEBRA CARROLL AND DONALD DUFORD is a private foundation based in La Jolla, California. Its 2025 filing reports $85,000 in grants to 17 organizations, with grant purposes including education, humanitarian support, and general support.
The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation gave $85K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in California. 47% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $85,000
- -0.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +21.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,000
- -17.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,500
- Total assets
- $1,461,014
- -0.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (8 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1436 Muirlands Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone: (860) 674-1236
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership ($20K). Together the top 10 received $80K.
Grant Size Distribution
60 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 60 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 3% to recipients in Michigan; the reported share for New York was 0%. The listed 2025 recipients include organizations in California, Michigan, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 17 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $700 first-time, $8K repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $80K (2021) to $85K (2024). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $85K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership San Diego, CA | Education | $20,000 |
| Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center National City, CA | Education | $9,000 |
| PROMISES2KIDS San Diego, CA | Humanitarian | $8,000 |
| Salk Institute HPI La Jolla, CA | Education | $8,000 |
| The San Diego Community Center San Diego, CA | General | $8,000 |
| Standley School PTA San Diego, CA | Education | $6,000 |
| Friends of SDSCPA San Diego, CA | General | $6,000 |
| Curie School PTA San Diego, CA | Education | $5,500 |
| Roosevelt School PTA Santa Monica, CA | Education | $5,500 |
| Un Mar De Colores Encinitas, CA | General | $4,000 |
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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 | $1,461,014 | $119,455 | $103,597 | $85,000 | 17 | $85,000 | $107,232 | $88,358 |
| 2024 | $1,461,749 | $230,535 | $100,172 | $85,075 | 14 | $85,075 | $218,135 | $84,002 |
| 2023 | $1,460,620 | $126,145 | $98,591 | $85,000 | 11 | $85,000 | $114,404 | $78,874 |
| 2022 | $1,448,669 | $-14,871 | $99,746 | $85,000 | 8 | $85,000 | $35,041 | $83,880 |
| 2021 | $1,564,697 | $178,961 | $93,418 | $80,000 | 10 | $80,000 | $178,961 | $91,000 |
| 2020 | $1,480,974 | $11,926 | $99,751 | $85,000 | 12 | — | $32,342 | $79,981 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $88K 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
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose work spans education, youth services, and other community needs. For example, Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership describes its mission as helping children in southeastern San Diego neighborhoods enter kindergarten prepared and complete third grade reading proficiently. Un Mar de Colores says it provides free surf therapy, environmental education, and long-term mentorship for underserved youth. Humble Design says it furnishes homes for individuals, families, and veterans emerging from homelessness.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $85,000. Grants ranged from $150 to $20,000, with a median grant of $5,500.
The largest reported grants included $20,000 to Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership for education; $9,000 to Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center for education; $8,000 each to Promises2Kids for humanitarian support, Salk Institute HPI for education, and The San Diego Community Center for general support; and $6,000 each to Standley School PTA for education and Friends of SDSCPA for general support. Other listed grants included $5,500 to Curie School PTA and $5,500 to Roosevelt School PTA, both for education; $4,000 to Un Mar de Colores for general support; $2,500 to Humble Design for general support; and $1,000 to NPR for arts.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Debra Duford as director/president, Donald Duford as director/treasurer, Adam Duford as director, and Vanessa Walkowiak as executive director.
The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation is led by Debra Duford, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Debra Duford
Director & President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vanessa Walkowiak
Executive Director
Director & Secretary → Executive Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adam Duford
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Donald Duford
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation
How much does The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation give each year?
The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation gave $85K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $85K across 14 grants.
What is The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,500, and its average grant was $5,000, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation give grants?
The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (10 grants).
Does The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 41% of The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education" (6 grants).
Who are The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership ($20,000), Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center ($9,000) and PROMISES2KIDS ($8,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation?
The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $85K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $88K (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 Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose work spans education, youth services, and other community needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation's EIN?
The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4103078. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 18, 2026)
Live grants for the work The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-debra-carroll-and-donald-duford-family-foundation-morg_cd05dbb13938455b8179e71ebe8cf463
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464103078_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-debra-carroll-and-donald-duford-family-foundation-morg_cd05dbb13938455b8179e71ebe8cf463},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Debra Carroll and Donald Duford Family 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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