The Errett Fisher Foundation
The Errett Fisher Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Barbara, California. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving $976,806 in grants to 12 organizations, with grants supporting charitable organizations in North Carolina, California, and Washington, DC.
Key facts about The Errett Fisher Foundation
In short: The Errett Fisher Foundation gave $977K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $81K), mostly in North Carolina. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 77-6154082
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $976,806
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- Average grant
- $81,401
- Median grant
- $62,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (5 of 12, 2025)
- Total assets
- $6,841,365
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (53% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$6.8M
-4.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$977K
-3.3% YoY
Grant Count
12
-14.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$81K
+12.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Errett Fisher Foundation reported a distributable amount of $499K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Errett Fisher Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 12 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $130K; repeat grants $47K. How we count
Medians: $150K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 196% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included general support, educational support, community support, and support for the LA Wildfire Relief Fund. The grant purposes and recipient descriptions show support for organizations working in areas including food and health assistance, education, immigrant organizational capacity, and housing assistance.
The Shalom Project, which received $200,000, describes its mission as providing food and health assistance to needy individuals in its local community. Greenest, which received $10,000, says it helps families in crisis transition into sustainable housing by providing access to affordable home furnishings. The NC Congress of Latino Organizations, which received $30,000, says it develops immigrant organizations’ capacity and helps their leaders access opportunities and participate in addressing social problems. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 12 grants totaling $976,806. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $200,000, with a median of $62,500.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 53% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 32% to recipients in California, and 15% to recipients in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $159K (2023) to $1.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $977K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Shalom Project ($200K). Together the top 10 received $947K.
Grant Size Distribution
44 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 19 grants of 44 (43%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Shalom Project Winston-Salem, NC | General Support | $200,000 |
| American Red Cross Washington, DC | General Support | $150,000 |
| California Community Foundation Los Angeles, CA | La Wildfire Relief Fund | $150,000 |
| Ucsb Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Educational Support | $112,500 |
| Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine Winston-Salem, NC | General Support | $99,306 |
| City with Dwellings Community First Initiative Winston-Salem, NC | Community Support | $75,000 |
| Cal Poly City and Regional Planning Dept San Luis Obispo, CA | General Support | $50,000 |
| IFB Solutions Aka Industries for the Blind Winston-Salem, NC | General Support | $50,000 |
| NC Congress of Latino Organizations Durham, NC | General Support | $30,000 |
| Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | Educational Support - Discovery Award | $30,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant total | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,841,365 | $763,567 | $1,104,499 | $976,806 | 12 |
| 2024 | $7,182,297 | $742,455 | $1,160,276 | $1,010,000 | 14 |
| 2023 | $7,600,118 | $633,454 | $269,327 | $159,262 | 4 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $6,841,365 | $7,182,297 | $7,600,118 |
| Revenue | $763,567 | $742,455 | $633,454 |
| Expenses | $1,104,499 | $1,160,276 | $269,327 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $976,806 | $1,010,000 | $159,262 |
| Net Investment Income | $663,971 | $617,860 | $537,370 |
| Distributable Amount | $498,681 | $517,100 | $486,600 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gregory L Errett as president and CEO; Carmen Errett Caruth, Andrew Errett, Mark Brown, Travis Graves, and Alexandra Stewart as directors; Nicholas J Schneider as secretary; and Jeff Harris as CFO.
The Errett Fisher Foundation is led by Gregory L. Errett, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 6 of 8 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gregory L. Errett
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
$510 (2025)
Andrew Errett
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
$263 (2025)
Carmen Errett Caruth
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
$510 (2025)
Travis Graves
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
$225 (2025)
Alexandra Stewart
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
$263 (2025)
Mark Brown
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nicholas J. Schneider
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
$12K (2025)
Jeff Harris
CFO
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $12K, to Nicholas J Schneider (Secretary). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 3905 State Street 7-358, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Phone: (805) 963-0669
Frequently asked questions about The Errett Fisher Foundation
How much does The Errett Fisher Foundation give each year?
The Errett Fisher Foundation gave $977K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.0M across 14 grants.
What is The Errett Fisher Foundation's typical grant size?
The Errett Fisher Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $62,500, and its average grant was $81,401, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Errett Fisher Foundation that year got $130K on average.
Where does The Errett Fisher Foundation give grants?
The Errett Fisher Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (32%) and District of Columbia (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Winston-Salem, NC (7 grants).
Does The Errett Fisher Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 58% of The Errett Fisher Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Errett Fisher Foundation's largest grantees?
The Errett Fisher Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Shalom Project ($200,000), American Red Cross ($150,000) and California Community Foundation ($150,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Errett Fisher Foundation?
The Errett Fisher Foundation reported $6.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $977K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $499K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Errett Fisher Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included general support, educational support, community support, and support for the LA Wildfire Relief Fund. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Errett Fisher Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Errett Fisher Foundation's EIN?
The Errett Fisher Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-6154082. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Errett Fisher Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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