The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim
The Excelsior German Center is a public charity based in Oakland, California, formed in 1948. It supports cultural and educational activities and provides financial assistance to low-income seniors for housing and related needs. Its 2024 filing reports 10 grants totaling $141,863.
The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim at a glance
In short: The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim gave $142K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $14K), mostly in California. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $141,863
- +244.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +233.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $14,186
- +3.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $11,000
- Total assets
- $9,614,603
- +9.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (3 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim
- How to Apply
-
No application process or policy on unsolicited requests is stated in the available information.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1699 Excelsior Avenue, Oakland, CA 94602
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was German Amer School Assoc-GASA ($38K). Together the top 10 received $142K.
Grant Size Distribution
25 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 25 grants of 25 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 10 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $11K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $35K (2022) to $142K (2024). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $142K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| German Amer School Assoc-GASA San Jose, CA | — | $37,500 |
| Playground-The MitzvahProject Berkeley, CA | — | $20,000 |
| Berlin and Beyond Film Festiv San Francisco, CA | — | $18,000 |
| Bay Area Kinderstube Albany, CA | — | $12,862 |
| Meals on Wheels of Alameda Oakland, CA | — | $11,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of Contra Cos Martinez, CA | — | $11,000 |
| SOS Meals on Wheels San Leandro, CA | — | $11,000 |
| AATG Northern California Oakland, CA | — | $8,600 |
| Deutscher Musikverein of SF Walnut Creek, CA | — | $6,000 |
| East Bay German Inter School Emeryville, CA | — | $5,901 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,614,603 | $710,455 | $457,223 | $141,863 | 10 | $299,008 |
| 2023 | $8,819,092 | $533,083 | $222,056 | $41,150 | 3 | $181,080 |
| 2022 | $7,979,784 | $489,047 | $272,375 | $35,050 | 3 | $131,735 |
| 2021 | $9,752,651 | $565,551 | $221,790 | $58,636 | 5 | $263,128 |
| 2020 | $8,784,918 | $508,335 | $202,288 | $60,600 | 4 | $207,519 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states that its mission includes providing financial assistance to low-income seniors for housing and related needs; hosting German festivals and promoting cultural exchange; housing cultural and community organizations; and supporting museum, library, language-school, public-school educational, and student-exchange activities.
Its 2024 grants included support for German-language education, cultural organizations, and meal services. Bay Area Kinderstube, which received $12,862, describes its mission as providing a full-immersion German-language program for children aged 2.5 to 17.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Center reported 10 grants totaling $141,863. Grant amounts ranged from $5,901 to $37,500, with a median of $11,000. The largest awards were $37,500 to German Amer School Assoc-GASA in San Jose, $20,000 to Playground-The MitzvahProject in Berkeley, and $18,000 to Berlin and Beyond Film Festiv in San Francisco. Other recipients included Bay Area Kinderstube ($12,862), Meals on Wheels of Alameda ($11,000), Meals on Wheels of Contra Cos ($11,000), SOS Meals on Wheels ($11,000), AATG Northern California ($8,600), Deutscher Musikverein of SF ($6,000), and East Bay German Inter School ($5,901).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Petra Specht as president, Petra Kuebler as vice president, Karl Pfeiffer as treasurer, and Hannelore Avalos as secretary. Directors listed are Thomas Kronemeyer, Michael Willis, Marlene Feuerstraeter, Hilde Lorentz, and Anthony Schaller.
The filing also states that Birgit Steensen is a part-time administrative assistant and is the daughter of Baerbel Steensen, a board director, and niece of Hannelore Avalos, the board secretary. It states that Steensen is paid an amount equal to that of an unrelated employee and that Baerbel Steensen and Hannelore Avalos are sisters.
The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim is led by Petra Specht, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 9 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Petra Specht
President
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anthony Schaller
Director
Vice President → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hilde Lorentz
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marlene Feuerstraeter
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Willis
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Kronemeyer
Director
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hannelore Avalos
Secretary
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Petra Kuebler
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karl Pfeiffer
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2022
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Otti Kiraly (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Baerbel Steensen (2020–2021) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim
How much does The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim give each year?
The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim gave $142K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $41K across 3 grants.
What is The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim's typical grant size?
The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim's median grant in 2024 was $11,000, and its average grant was $14,186, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim that year got $10K on average.
Where does The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim give grants?
The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Oakland, CA (2 grants).
Who are The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim's largest grantees?
The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim's largest 2024 grantees include German Amer School Assoc-GASA ($37,500), Playground-The MitzvahProject ($20,000) and Berlin and Beyond Film Festiv ($18,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim?
The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim reported $9.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $710K.
What does The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim fund?
The organization states that its mission includes providing financial assistance to low-income seniors for housing and related needs; hosting German festivals and promoting cultural exchange; housing cultural and community organizations; and supporting museum, library, language-school, public-school educational, and student-exchange activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim?
No application process or policy on unsolicited requests is stated in the available information. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim's EIN?
The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-1156463. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 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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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-excelsior-german-center-at-the-altenheim-morg_71552d03b03d48e5aa51ab89a128294f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_941156463_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-excelsior-german-center-at-the-altenheim-morg_71552d03b03d48e5aa51ab89a128294f},
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 Excelsior German Center at the Altenheim'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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