The Foothills Foundation
The Foothills Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its 2024 filing reports 28 grants totaling $1,833,333.
The Foothills Foundation at a glance
In short: The Foothills Foundation gave $1.8M across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $65K), top state California. 46% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,833,333
- -1.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $65,476
- -1.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $9,963,440
- -8.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (11 of 24, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (34% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Foothills Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 193809, San Francisco, CA 94119-3809
Phone: (415) 284-8672
Website: https://thefoothillsfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Foothills Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cannon School Inc ($400K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($15,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 113 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant-dollar distribution was 34% to California, 28% to North Carolina, 18% to North Dakota, 11% to Washington, D.C., and 4% to Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Foothills Foundation open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 24 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $41K; repeat grants $106K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $45K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 361% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $1.2M (2020) to $1.9M (2023). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cannon School Inc Concord, NC | To Support a Flourishing Future Campaign. | $400,000 |
| Delta Waterfowl Foundation Bismarck, ND | In support of million duck campaign - intensive management, habitat and hunting policy. | $333,333 |
| Congressional Sportsmens Foundation Washington, DC | To support csf's efforts to work with congress, governors and state legislatures to protect & advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting & trapping. | $200,000 |
| Kids Outdoor Sports Camp Vacaville, CA | For General Operating Support | $150,000 |
| University of the Pacific Stockton, CA | To Support the Veteran Housing Project. | $100,000 |
| Mzuri Wildlife Club Foundation Greenbrae, CA | To support the mission to promote wildlife conservation and shooting sports education. | $75,000 |
| Put on the Brakes Inc Concord, NC | To start a scholarship program for underprivileged children to attend their teen driving school. | $50,000 |
| Ducks Unlimited Inc Memphis, TN | To Support the Blackhawk Ducks Unlimited Event. | $50,000 |
| Wing & Barrel Foundation Sonoma, CA | For General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| United States Sportsmens Alliance Foundation Columbus, OH | To protect and defend America?s sportsmen and women, while educating the next generation of outdoors enthusiasts. | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Foothills Foundation?
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 | $9,963,440 | $1,007,431 | $1,909,229 | $1,833,333 | 28 | $1,895,226 | $1,007,431 | $525,461 |
| 2023 | $10,862,104 | $2,331,632 | $1,922,790 | $1,867,678 | 28 | $1,918,180 | $331,632 | $577,093 |
| 2022 | $10,453,783 | $3,232,026 | $1,820,658 | $1,762,833 | 20 | $1,803,518 | $1,232,011 | $484,803 |
| 2021 | $9,046,290 | $2,992,220 | $1,535,094 | $1,503,335 | 18 | $1,520,990 | $991,903 | $467,669 |
| 2020 | $7,584,768 | $1,454,815 | $1,209,690 | $1,188,000 | 19 | — | $454,715 | $380,066 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Foothills Foundation reported a distributable amount of $525K for 2024 — 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 website states that the Foothills Foundation’s mission is to build a stronger South Jefferson County community by supporting local cultural, educational, and recreational programs and activities, and by creating opportunities for community partnerships and volunteerism.
The 2024 grants include support for varied organizations. Cannon School describes its mission as providing a quality K–12 education in a safe, diverse, and challenging environment. Delta Waterfowl Foundation says its mission is to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowl hunting. Kids Outdoor Sports Camp describes its work as developing future outdoor and conservation leaders in California. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $1,833,333. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $400,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest reported awards included $400,000 to Cannon School for its Flourishing Future Campaign; $333,333 to Delta Waterfowl Foundation for its Million Duck Campaign; and $200,000 to Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation for work with government officials and legislatures on hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping.
Other notable grants were $150,000 to Kids Outdoor Sports Camp for general operating support; $100,000 to University of the Pacific for its Veteran Housing Project; $75,000 to Mzuri Wildlife Club Foundation for wildlife conservation and shooting sports education; and $50,000 each to Put On The Brakes, Ducks Unlimited, and Wing & Barrel Foundation. The stated purposes included starting a scholarship program for children to attend teen driving school, supporting the Blackhawk Ducks Unlimited event, and general operating support, respectively.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gary H. Bechtel as president and director; George T. Argyris as secretary and director; Erin Wilms as treasurer, assistant secretary, and director, and also as secretary and director; and Sarah V. Copeland as treasurer, assistant secretary, and director.
The Foothills Foundation is led by Gary H. Bechtel, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Gary H. Bechtel
President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Erin Wilms
Treasurer, Assistant Secretary, Director, Secretary & Director
Treasurer, Assistant Secretary & Director → Treasurer, Assistant Secretary, Director, Secretary & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
George T. Argyris
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sarah V. Copeland
Treasurer, Assistant Secretary & Director
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
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 Foothills Foundation
How much does The Foothills Foundation give each year?
The Foothills Foundation gave $1.8M across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.9M across 28 grants.
What is The Foothills Foundation's typical grant size?
The Foothills Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $65,476, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Foothills Foundation that year got $41K on average.
Where does The Foothills Foundation give grants?
The Foothills Foundation's top state is California, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were North Carolina (28%) and North Dakota (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Concord, NC (2 grants), Memphis, TN (2 grants), Marquette, MI (2 grants) and Costa Mesa, CA (2 grants).
Does The Foothills Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 29% of The Foothills Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Foothills Foundation's largest grantees?
The Foothills Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cannon School Inc ($400,000), Delta Waterfowl Foundation ($333,333) and Congressional Sportsmens Foundation ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($15,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Foothills Foundation?
The Foothills Foundation reported $10.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $525K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Foothills Foundation fund?
The website states that the Foothills Foundation’s mission is to build a stronger South Jefferson County community by supporting local cultural, educational, and recreational programs and activities, and by creating opportunities for community partnerships and volunteerism. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Foothills Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it 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 Foothills Foundation's EIN?
The Foothills Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2412392. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Foothills 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
(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 Foothills Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-foothills-foundation-morg_0b99e8b671524b5ea4cbd015b05e5783
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_942412392_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Foothills Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-foothills-foundation-morg_0b99e8b671524b5ea4cbd015b05e5783},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Foothills 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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