The Fremont Group Foundation
The Fremont Group Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations supporting children and youth, education, health, and community services.
The Fremont Group Foundation at a glance
In short: The Fremont Group Foundation gave $727K across 35 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), mostly in Virginia. 40% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $727,164
- +3.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 35
- -30.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,776
- +47.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $24,557,006
- +28.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (14 of 35, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (56% 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 Fremont Group Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 193809, San Francisco, CA 94119-3809
Phone: (415) 284-8650
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Fremont Group Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Blackbaud Giving Fund ($381K). Together the top 10 received $596K.
Grant Size Distribution
225 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 218 grants of 225 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 56% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia and 40% to recipients in California. The remaining shares went to New Jersey (2%), New York (1%), and the District of Columbia (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Fremont Group Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 35 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 51% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−7%). Method
- In 2024 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 (2020–2024). 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 $706K (2023) to $857K (2022). In 2024 it made 35 grants totaling $727K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Blackbaud Giving Fund Alexandria, VA | To provide support to local charities for programs and organizations for children in need, particularly education, training, skills development, and character-building opportunities for low-income children. | $380,764 |
| Trips for Kids Marin San Rafael, CA | To support the organization's mission of providing transformative cycling experiences to underserved youth. | $32,500 |
| Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health Palo Alto, CA | To support the organization's mission to raise funds for child and maternal health at lucile packard children's hospital and to shape and support programs that make health care more accessible for children with complex medical needs. | $30,000 |
| William and Mary Foundation Williamsburg, VA | To support the organization's mission of providing for its people and programs by offering vital resources for scholarships, professorships, research and program funding. | $30,000 |
| Fertile Groundworks Livermore, CA | To encourage, empower, and teach individuals and communities to grow healthy, nutritious food organically and sustainably. | $27,500 |
| First Graduate San Francisco, CA | To support the organization's mission to help students become the first in their families to graduate from college ready to pursue careers that are meaningful to them. | $22,500 |
| Lily's Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary Petaluma, CA | To provide a safe and loving home for large breed senior dogs who have been displaced from their homes and/or abandoned for any reason until they are adopted or to remail at the sanctuary until they pass on. | $20,000 |
| Redwood Day School Oakland, CA | To support the organization's mission to keep every child engaged and growing. | $20,000 |
| San Francisco CASA San Francisco, CA | To support the organization's mission to transform the lives of children and youth traumatized and displaced in the foster care and related systems by providing one consistent, caring volunteer advocate, trained to address each child's needs in the court and community. | $17,500 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | To support the organization's mission to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Fremont Group 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 | $24,557,006 | $6,346,335 | $861,294 | $727,164 | 35 | $842,580 | $1,346,335 | $873,242 |
| 2023 | $19,051,965 | $369,264 | $826,255 | $705,899 | 50 | $819,451 | $357,628 | $822,901 |
| 2022 | $19,508,956 | $672,189 | $984,332 | $856,735 | 50 | $965,251 | $662,314 | $750,432 |
| 2021 | $19,855,334 | $11,462,542 | $1,050,218 | $781,440 | 46 | $861,527 | $11,432,817 | $845,763 |
| 2020 | $9,408,775 | $1,228,758 | $819,964 | $716,027 | 44 | — | $1,212,544 | $702,734 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Fremont Group Foundation reported a distributable amount of $873K 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 available information does not state a separate mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Trips for Kids Marin says it provides transformative cycling experiences for underserved youth; First Graduate says it helps students become the first in their families to graduate from college and pursue meaningful careers; and San Francisco CASA says it supports children and youth affected by foster care through volunteer advocates. Other grantees include organizations providing early care and education, supporting children’s health, and teaching communities to grow food organically and sustainably.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 35 grants totaling $727,164. Grants ranged from $250 to $380,764, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest reported grant was $380,764 to The Blackbaud Giving Fund to support local charities serving children in need, particularly through education, training, skills development, and character-building opportunities for low-income children. Other notable grants included $32,500 to Trips for Kids Marin, $30,000 each to Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health and William and Mary Foundation, and $27,500 to Fertile GroundWorks. Additional grants included $22,500 to First Graduate, $20,000 each to Lily’s Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary and Redwood Day School, and $17,500 to San Francisco CASA.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David R Covin and Charles Lesem as presidents and directors; Margaret Lip as director and secretary; Wen Zhang as director and assistant secretary; Stephen A Ramsay as director and treasurer; Wendy Aitken, Angela Ko, Michael Dachs, and Berit Ashla as directors; and Adam Whitaker as assistant secretary.
The Fremont Group Foundation is led by Charles Lesem, President & Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 11 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Charles Lesem
President & Director
V-P & Director → President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
David R. Covin
President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Margaret Lip
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Stephen A. Ramsay
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Wendy Aitken
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Angela Ko
Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Berit Ashla
Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Michael Dachs
Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Wen Zhang
Director & Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Mariam Martirosyan
V-P & Director
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Adam Whitaker
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Louise Husin (2020–2022) — 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 Fremont Group Foundation
How much does The Fremont Group Foundation give each year?
The Fremont Group Foundation gave $727K across 35 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $706K across 50 grants.
What is The Fremont Group Foundation's typical grant size?
The Fremont Group Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $20,776, across 35 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Fremont Group Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Fremont Group Foundation give grants?
The Fremont Group Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (40%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (8 grants), San Rafael, CA (2 grants), Kentfield, CA (2 grants) and Oakland, CA (2 grants).
Does The Fremont Group Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 35 grants with a stated purpose on The Fremont Group Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Fremont Group Foundation's largest grantees?
The Fremont Group Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Blackbaud Giving Fund ($380,764), Trips for Kids Marin ($32,500) and Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Fremont Group Foundation?
The Fremont Group Foundation reported $24.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $843K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $873K (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 Fremont Group Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a separate mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Fremont Group Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Fremont Group Foundation's EIN?
The Fremont Group Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-3255428. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Fremont Group 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
Live grants for the work The Fremont Group Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Fremont Group Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Fremont Group Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-fremont-group-foundation-morg_56df4a20cdf747ecbe3074b469a7e88d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_333255428_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Fremont Group Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-fremont-group-foundation-morg_56df4a20cdf747ecbe3074b469a7e88d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Fremont Group 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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