The Grassini Family
The Grassini Family is a private foundation based in Santa Barbara, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including education, health and human services, and religious education, with recipients in California, New York, and Washington, D.C.
The Grassini Family at a glance
In short: The Grassini Family gave $592K across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $28K), mostly in California. 48% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $592,476
- +8.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- +31.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $28,213
- -17.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,100
- Total assets
- $1,588,910
- -6.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (10 of 21, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (65% 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 Grassini Family
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1283 Coast Village Circle Suite A, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Phone: (818) 348-1717
Website: https://grassinifamilyvineyards.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Grassini Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Ganna Walska Lotusland ($150K). Together the top 10 received $587K.
Grant Size Distribution
91 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 91 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 65% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 18% to New York, and 17% to Washington, D.C. The filing also reports a 0% share for Rhode Island.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Grassini Family open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 21 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $33K. How we count
Medians: $450 first-time, $5K repeat.
- 43% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 99% 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 $373K (2022) to $665K (2021). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $592K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ganna Walska Lotusland Santa Barbara, CA | Health & Human Services | $150,000 |
| Louisville High School Woodland Hills, CA | Education | $126,050 |
| Chaminade High School Mineola, NY | Education | $105,550 |
| The Catholic University of America Washington, DC | Religious Education | $100,492 |
| Unity Shoppe Santa Barbara, CA | Education | $70,000 |
| Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Gargen Buellton, CA | Health & Human Services | $10,000 |
| Raechel & Jackie Foundation Santa Cruz, CA | Health & Human Services | $10,000 |
| Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Health & Human Services | $7,500 |
| Santa Ynez Pride Solvang, CA | Health & Human Services | $5,000 |
| St Bonaventure University St Bonaventure, NY | Education | $2,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,588,910 | $708,793 | $815,574 | $592,476 | 21 | $599,923 | $266,931 | $604,706 |
| 2023 | $1,695,691 | $676,304 | $708,709 | $545,296 | 16 | $545,946 | $12,472 | $542,803 |
| 2022 | $1,728,096 | $438,184 | $512,533 | $372,912 | 24 | $375,149 | $435,946 | $533,971 |
| 2021 | $1,802,445 | $843,193 | $789,017 | $665,117 | 11 | $666,519 | $179,429 | $546,446 |
| 2020 | $1,748,269 | $828,433 | $545,982 | $458,124 | 19 | — | $61,201 | $409,199 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Grassini Family reported a distributable amount of $605K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for education, health and human services, and religious education. The range of recipients also included organizations focused on botanical gardens and plant conservation, community services, and youth soccer. For example, Ganna Walska Lotusland describes its mission as preserving and enhancing its botanical gardens and estate, and educating and inspiring visitors through its collections, sustainable horticulture practices, and plant conservation. Unity Shoppe says it provides residents facing temporary poverty, natural disaster, or health crises with essentials and job training to reinforce dignity and encourage independence. St. Bonaventure University describes itself as a Catholic university committed to educational excellence in the Franciscan tradition.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $592,476. Individual grants ranged from $25 to $150,000, with a median of $1,100. Its largest grants were $150,000 to Ganna Walska Lotusland for health and human services; $126,050 to Louisville High School for education; $105,550 to Chaminade High School for education; $100,492 to The Catholic University of America for religious education; and $70,000 to Unity Shoppe for education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lawrence P. Grassini as president and Kathleen S. Grassini as vice president. Directors listed are Kathleen M. Grassini, Corrine Grassini, Amanda Grassini, and Molly Grassini.
The Grassini Family is led by Lawrence P. Grassini, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lawrence P. Grassini
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amanda Grassini
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Corrine Grassini
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kathleen M. Grassini
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Molly Grassini
Director
On filings since 2020
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 Grassini Family
How much does The Grassini Family give each year?
The Grassini Family gave $592K across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $545K across 16 grants.
What is The Grassini Family's typical grant size?
The Grassini Family's median grant in 2024 was $1,100, and its average grant was $28,213, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Grassini Family that year got $23K on average.
Where does The Grassini Family give grants?
The Grassini Family gives mostly in California: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (18%) and District of Columbia (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (8 grants) and Woodland Hills, CA (2 grants).
Does The Grassini Family give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on The Grassini Family's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Health & Human Services" (15 grants) and "Education" (5 grants).
Who are The Grassini Family's largest grantees?
The Grassini Family's largest 2024 grantees include Ganna Walska Lotusland ($150,000), Louisville High School ($126,050) and Chaminade High School ($105,550), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Grassini Family?
The Grassini Family reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $600K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $605K (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 Grassini Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for education, health and human services, and religious education. The range of recipients also included organizations focused on botanical gardens and plant conservation, community services, and youth soccer. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Grassini Family?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Grassini Family's EIN?
The Grassini Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8028365. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Grassini Family 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 Grassini Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-grassini-family-morg_5952478d90e04531a2499f45175b5b47
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208028365_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Grassini Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-grassini-family-morg_5952478d90e04531a2499f45175b5b47},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Grassini Family'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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