The Guardsmen
The Guardsmen is a San Francisco, California-based public charity that supports at-risk Bay Area youth through camperships, scholarships, and other youth programs. Formed in 1947, it describes its work as mobilizing members, families, friends, and professional colleagues to raise funds for young people and strengthen the community.
The Guardsmen at a glance
In short: The Guardsmen gave $989K across 36 grants in 2025 (avg $27K), mostly in California. 47% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $988,890
- +96.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- +100.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $27,469
- -2.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $17,300
- Total assets
- $13,867,045
- +31.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (17 of 36, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Guardsmen
- Contact
Mailing address: 550 Montgomery Street 700, San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 856-0939
Website: https://guardsmen.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Guardsmen
Who The Guardsmen funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boys & Girls Clubs of San SF ($254K). Together the top 10 received $618K.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 90 grants of 100 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Guardsmen’s campership and scholarship programs serve the nine-county Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties. In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 1% to recipients in Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Guardsmen open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 36 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $33K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $17K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $210K (2020) to $989K (2025). In 2025 it made 36 grants totaling $989K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys & Girls Clubs of San SF San Francisco, CA | Assistance for Underprivileged | $254,430 |
| Catholic Charities CYO Occidental, CA | Assistance for Underprivileged | $76,230 |
| Sacred Heart Cathedral Prepar San Francisco, CA | Assistance for Underprivileged | $44,000 |
| Archbishop Riordan High Schoo San Francisco, CA | Assistance for Underprivileged | $41,800 |
| Girl Scouts of Northern CA Alameda, CA | Assistance for Underprivileged | $40,000 |
| Mission Dolores Academy San Francisco, CA | Assistance for Underprivileged | $37,400 |
| De Marillac Academy San Francisco, CA | Assistance for Underprivileged | $35,200 |
| Salesian High School Richmond, CA | Assistance for Underprivileged | $30,800 |
| Golden Gate Area Boy Scouts San Leandro, CA | Assistance for Underprivileged | $30,000 |
| St Peters School San Francisco, CA | Assistance for Underprivileged | $28,600 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13,867,045 | $3,577,997 | $2,354,428 | $988,890 | 36 | $177,417 |
| 2024 | $10,581,347 | $1,943,551 | $1,927,454 | $504,498 | 18 | $264,466 |
| 2023 | $9,454,929 | $2,610,974 | $2,501,885 | $491,250 | 22 | $480,446 |
| 2022 | $9,097,771 | $2,914,494 | $2,444,750 | $342,180 | 12 | $301,385 |
| 2021 | $9,391,317 | $2,416,792 | $1,650,813 | $261,280 | 12 | $217,472 |
| 2020 | $7,328,496 | $2,057,825 | $1,543,441 | $210,200 | 18 | $75,208 |
| 2019 | $6,552,171 | $2,038,554 | $2,098,800 | $655,939 | 42 | $-25,455 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Guardsmen’s stated mission is to make a life-changing difference in the lives of at-risk youth by raising funds for scholarships, camperships, and other youth programs.
Its campership program supports outdoor and experiential education for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. The organization says it partners with more than 25 Bay Area outdoor programs, including Boys & Girls Clubs, Catholic Charities CYO, Salvation Army, and Seven Tepees Youth Programs. Its scholarship program provides tuition assistance to eligible students attending partner private schools in the nine-county Bay Area.
Examples of organizations receiving grants in 2025 include the Giants Community Fund, which says it uses baseball and softball to promote youth health, education, and character development, and Big City Mountaineers, which says it connects youth from disinvested communities with nature to build life skills and community. The Guardsmen also made grants to schools and youth-serving organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, Catholic Charities CYO, and Girl Scouts of Northern California.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, The Guardsmen reported 36 grants totaling $988,890. Grants ranged from $5,050 to $254,430, with a median grant of $17,300. The largest awards included $254,430 to Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, $76,230 to Catholic Charities CYO, $44,000 to Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, and $41,800 to Archbishop Riordan High School. The filing lists “Assistance for Underprivileged” as the purpose for these largest grants.
The Guardsmen’s campership program provides funding through partnerships with outdoor programs. Its scholarship program provides tuition assistance directly to students rather than grants for outside applicants. The scholarship information states that students may enter in grades K–9, must meet financial eligibility guidelines, maintain a minimum 2.7 GPA, and attend a partner school in the nine-county Bay Area. The scholarship program listing gives a maximum award of $2,000 annually; the organization’s scholarship webpage states a maximum of $2,200.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Matthew Keipper as President; Thayer V. Mullins as 1st Vice President; Matthew Monfredini as Vice President; and Jose Neko Vela as Vice President/Secretary. Directors listed are TJ Michaelson, Daniel Wall, Joseph G. Moore Jr., Michael Darby, Jason Martial, and Greg Vlahos.
The Guardsmen is led by Matthew Keipper, President since 2025 (on filings since 2023); none of the 14 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Matthew Keipper
President
Director → President, 2025
On filings since 2023
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg Vlahos
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Martial
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John M Welsh
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Darby
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Wall
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph G Moore Jr.
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Girlich
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
TJ Michaelson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jose Neko Vela
Vice President & Secretary
Director → Vice President & Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thayer V Mullins
1st Vice President
Director → 1st Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2023
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Monfredini
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Hill
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Miller
Assistant Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (31)
- Former: Walter T Medling (2020–2024) — 1st Vice President
- Former: Jack S Herr (2022–2024) — President
- Former: John A Rauschkolb III (2022–2024) — Vice President & Secretary
- Former: Benson Wang (2023–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Brian Cope (2023–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Tim Szarnicki (2023–2024) — Outgoing Director
- Former: Jeffrey Hill (2024) — Assistant Treasurer
- Former: Robert W. Hogan (2019–2023) — 1st Vice President
- Former: Jason J. Nossiter (2021–2023) — Vice President & Secretary
- Former: Michael J. Salcido (2021–2023) — President
- Former: Terence McDonnell (2021–2023) — Vice President
- Former: Gregory Barrett (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Michael Hodgkinson (2022–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Brady T. Stern (2020–2022) — President
- Former: Dustin Calkins (2020–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Ed Meier Jr. (2020–2022) — 1st Vice President
- Former: Matthew G. Wagner (2020–2022) — Vice President & Secretary
- Former: Thomas J. Michaelson (2021–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Adam McMichael (2019–2021) — Vice President & Secretary
- Former: Charles C. Thor (2019–2021) — 1st Vice President
- Former: Stephen L. Englert Jr. (2019–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Thomas A. McKinley (2019–2021) — President
- Former: James K. Holder (2019–2020) — Vice President & Secretary
- Former: Jeff S. McFarland (2019–2020) — Vice President
- Former: Joseph R. Elefante (2019–2020) — President
- Former: Michael B. Hall (2019–2020) — 1st Vice President
- Former: Chris S. Reid (2019) — 1st Vice President
- Former: Daniel Figueredo (2019) — Treasurer
- Former: Derick E. Brown (2019) — Vice President
- Former: Douglas J. Lambert (2019) — Vice President & Secretary
- Former: Greg D. Varni (2019) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Guardsmen
How much does The Guardsmen give each year?
The Guardsmen gave $989K across 36 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $504K across 18 grants.
What is The Guardsmen's typical grant size?
The Guardsmen's median grant in 2025 was $17,300, and its average grant was $27,469, across 36 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Guardsmen that year got $21K on average.
Where does The Guardsmen give grants?
The Guardsmen gives mostly in California: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (15 grants), Oakland, CA (4 grants), Alameda, CA (2 grants) and Novato, CA (2 grants).
Does The Guardsmen give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 36 grants with a stated purpose on The Guardsmen's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Assistance for Underprivileged" (36 grants).
Who are The Guardsmen's largest grantees?
The Guardsmen's largest 2025 grantees include Boys & Girls Clubs of San SF ($254,430), Catholic Charities CYO ($76,230) and Sacred Heart Cathedral Prepar ($44,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Guardsmen?
The Guardsmen reported $13.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.6M.
What does The Guardsmen fund?
The Guardsmen’s stated mission is to make a life-changing difference in the lives of at-risk youth by raising funds for scholarships, camperships, and other youth programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Guardsmen?
The Guardsmen has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check guardsmen.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Guardsmen's EIN?
The Guardsmen's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-1196194. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 17, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Guardsmen's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Guardsmen funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-guardsmen-morg_d186c303582143ae9cf76916b4c397bb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_941196194_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Guardsmen funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-guardsmen-morg_d186c303582143ae9cf76916b4c397bb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Guardsmen'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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