The Heck Foundation
The Heck Foundation is a private foundation based in Guerneville, California. Its 2025 filing records grants to nonprofit organizations working in areas that include disability-dog training, education, youth activities, food assistance, arts education, veterans’ services, and family services.
The Heck Foundation at a glance
In short: The Heck Foundation gave $350K across 107 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in California. 5% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $350,000
- +9.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 107
- -7.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,271
- +18.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $4,181,113
- +9.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (5 of 107, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Heck Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact David C. Faris with a written application that includes the applicant’s nonprofit status. The foundation’s filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: David C Faris
Mailing address: 13250 River Rd, Guerneville, CA 95446-9593
Phone: (707) 824-7225
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Heck Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Canine Companions ($100K). Together the top 10 received $197K.
Grant Size Distribution
533 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 527 grants of 533 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in California. The reported shares for Tennessee and Arizona were 1% each, and Pennsylvania was listed at 0%. California recipients included organizations in Guerneville, Santa Rosa, and other locations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 107 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Heck Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 107 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $900; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 95% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $284K (2023) to $350K (2025). In 2025 it made 107 grants totaling $350K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Canine Companions Santa Rosa, CA | Disabilitydog Training | $100,000 |
| Sonoma State Univ Rohnert Park, CA | Winebusinessprogram | $30,000 |
| SRJC Foundation Santa Rosa, CA | Educationprograms | $12,500 |
| Active 20-30 Club Santa Rosa, CA | Youthactivities | $10,000 |
| Children's Museum of Sonoma County Santa Rosa, CA | Youthmuseum | $10,000 |
| Redwood Empire Food Bank Santa Rosa, CA | Foodbank | $10,000 |
| Luther Burbank Memorial Foundation Santa Rosa, CA | Arteducation | $7,000 |
| Nations Finest Santa Rosa, CA | Veteranprograms | $6,000 |
| River to Coast Children's Services Guerneville, CA | Familyservices | $6,000 |
| Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa Santa Rosa, CA | Humanservices | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Heck 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,181,113 | $728,455 | $353,400 | $350,000 | 107 | $350,000 | $726,455 | $340,367 |
| 2024 | $3,806,058 | $331,410 | $321,908 | $318,500 | 115 | $318,500 | $326,410 | $317,323 |
| 2023 | $3,796,556 | $419,711 | $295,551 | $284,100 | 106 | $284,100 | $418,711 | $289,544 |
| 2022 | $3,672,396 | $599,319 | $346,669 | $339,150 | 108 | $339,150 | $599,319 | $330,066 |
| 2021 | $3,419,746 | $382,094 | $300,405 | $300,300 | 97 | — | $382,094 | $315,400 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Heck Foundation reported a distributable amount of $340K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants included support for organizations serving children and families, providing food assistance and health care, supporting veterans, and offering arts and education programs. For example, Redwood Empire Food Bank describes its mission as feeding neighbors in need and leading the community to end hunger; River to Coast Children’s Services says it works to nurture the healthy development of children and families in western Sonoma County. The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County says it inspires children’s curiosity and creativity, while Luther Burbank Memorial Foundation describes its work as enriching, educating, and entertaining North Bay residents through arts and educational programming.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 107 grants totaling $350,000. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $100,000, with a median of $1,000. Among the largest awards were $100,000 to Canine Companions for disability-dog training, $30,000 to Sonoma State University for a wine business program, and $12,500 to SRJC Foundation for education programs. Other awards included $10,000 each to Active 20-30 Club for youth activities, Children’s Museum of Sonoma County for a youth museum, and Redwood Empire Food Bank for food-bank services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gary B. Heck as CEO/Director, David C. Faris as CFO/Director, and Daniel C. Baker as Director.
The Heck Foundation is led by Gary B. Heck, CEO & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gary B. Heck
CEO & Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel C. Baker
Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David C. Faris
CFO & Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Heck Foundation
How much does The Heck Foundation give each year?
The Heck Foundation gave $350K across 107 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $319K across 115 grants.
What is The Heck Foundation's typical grant size?
The Heck Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,271, across 107 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Heck Foundation that year got $900 on average.
Where does The Heck Foundation give grants?
The Heck Foundation gives mostly in California: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Rosa, CA (49 grants), Sebastopol, CA (9 grants), Petaluma, CA (6 grants) and Guerneville, CA (5 grants).
Does The Heck Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 107 grants with a stated purpose on The Heck Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Youthactivities" (8 grants), "Youtheducation" (5 grants) and "Familyservices" (5 grants).
Who are The Heck Foundation's largest grantees?
The Heck Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Canine Companions ($100,000), Sonoma State Univ ($30,000) and SRJC Foundation ($12,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Heck Foundation?
The Heck Foundation reported $4.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $350K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $340K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Heck Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations serving children and families, providing food assistance and health care, supporting veterans, and offering arts and education programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Heck Foundation?
Contact David C. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Heck Foundation's EIN?
The Heck Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5570213. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Heck Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Heck Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-heck-foundation-morg_7feb37c827414437ad15f1ec7c4b5dce
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205570213_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Heck Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-heck-foundation-morg_7feb37c827414437ad15f1ec7c4b5dce},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Heck 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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