The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable
The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation is a private foundation established in 1986 and based in San Francisco, California. The foundation was created by Henri and Tomoye Takahashi, along with Tomoye's sister Martha Masako Suzuki—all three of whom were incarcerated in the Topaz, Utah concentration camp during World War II solely because of their Japanese ancestry. After the war, the family returned to San Francisco and built the Takahashi Trading Company, which imported finely crafted home goods from Japan and operated retail stores throughout the Bay Area and New York City, as well as a wholesale business serving stores and museum shops nationwide.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$48.3M
-3.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.4M
+9.6% YoY
Grant Count
2
-93.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2.2M
+1598.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable reported a distributable amount of $2.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation is dedicated to supporting the Japanese American community and fostering friendly relations between the United States and Japan through cultural and educational projects.
The foundation's core focus areas include:
- Cultural Preservation: Preserving and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Japanese American community, with emphasis on the arts and education
- Japanese American History: Encouraging the telling of Japanese American history as told by Japanese Americans themselves, helping expand understanding of the Japanese American experience by enabling survivors and descendants of World War II incarceration to speak for themselves
- Broad Accessibility: Reaching as wide an audience as possible and giving preference to projects with meaningful long-term impact
The foundation uses dividends and interest income generated by publicly traded securities, as well as proceeds from sales of such securities, to support the promotion of Japanese American heritage and culture.
Grantmaking
The foundation is actively engaged in grantmaking and accepts applications. In 2023, the foundation made 31 grants with a total giving amount of approximately $4 million.
Grant Range
$38,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports organizations across multiple states, with particular focus on:
- California
- New York
- Washington
- Florida
- Georgia
- Maryland
- Washington, D.C.
The foundation's funding reaches major urban centers including Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, as well as smaller cities such as Newton and Novato.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $50,005,834
- Total Revenue: $1,347,744
- Total Expenses: $4,141,775
- Number of Employees: 0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $48,280,688 | $50,005,834 | $52,799,865 |
| Revenue | $2,813,905 | $1,347,744 | $476,109 |
| Expenses | $4,539,051 | $4,141,775 | $3,315,559 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,388,681 | $4,004,831 | $3,207,913 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,728,977 | $1,357,112 | $620,099 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,364,848 | $2,516,221 | $2,665,025 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include SF State University Foundation ($4,200,000), Jcccnc ($188,681).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| JCCCNC San Francisco, CA | FOR TAX EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THIS ORGANIZATION | $188,681 |
| SF State University Foundation San Francisco, CA | FOR TAX EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THIS ORGANIZATION | $4,200,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Masako Takahashi: President (serves without compensation)
- Jacqueline Moy: Secretary (compensation: $5,495)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masako Takahashi | President | 8 | — |
| Jacqueline Moy | Secretary/CFO | 1 | $805 |
| Emiko Omori | Secretary/CFO | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In May 2024, the Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation made a landmark $4.2 million gift to San Francisco State University to establish the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Distinguished Endowed Chair in Nikkei Studies. This represents the first endowed chair in the University's College of Ethnic Studies and the first in the Asian American Studies department—the oldest and largest in the country. The new distinguished chair, which joined the SF State faculty in 2025, focuses on increasing awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the historical and contemporary experiences of Japanese Americans and the worldwide Nikkei diaspora.
SF State establishes Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Distinguished Endowed ChairIn 2010, Tomoye Takahashi and Martha Suzuki were awarded Japan's highest award, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, in recognition of their contribution toward strengthening U.S.-Japan relations and their work in the community. Henri Takahashi passed away in 2002.
SF State establishes Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Distinguished Endowed ChairFrequently Asked Questions
What does The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable fund?
The foundation is dedicated to supporting the Japanese American community and fostering friendly relations between the United States and Japan through cultural and educational projects. The foundation's core focus areas include: • **Cultural Preservation**: Preserving and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Japanese American community, with emphasis on the arts and education • **Japanese American History**: Encouraging the telling of Japanese American history as told by Japanese Ameri…
How do I apply for a grant from The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable?
The foundation is actively engaged in grantmaking and accepts applications. In 2023, the foundation made 31 grants with a total giving amount of approximately $4 million. **Grant Characteristics:** • Median grant size: $38,000 • Grant range: $10,000 to $2,000,000 • Annual giving rate: Approximately 8% of assets **Recent Major Grants:** • $4.2 million gift to San Francisco State University to establish the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Distinguished Endowed Chair in Nikkei Studies (2024) • $225,000…
Where does The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable make grants?
The foundation supports organizations across multiple states, with particular focus on: • California • New York • Washington • Florida • Georgia • Maryland • Washington, D.C. The foundation's funding reaches major urban centers including Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, as well as smaller cities such as Newton and Novato.
What size grants does The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable award?
In 2024, The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable awarded 2 grants totaling $4.4M — an average of about $2.2M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable reported a distributable amount of $2.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable's EIN?
The Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2977890. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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