The Horn Foundation

SANTA MONICA, CA EIN: 95-4247470 Website

The Horn Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Monica, California, established in 1990. It operates as a sheltered foundation with a focus on identifying and supporting change makers committed to addressing environmental and social challenges. The foundation provides a platform for philanthropists and visionaries to support projects with meaningful impact on both people and the planet.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$57.0M

+10.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$3.2M

+6.3% YoY

Grant Count

+7.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$52K

-0.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Horn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission Statement: The Horn Foundation's mission is to identify, engage, and empower change makers committed to creating and promoting a better world by providing a platform for visionaries to tackle social and environmental challenges. Through its programs and initiatives, the foundation strives to provide resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to these change makers.

Primary Focus Areas:

Environmental issues and conservation
Social issues and community development
Educational initiatives with environmental and social impact
Youth development and personal development opportunities
Field projects addressing planetary and humanitarian concerns

The foundation aims to raise awareness of current environmental and social issues and implements field projects to create tangible impact. It fosters a community of like-minded individuals and organizations to amplify the collective impact of their work.

Grantmaking

Typical awards range from $500 to $2,000,000.

Grant Range

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grant-making activities are primarily concentrated in:

California
District of Columbia
New York

Grant Distribution by State

New York $7.6M (43%)

California $3.3M (19%)

District of Columbia $3.0M (17%)

Massachusetts $1.9M (11%)

North Carolina $710K (4%)

Illinois $588K (3%)

Washington $201K (1%)

Montana $163K (1%)

+9 more states

States

California Connecticut District of Columbia Georgia Idaho Illinois Massachusetts Maryland Minnesota Montana North Carolina Nebraska New York Tennessee Texas Utah Washington

Cities

ArtesiaAtlantaAuroraBaileyBataviaBel AirBerkeleyBerkleyBeverly HillsBigforkBostonBurbankChesterChicagoColumbia FallsCosta MesaCulver CityDallasDurhamElon

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets: $57,029,461 (as of 2024)

Total Giving: $3,170,000 (2024)

Revenue: $827,000 (2023)

Expenses: $3,290,000 (2023)

Total Assets: $51,600,000 (2023)

Total Liabilities: $1,990,000 (2023)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$57,029,461	$51,576,251	$50,449,629
Revenue	$3,516,718	$826,610	$4,460,118
Expenses	$2,763,362	$3,294,699	$2,781,163
Qualifying Distributions	$3,202,123	$3,030,263	$5,008,133
Net Investment Income	$3,134,647	$1,080,690	$2,879,859
Distributable Amount	$2,641,459	$2,454,668	$2,800,612

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Sundance Institute ($550,000), Harvard Business School ($355,000), Duke University ($315,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AFI LOS ANGELES, CA	GENERAL	$100,000
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION DALLAS, TX	GENERAL	$10,000
ALLIANCE FOR THE WILD ROCKIES HELENA, MT	GENERAL	$13,750
ARCHER SCHOOL FOR GIRLS LOS ANGELES, CA	GENERAL	$75,000
AUTRY NATIONAL MUSEUM LOS ANGELES, CA	GENERAL	$35,000
BAILEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH BAILEY, NC	GENERAL	$1,000
CHILDREN'S INSTITUTE LOS ANGELES, CA	GENERAL	$15,000
CHLA LOS ANGELES, CA	GENERAL	$7,500
CAPTAIN PLANET FOUNDATION ATLANTA, GA	GENERAL	$50,000
DUKE MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH DURHAM, NC	GENERAL	$50,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ALAN F HORN	VICE PRESIDENT	3	—
CINDY HORN	PRESIDENT	3	—
PAMELA WENN	TREASURER	5	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Horn Foundation fund?

**Mission Statement:** The Horn Foundation's mission is to identify, engage, and empower change makers committed to creating and promoting a better world by providing a platform for visionaries to tackle social and environmental challenges. Through its programs and initiatives, the foundation strives to provide resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to these change makers. **Primary Focus Areas:** • Environmental issues and conservation • Social issues and community development • E…

How do I apply for a grant from The Horn Foundation?

**Grant Sizes:** Typical awards range from $500 to $2,000,000. **Annual Giving:** The foundation distributed $3,170,000 in grants based on its most recent IRS Form 990 filing (2024).

Where does The Horn Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grant-making activities are primarily concentrated in: • California • District of Columbia • New York

What size grants does The Horn Foundation award?

In 2024, The Horn Foundation awarded 61 grants totaling $3.2M — an average of about $52K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Horn Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Horn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.