The John Martin Foundation
The John Martin Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its grantmaking includes support for health and research projects, including work related to hepatitis elimination, maternal and child care, cancer immunotherapy, and access to care.
The John Martin Foundation at a glance
In short: The John Martin Foundation gave $13.2M across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $824K), top state Maryland. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $13,179,040
- -5.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $823,690
- +6.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $250,000
- Total assets
- $29,681,940
- -26.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (42% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The John Martin Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1660 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: (415) 561-6540
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The John Martin Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Institute of Human Virology University of Maryland School of Medicine ($5.5M). Together the top 10 received $12.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 23 grants of 71 (32%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in San Francisco. Its 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states, with the largest reported shares going to Maryland (42%), New York (21%), and California (11%). The filing also reports 8% for Georgia and 11% for an unspecified state category.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The John Martin Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $200K; repeat grants $1.2M. How we count
Medians: $200K first-time, $1M repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 64% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 741% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $2.9M (2021) to $13.9M (2024). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $13.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Institute of Human Virology University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD | Endowments in honor of john c. Martin at institute of human virology: a.ihv chair professorship $5 million; b. Ihv annual lectureship $500,000 | $5,500,000 |
| Myriad USA Inc New York, NY | American Friends of Caprisa | $1,500,000 |
| Aranda Org Inc New York, NY | Extending the aranda model and enhancing stewardship and surveillance service to new countries | $1,250,000 |
| Center for Disease Analysis Foundation Inc Lafayette, CO | Polaris Observatory to Support Hepatitis Elimination | $1,000,000 |
| Pharmaccess Foundation | Improve quality of maternal and childcare through m-tiba care bundles | $1,000,000 |
| The Scripps Research Institute La Jolla, CA | Clinical proof-of-concept of an affordable, oral cancer immunotherapy (ox-4224) in india for low- and middle-income countries | $1,000,000 |
| Integral Global Consulting Atlanta, GA | Linkage to care and health education in underserved communities of islamabad, pakistan | $394,478 |
| The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University Palo Alto, CA | Support for Asian Liver Center 2024-2027 | $250,000 |
| The Scripps Research Institute La Jolla, CA | Amended: Endowed Graduate Fellowships | $250,000 |
| Task Force for Global Health Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination Decatur, GA | Un Group of Friends to Eliminate Hepatitis 2025-2027 | $238,563 |
Ready to take the next step with The John Martin Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation’s EIN is 30-0948144.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29,681,940 | $2,114,252 | $10,986,631 | $13,179,040 | 16 | $13,690,593 | $1,917,583 | $1,847,584 |
| 2024 | $40,466,518 | $1,693,041 | $20,322,374 | $13,904,678 | 18 | $14,361,737 | $1,735,843 | $2,280,292 |
| 2023 | $52,447,292 | $1,612,525 | $9,588,532 | $11,216,120 | 17 | $11,641,912 | $2,453,169 | $2,773,206 |
| 2022 | $60,530,854 | $27,060,703 | $13,566,392 | $8,014,926 | 14 | $8,470,939 | $953,422 | $3,049,894 |
| 2021 | $43,630,322 | $696,702 | $2,497,563 | $2,889,055 | 6 | $3,252,144 | $666,294 | $2,231,046 |
| 2020 | $45,924,293 | $8,095,358 | $2,143,155 | $4,568,726 | 15 | — | $8,048,717 | $1,935,652 |
| 2019 | $43,280,868 | $5,205,429 | $8,320,523 | $3,091,103 | 8 | — | $14,454,291 | $1,757,493 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The John Martin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M 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 an Institute of Human Virology professorship and lecture series, hepatitis elimination efforts, maternal and child care, cancer immunotherapy research, and health education and linkage to care.
The grantees’ stated missions offer context for the kinds of organizations it has supported. Myriad USA says it facilitates thoughtful, effective giving across borders. The Scripps Research Institute says it conducts basic biomedical research, translates discoveries into useful products, and provides graduate and postgraduate scientific education and training.
Grantmaking
The foundation awarded 16 grants totaling $13,179,040 in 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $50,880 to $5,500,000, with a median of $250,000.
The largest 2025 grant was $5,500,000 to the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine for an endowed chair professorship and annual lectureship honoring John C. Martin. Other notable grants included $1,500,000 to Myriad USA for American Friends of CAPRISA; $1,250,000 to Aranda Org for extending its model and stewardship and surveillance service to new countries; and $1,000,000 each to the Center for Disease Analysis Foundation for its Polaris Observatory and PharmAccess Foundation for maternal and child care through M-TIBA care bundles. The Scripps Research Institute received $1,000,000 for an oral cancer immunotherapy proof-of-concept project in India and $250,000 for endowed graduate fellowships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lillian Lou as president and director, Taiyin Yang as secretary and treasurer, and Clifford Samuel as director.
The John Martin Foundation is led by Lillian Lou, President & Director since 2021 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lillian Lou
President & Director
Secretary & Treasurer → President & Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$240K (2019) → $300K (2025)
Clifford Samuel
Director
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Taiyin Yang
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Robert Martin (2020–2023) — Secretary & Treasurer
- Former: Thomas Martin (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: John C. Martin (2019–2021) — President & Director · Filing note: Thru 33021
- Former: Carolyn Marino (2019) — Director
- Former: Thomas V. Marino (2019) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $300K, to Lillian Lou (President & Director).
Frequently asked questions about The John Martin Foundation
How much does The John Martin Foundation give each year?
The John Martin Foundation gave $13.2M across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $13.9M across 18 grants.
What is The John Martin Foundation's typical grant size?
The John Martin Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $250,000, and its average grant was $823,690, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The John Martin Foundation that year got $200K on average.
Where does The John Martin Foundation give grants?
The John Martin Foundation's top state is Maryland, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (21%) and California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants), La Jolla, CA (2 grants), Atlanta, GA (2 grants) and Decatur, GA (2 grants).
Does The John Martin Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on The John Martin Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The John Martin Foundation's largest grantees?
The John Martin Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Institute of Human Virology University of Maryland School of Medicine ($5,500,000), Myriad USA Inc ($1,500,000) and Aranda Org Inc ($1,250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The John Martin Foundation?
The John Martin Foundation reported $29.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $13.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The John Martin Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for an Institute of Human Virology professorship and lecture series, hepatitis elimination efforts, maternal and child care, cancer immunotherapy research, and health education and linkage to care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The John Martin Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The John Martin Foundation's EIN?
The John Martin Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-0948144. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The John Martin Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The John Martin Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Norn Group
San Francisco, CA
Norn Group funds ambitious, high-risk research in longevity science and aging biology, including work on age-related disease and potential therapies; its Impetus Grants offer up to $500,000 per project. Its 2025 filing lists a single grant of $243,000 to a recipient in California, but this does not establish its overall geographic scope. The profile describes an application process but does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$3.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$243K
Gates Philanthropy Partners
Seattle, WA
The mission of Gates Philanthropy Partners is to work in partnership with the gates foundation and philanthropists to promote global development, global health, and U.S. education through grantmaking and the direct conduct of charitable activities.
Assets
$85.5M
Grants
3
Total Given
$1.9M
The Diller-Von Furstenberg Family Foundation
New York, NY
The foundation supports education, human services, arts, research, and human rights, and runs the DVF Awards, which provide resources and exposure to people advancing women’s efforts worldwide. In 2024, grants ranged from $2,000 to $2 million, with a median of $77,500, and went mainly to organizations in Washington, DC, California, Washington state, and New York. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$113.2M
Grants
50
Total Given
$8.5M
The Patrick J McGovern Foundation Inc
Boston, MA
The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation funds social-impact work using AI and data science, including digital health, climate, digital access, and nonprofit technology. Its 2024 grants ranged from $150 to $1.5 million, with a median of $395,000; recipients were located across the U.S. and internationally, with no stated geographic restriction. It does not accept unsolicited funding requests and supports preselected organizations through an invitation-only process.
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
165
Total Given
$66.2M
The Esther a & Joseph Klingenstein Fund Inc
New York, NY
The fund supports neuroscience research, early literacy, early childhood policy and advocacy, and nonprofit reporting, with 2025 grants ranging from $830 to $600,000 and a median of $150,000; its neuroscience fellowship offers up to $450,000 over three years. It gives nationally, with the largest shares of 2025 grant dollars going to New York, Washington, D.C., California, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. The fund gives only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$348.1M
Grants
99
Total Given
$16.9M
The Schooner Foundation
Boston, MA
The Schooner Foundation funds human rights and social justice, global health equity, education and economic empowerment, and environmental work in the U.S. and internationally. Its 2024 grants ranged from $1,000 to $2 million, with a median of $90,000. It accepts proposals by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$253.7M
Grants
129
Total Given
$19.4M
More similar funders
More Funders in California
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The John Martin Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-martin-foundation-morg_5069d123cbe84cdd9ac98afd2d6cb60b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_300948144_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The John Martin Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-martin-foundation-morg_5069d123cbe84cdd9ac98afd2d6cb60b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 John Martin 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.
The John Martin Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?