The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation
The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation is a private foundation, based in Burlingame, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $2.2M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 8 grants totaling $1.3M. Net investment income was $85.
The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation at a glance
In short: The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation gave $1.3M across 8 grants in 2025 (avg $159K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,269,000
- +2438.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 8
- +700.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $158,625
- +217.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $2,150,914
- -11.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Uc Law San Francisco ($1.2M across 3 grants). Together the top 6 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
11 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 5 grants of 11 (45%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 8 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation gives
- Giving grew 1169% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $15K (2020) to $1.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 8 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Uc Law San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Dean's Priorities Fund. | $1,000,000 |
| Uc Law San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Dean's Priorities Fund. | $100,000 |
| Uc Law San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Center for Constitutional Democracy. | $100,000 |
| The Mavericks Community Foundation El Granada, CA | To Support Local Organization. | $25,000 |
| California Science Center Los Angeles, CA | To Support Local Organization. | $25,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of the Coastside Half Moon Bay, CA | To Support Local Organization. | $10,000 |
| Cabrillo Education Foundation Half Moon Bay, CA | To Support Local Organization. | $5,000 |
| Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee Half Moon Bay, CA | To Support Local Organization. | $4,000 |
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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 | $2,150,914 | $1,000,085 | $1,276,940 | $1,269,000 | 8 | $1,269,000 | $85 | $82,687 |
| 2024 | $2,427,769 | $2,450,001 | $50,561 | $50,000 | 1 | $50,000 | $1 | $6,305 |
| 2023 | $28,329 | $821 | $100,087 | $100,000 | 1 | $100,000 | $821 | $6,101 |
| 2022 | $127,595 | $100,883 | $100,602 | $100,000 | 1 | $100,000 | $883 | $7,486 |
| 2021 | $127,314 | $100,124 | $524 | — | — | — | $124 | $6,072 |
| 2020 | $27,714 | $22 | $15,010 | $15,000 | 1 | — | $22 | $1,642 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation reported a distributable amount of $83K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation is led by Joseph W. Cotchett, CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joseph W. Cotchett
CEO
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Camilla Cotchett
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Frank Pitre
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michael Ellingson
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Nanci Nishmura
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Karin Yee-Fajardo
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Phyllis Lee (2020–2024) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Joseph W Cotchett Foundation
How much does The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation give each year?
The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation gave $1.3M across 8 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $50K across 1 grant.
What is The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation's typical grant size?
The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $158,625, across 8 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation give grants?
The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (3 grants) and Half Moon Bay, CA (3 grants).
Does The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 8 grants with a stated purpose on The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support Local Organization." (5 grants).
Who are The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation's largest grantees?
The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Uc Law San Francisco ($1,200,000 across 3 grants), The Mavericks Community Foundation ($25,000) and California Science Center ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 99% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation?
The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $83K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What is The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation's EIN?
The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3195062. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-joseph-w-cotchett-foundation-morg_97a781a8bf354fa3a51f68af2385952c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943195062_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Joseph W Cotchett Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-joseph-w-cotchett-foundation-morg_97a781a8bf354fa3a51f68af2385952c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Joseph W Cotchett 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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