The Kustel Fund
The Kustel Fund is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports 37 grants totaling $1,153,000 to charitable organizations, with the largest share of grant dollars going to recipients in California.
The Kustel Fund at a glance
In short: The Kustel Fund gave $1.2M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in California. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,153,000
- -5.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- +2.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,162
- -7.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $17,013,059
- +1.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (3 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (81% 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 Kustel Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing states that the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1333 Broadway 12Th Floor, New York, NY 10018
Phone: (212) 944-6660
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Kustel Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Stinson Beach Volunteer Fire Assn ($333K). Together the top 10 received $893K.
Grant Size Distribution
194 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 155 grants of 194 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California recipients received 81% of grant dollars. New York recipients received 6%, New Jersey 4%, Virginia 3%, and the District of Columbia 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Kustel Fund open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 37 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $33K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 117% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $970K (2020) to $1.2M (2024). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stinson Beach Volunteer Fire Assn Stinson Beach, CA | For the Use of the Donee Organization | $333,000 |
| Canal Alliance of Marin County San Rafael, CA | For the Use of the Donee Organization | $125,000 |
| Glide Foundation San Francisco, CA | For the Use of the Donee Organization | $125,000 |
| Homeward Bound of Marin San Rafael, CA | For the Use of the Donee Organization | $50,000 |
| House of Blue Hope Bayonne, NJ | For the Use of the Donee Organization | $50,000 |
| San Francisco-Marin Food Bank San Francisco, CA | For the Use of the Donee Organization | $50,000 |
| The Kitchen New York, NY | For the Use of the Donee Organization | $50,000 |
| Seeds of Learning Sonoma, CA | For the Use of the Donee Organization | $40,000 |
| Jewish Family and Childrens Service of Marin San Fransisco, CA | For the Use of the Donee Organization | $35,000 |
| Project Open Hand San Francisco, CA | For the Use of the Donee Organization | $35,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Kustel Fund?
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 | $17,013,059 | $1,574,973 | $1,291,871 | $1,153,000 | 37 | $1,153,000 | $1,482,267 | $986,996 |
| 2024 | $16,711,590 | $1,787,337 | $1,374,183 | $1,218,000 | 36 | $1,218,000 | $1,730,646 | $949,851 |
| 2023 | $16,298,436 | $1,370,203 | $1,094,836 | $990,000 | 39 | $990,000 | $1,259,613 | $880,967 |
| 2022 | $16,023,069 | $192,588 | $1,181,524 | $1,055,000 | 41 | $1,055,000 | $133,676 | $919,144 |
| 2021 | $16,989,109 | $1,271,008 | $1,276,220 | $1,090,000 | 41 | $1,090,000 | $1,491,263 | $1,026,482 |
| 2020 | $16,937,449 | $16,654,993 | $1,091,129 | $970,000 | 40 | — | $1,692,896 | $826,900 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kustel Fund reported a distributable amount of $987K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the fund itself. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in areas such as homelessness services, food assistance, education, and community inclusion. For example, Homeward Bound of Marin describes its work as providing shelter, housing, and supportive services for people overcoming homelessness in Marin County. Project Open Hand says it provides nutritious meals to improve health outcomes and quality of life for sick and vulnerable people. Seeds of Learning describes its work as promoting quality learning in developing communities of the Americas.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund reported 37 grants totaling $1,153,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $333,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest awards included $333,000 to Stinson Beach Volunteer Fire Assn; $125,000 each to Canal Alliance of Marin County and Glide Foundation; and $50,000 each to Homeward Bound of Marin, House of Blue Hope, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, and The Kitchen.
Other reported grants included $40,000 to Seeds of Learning, $35,000 each to Jewish Family and Childrens Service of Marin and Project Open Hand, and $20,000 each to Alameda Food Bank and the American India Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Karen Kustel and Robert Kustel as co-trustees.
The Kustel Fund's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karen Kustel
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Kustel
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Kustel Fund
How much does The Kustel Fund give each year?
The Kustel Fund gave $1.2M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 36 grants.
What is The Kustel Fund's typical grant size?
The Kustel Fund's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $31,162, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Kustel Fund that year got $7K on average.
Where does The Kustel Fund give grants?
The Kustel Fund gives mostly in California: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (4 grants), San Rafael, CA (4 grants), Sausalito, CA (4 grants) and Alexandria, VA (3 grants).
Does The Kustel Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on The Kustel Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "For the Use of the Donee Organization" (37 grants).
Who are The Kustel Fund's largest grantees?
The Kustel Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Stinson Beach Volunteer Fire Assn ($333,000), Canal Alliance of Marin County ($125,000) and Glide Foundation ($125,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Kustel Fund?
The Kustel Fund reported $17.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $987K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Kustel Fund fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the fund itself. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in areas such as homelessness services, food assistance, education, and community inclusion. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Kustel Fund?
The 2025 filing states that 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 Kustel Fund's EIN?
The Kustel Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-3330698. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Kustel Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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 August 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Kustel Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Kustel Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-kustel-fund-morg_36f4fc769a0e4134b402d204974ff45b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_833330698_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Kustel Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-kustel-fund-morg_36f4fc769a0e4134b402d204974ff45b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Kustel Fund'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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