The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund
The L A Fire Department Scholarship Fund is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California, that provides merit-based scholarships to eligible children of Los Angeles Fire Department sworn employees. The fund was established in 2007 by The Jean Perkins Foundation.
Key facts about The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund
In short: The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund gave $185K across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-5474305
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $184,500
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- Average grant
- $8,786
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $1,082,507
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The 2024 filing says applications, including qualifications and merit materials, are submitted in writing online through the fund’s website. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists March 31 for the current year.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.1M
+13.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$185K
+8.5% YoY
Grant Count
21
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
+8.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund reported a distributable amount of $52K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 386% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund’s website describes its scholarship program as supporting individuals connected to first responders. It awards merit scholarships based primarily on academic achievement, while also considering personal character and extracurricular accomplishments. Financial need and eligibility for other scholarships are not considered.
The website describes Merit Scholar awards of up to $40,000, paid at $10,000 per year while the student remains enrolled and makes normal progress toward a college degree. Runners-up receive one-time grants.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the fund reported 21 grants totaling $184,500. The grants went to individual recipients in California; the median grant was $7,500, with awards ranging from $7,500 to $12,000. The largest reported award was $12,000 for a runner-up award and community service award. Other listed awards included $10,000 scholarship-winner grants and $7,500 awards to scholarship winners from earlier years.
The fund’s website says applicants are reviewed and ranked by a selection committee made up of civilian members of the fund’s board. Applicants selected for interviews who do not receive Merit Scholar awards may be designated runners-up. The Los Angeles Fire Department has no role in selecting Merit Scholars.
Review Cycle
The 2024 filing lists March 31 for the current year. The fund’s website stated that the 2026 application opened January 1, 2026; both dates refer to a past cycle as of October 2, 2026.
How to Apply
The 2024 filing says applications, including qualifications and merit materials, are submitted in writing online through the fund’s website. The filing also says awards are not available to family members of the scholarship selection committee, directors, officers, substantial donors, or disqualified persons under IRC 4946(a).
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in California. The fund’s website describes eligibility in relation to LAFD sworn employees.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $148K (2020) to $185K (2024). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $185K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
112 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 112 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 21 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $184,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,082,507 | $342,855 | $217,001 | $184,500 | 21 |
| 2023 | $956,653 | $369,271 | $198,429 | $170,000 | 21 |
| 2022 | $785,811 | $420,252 | $193,129 | $162,500 | 23 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,082,507 | $956,653 | $785,811 |
| Revenue | $342,855 | $369,271 | $420,252 |
| Expenses | $217,001 | $198,429 | $193,129 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $200,388 | $183,478 | $177,704 |
| Net Investment Income | $37,342 | $104,519 | $60,162 |
| Distributable Amount | $51,970 | $46,854 | $41,684 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Richard Barrett as president and director; John Anglin as secretary and director; Molly Taylor as treasurer and director; and Jim Ford, James K Langan, Brian Sullivan, Andrew McDonald, Jim Vincent, and John Bowlin as directors.
The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund is led by Richard Barrett, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 9 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Richard Barrett
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew McDonald
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Sullivan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James K. Langan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Ford
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Anglin
Secretary & Director
Secretary → Secretary & Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Molly Taylor
Treasurer & Director
Treasurer Present → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Treasurer & Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Bowlin
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Vincent
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: James Vincent (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Robert Nicholas (2020–2021) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Application contact: June Andrade
Mailing address: 1700 Stadium Way Room 101, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 435-6095
Email: june.andrade@lacity.org
Frequently asked questions about The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund
How much does The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund give each year?
The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund gave $185K across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $170K across 21 grants.
What is The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund's typical grant size?
The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $8,786, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund give grants?
The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "2023 Scholarship Winner" (5 grants), "2022 Scholarship Winner" (4 grants) and "2024 Scholarship Winner" (4 grants).
How large is The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund?
The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $200K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $52K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund fund?
The fund’s website describes its scholarship program as supporting individuals connected to first responders. It awards merit scholarships based primarily on academic achievement, while also considering personal character and extracurricular accomplishments. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund?
The 2024 filing says applications, including qualifications and merit materials, are submitted in writing online through the fund’s website. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund's EIN?
The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5474305. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Here's the math on researching The L a Fire Department Scholarship Fund by hand.
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