The Marisla Foundation
The Marisla Foundation is a private foundation based in Laguna Beach, California. Its grantmaking includes environmental programs and human services; the foundation’s filing says human services grants are limited to Orange County and Los Angeles, while environmental projects may include international work through donor-advised fund partners.
The Marisla Foundation at a glance
In short: The Marisla Foundation gave $46.7M across 194 grants in 2024 (avg $241K), top state California. 7% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $46,678,700
- +27.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 194
- -4.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $240,612
- +32.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $21,082,605
- +2.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (14 of 194, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (44% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Marisla Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Complete the eligibility quiz when an application window is open, then submit the online application by the listed deadline.
- Review Cycle
- January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15.
- Deadline
- January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15.
- Contact
Application contact: Wwwfsrequestscommarisla
Mailing address: 668 North Coast Highway Pmb 1400, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone: (800) 839-5316
Email: premiersupport@foundationsource.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from The Marisla Foundation
Environmental Grant Program - Environmental Health Area
The Marisla Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Environmental Grant Program - Marine Resources Conservation Area
The Marisla Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Marisla Fdn: Human Services Grant
The Marisla Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Marisla Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Orange County Community Foundation ($9.9M). Together the top 10 received $24.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
1,080 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 377 grants of 1,080 (35%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 44% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 19% to Washington, DC, 12% to New York, 7% to Colorado, and 5% to Virginia. The foundation’s program descriptions identify marine and coastal conservation areas including California, Northwest Mexico, Hawaii, Chile, and the Western Pacific. Through donor-advised fund partners, it can recommend environmental program funds for international projects in specific geographies. Human services grants are limited to Orange County and Los Angeles.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 194 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Marisla Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 194 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $148K; repeat grants $248K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $75K repeat.
- 91% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $32.6M (2021) to $48.7M (2020). In 2024 it made 194 grants totaling $46.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Orange County Community Foundation Irvine, CA | General Support | $9,890,000 |
| Global Greengrants Fund Boulder, CO | General Support | $3,250,000 |
| Oceana Inc Washington, DC | General Support | $2,300,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors New York, NY | General Support | $2,135,000 |
| Hawaii Community Foundation Honolulu, HI | General Support | $1,208,700 |
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | General Support | $1,200,000 |
| International Community Foundation National City, CA | General Support | $1,155,000 |
| Center for American Progress Washington, DC | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| Center for Climate Integrity Washington, DC | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| Myriad USA New York, NY | General Support | $1,000,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Marisla Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $21,082,605 | $51,974,750 | $37,500,939 | $46,678,700 | 194 | $48,088,405 | $38,082,231 | $872,581 |
| 2023 | $20,587,646 | $36,528,013 | $41,256,782 | $36,703,000 | 202 | $38,168,634 | $22,105,570 | $927,640 |
| 2022 | $21,005,333 | $35,592,677 | $37,015,027 | $38,972,450 | 216 | $40,277,917 | $19,036,258 | $1,214,850 |
| 2021 | $26,534,095 | $36,043,209 | $41,834,027 | $32,550,780 | 186 | $33,722,367 | $14,762,980 | $1,295,164 |
| 2020 | $22,082,654 | $34,472,768 | $39,166,559 | $48,719,095 | 282 | — | $2,749,299 | $1,509,588 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Marisla Foundation reported a distributable amount of $873K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s environmental programs address marine resources conservation and environmental health. Its stated program description emphasizes conserving biological diversity and advancing sustainable ecosystem management, with marine and coastal conservation among the primary areas of emphasis. The environmental health area also addresses health and environmental threats caused by toxic chemicals.
The human services program supports work for women in crisis, including stable housing, addiction treatment, support for domestic violence survivors, and vocational training. Human services grants are limited to Orange County and Los Angeles and are made through the Orange County Community Foundation.
In 2024, the foundation supported organizations whose own missions illustrate the range of its grantees. Global Greengrants Fund describes its work as supporting grassroots environmental action and social justice through small grants. The Nature Conservancy says its mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. The Center for Climate Integrity says it educates communities and elected officials about polluters’ role in climate change and accountability. Orange County Community Foundation describes its mission as transforming community intention into greater impact for good.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 194 grants totaling $46,678,700. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $9,890,000, with a median of $75,000. The largest grants included $9,890,000 to Orange County Community Foundation; $3,250,000 to Global Greengrants Fund; $2,300,000 to Oceana; and $2,135,000 to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Each was listed for general support.
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applications are submitted online. Applicants begin with an eligibility quiz during an open application window; those who meet the funding guidelines can proceed to the online application. Applicants can save and edit a draft within the quarterly application period. The foundation says applicants can expect a response two to three months after the funding period.
The foundation supports only organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. It does not make grants to individuals or for activities supporting candidates for political office. It strongly discourages multiple applications from one organization, including its chapters or field offices, and will not review more than one application per organization in any 12-month period, except for organizations that are fiscal sponsors of nonprofits.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Anne G. Earhart as president; Oliver N. Crary as treasurer; Herbert M. Bedolfe III as director/executive director; Sara M. Lowell as secretary/program director; and Margaret Lauer as administrator.
The Marisla Foundation is led by Herbert M. Bedolfe III, Director & Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 3 of 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Herbert M. Bedolfe III
Director & Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$326K (2020) → $369K (2024)
Anne G. Earhart
President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sara M. Lowell
Secretary & Program Director
On filings since 2020
32 hrs/week
$202K (2020) → $152K (2024)
Margaret Lauer
Administrator
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$122K (2020) → $256K (2024)
Oliver N. Crary
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $369K, to Herbert M Bedolfe III (DIR./Exec Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Marisla Foundation
How much does The Marisla Foundation give each year?
The Marisla Foundation gave $46.7M across 194 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $36.7M across 202 grants.
What is The Marisla Foundation's typical grant size?
The Marisla Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $75,000, and its average grant was $240,612, across 194 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Marisla Foundation that year got $148K on average.
Where does The Marisla Foundation give grants?
The Marisla Foundation's top state is California, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (19%) and New York (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (37 grants), San Francisco, CA (11 grants), New York, NY (9 grants) and Oakland, CA (8 grants).
Does The Marisla Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Marisla Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (194 of 194) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Marisla Foundation's largest grantees?
The Marisla Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Orange County Community Foundation ($9,890,000), Global Greengrants Fund ($3,250,000) and Oceana Inc ($2,300,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Marisla Foundation?
The Marisla Foundation reported $21.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $48.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $873K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Marisla Foundation fund?
The foundation’s environmental programs address marine resources conservation and environmental health. Its stated program description emphasizes conserving biological diversity and advancing sustainable ecosystem management, with marine and coastal conservation among the primary areas of emphasis. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Marisla Foundation?
Complete the eligibility quiz when an application window is open, then submit the online application by the listed deadline. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Marisla Foundation's EIN?
The Marisla Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0200133. 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Marisla Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Marisla Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-marisla-foundation-morg_5f6bbd67e6b14380a2ee031560e52458
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_330200133_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Marisla Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-marisla-foundation-morg_5f6bbd67e6b14380a2ee031560e52458},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Marisla 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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