The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc
Michelson 20MM Foundation is a private, nonprofit operating foundation headquartered in Culver City, California. The organization was founded in 2010 by Dr. Gary K. Michelson and Alya Michelson and received tax-exempt status in September 2012. The foundation is part of the broader Michelson Philanthropies network and focuses on expanding educational and employment opportunities for underserved and historically underrepresented communities.
Key facts about The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc
- EIN
- 27-2898736
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,289,397
- Grants made (2024)
- 55
- Average grant
- $23,444
- Median grant
- $15,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (28 of 53, 2024)
- Total assets
- $4,424,534
- Primary geography
- California (68% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc's 55 itemized 2024 grants were California (68%) and District of Columbia (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (10 grants), Washington, DC (7 grants), Sacramento, CA (5 grants) and Long Beach, CA (2 grants). None of its 55 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education Access & Affordability" (29 grants), "Resources for People Impacted by Mass IncarceratioN" (9 grants) and "Digital Services Access & Affordability" (8 grants).
Is The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 28 of 53 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $9K repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.4M
-9.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.3M
+52.9% YoY
Grant Count
55
+22.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$23K
+25.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to work toward equity for underserved and historically underrepresented communities by expanding access to educational and employment opportunities, increasing affordability of educational programs, and ensuring the necessary supports are in place for individuals to thrive.
The foundation operates across five primary focus areas:
Digital Equity — Improving access to devices, broadband connectivity, and digital literacy resources throughout California.
Intellectual Property — Spearheading a movement to spread IP awareness and ensure equitable knowledge of IP rights across U.S. institutions of higher learning.
Open Educational Resources (OER) — Removing the financial barrier of textbooks and other instructional materials for college students, including support for implementation of California's $115 million Zero-Textbook-Cost investment.
Smart Justice — Leveraging higher education as a catalytic force for transforming the lives of individuals involved with the justice system.
Student Basic Needs — Eliminating basic needs challenges (food, housing, financial insecurity) as a barrier to student success.
Grantmaking
The foundation offers grant programs including the Michelson Spark Grants, which are available across multiple focus areas: Digital Equity, Open Educational Resources, Student Basic Needs, and Smart Justice.
Ready to take the next step with The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's work is primarily concentrated in California, with particular emphasis on digital equity initiatives throughout the state. The foundation also supports initiatives at U.S. institutions of higher learning, particularly regarding intellectual property education.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 55 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2023 Financial Summary:
- Total Revenue: $3,467,142
- Total Expenses: $3,855,726
- Total Assets: $4,879,691
- Total Liabilities: $645,000
Staffing: The foundation employs 11 staff members as of 2023.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,424,534 | $4,879,691 | $4,374,656 |
| Revenue | $4,477,890 | $3,467,142 | $3,228,591 |
| Expenses | $4,884,094 | $3,855,726 | $2,496,495 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,726,344 | $2,543,331 | $2,618,024 |
| Net Investment Income | $12,755 | $50,210 | $405,732 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
225 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc
Michelson Spark Grants - Open Educational Resources (OER)
The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Michelson Spark Grants: Digital Equity Focus Area
The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Michelson Spark Grants: Student Basic Needs Funding Cycle
The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include California State University Foundation ($125,000), Generation Hope ($100,000), New Venture Fund ($91,800 across 2 grants).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California State University Foundation Long Beach, CA | Education Access & Affordability | $125,000 |
| Generation Hope Washington, DC | Digital Services Access & Affordability | $100,000 |
| California Community Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Education Access & Affordability | $90,000 |
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | Intellectual Property Education/Support | $80,000 |
| UC College of the Law San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Intellectual Property Education/Support | $55,000 |
| People Centered Internet Palo Alto, CA | Digital Services Access & Affordability | $50,000 |
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL | Resources for People Impacted by Mass Incarceration | $50,000 |
| Urban Resource Institute New York, NY | Education Access & Affordability | $50,000 |
| NextGen Climate America Inc Sacramento, CA | Education Access & Affordability | $45,000 |
| California Competes Oakland, CA | Education Access & Affordability | $30,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Phillip Kim — Chief Executive Officer
Alya Michelson — Co-chair and funder
Dr. Gary K. Michelson — Co-chair and founder
Mayra Lombera — Chief Operating Officer
Miguel Leon — Managing Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary K Michelson M D | Director, President, & Chair | 1 | — |
| Phil Kim | CEO | 20 | $128,574 |
| David Cohen | Secretary & Treasurer | — | — |
| Alya Michelson | Co-Chair | — | — |
| Brett Yates | CFO | — | — |
| Mayra Lombera | COO | 40 | $180,034 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced 2025 Student Basic Needs Spark Grantees, indicating ongoing active grantmaking in this focus area. The foundation continues to support implementation of California's Zero-Textbook-Cost investment through its Open Educational Resources programming and has convened Smart Justice champions as part of its initiative work in that focus area.
Announcing the 2025 Student Basic Needs Spark Grantees - Michelson 20MMSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation's mission is to work toward equity for underserved and historically underrepresented communities by expanding access to educational and employment opportunities, increasing affordability of educational programs, and ensuring the necessary supports are in place for individuals to thrive. The foundation operates across five primary focus areas: **Digital Equity** — Improving access to devices, broadband connectivity, and digital literacy resources throughout California. **Intellect…
How do I apply for a grant from The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc?
The foundation offers grant programs including the Michelson Spark Grants, which are available across multiple focus areas: Digital Equity, Open Educational Resources, Student Basic Needs, and Smart Justice. Recent grant activity includes awards to organizations such as NextGen Policy ($50,000 for Digital Services Access & Affordability in 2023). The foundation has also facilitated collaborative initiatives, including a Digital Equity Pooled Fund through which Southern California funders pooled…
Where does The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc make grants?
The foundation's work is primarily concentrated in California, with particular emphasis on digital equity initiatives throughout the state. The foundation also supports initiatives at U.S. institutions of higher learning, particularly regarding intellectual property education.
What size grants does The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc awarded 55 grants totaling $1.3M — an average of about $23K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2898736. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Michelson 20MM Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.