The Ms Grumbacher Foundation
The MS Grumbacher Foundation is a private foundation located in Sebastopol, California. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including youth development, education, media arts, community services, and land stewardship.
The Ms Grumbacher Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ms Grumbacher Foundation gave $376K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in California. 5% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $376,000
- +9.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,905
- +9.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $7,492,052
- +0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (67% 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 Ms Grumbacher Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says to contact Joshua Schultz and submit a letter with all pertinent information included. It states that awards have no restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- November 1 to April 30.
- Deadline
- November 1 to April 30.
- Contact
Application contact: Joshua Schultz
Mailing address: 2545 Burnside Road, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Phone: (707) 484-3723
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ms Grumbacher Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Education Through Music LA ($93K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $321K.
Grant Size Distribution
108 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 108 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California recipients received 67% of grant dollars and Colorado recipients received 23%. New York accounted for 4%, Vermont 3%, and Massachusetts 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ms Grumbacher Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 19 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $342K (2024) to $400K (2022). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $376K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Big City Mountaineers Arvada, CO | Endowment | $73,000 |
| Education Through Music LA Burbank, CA | Endowment | $73,000 |
| Scaling Student Success Los Angeles, CA | Support of the Nonprofit Mission | $45,000 |
| Homeboy Industries Los Angeles, CA | Support of the Nonprofit Mission | $25,000 |
| Education Through Music LA Burbank, CA | Support of the Nonprofit Mission | $20,000 |
| Big City Mountaineers Arvada, CO | Support of Expanded Service in California | $15,000 |
| Common Sense Media San Francisco, CA | Accelerate a School Program | $15,000 |
| Outside the Lens San Diego, CA | Cameras in the Classroom | $15,000 |
| Canal Alliance San Rafael, CA | Support of the Nonprofit Mission | $10,000 |
| Cancer Support Community-Santa Monica Los Angeles, CA | Children, Teen, and Family Program | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ms Grumbacher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,492,052 | $510,538 | $452,433 | $376,000 | 21 | $389,333 | $456,180 | $418,995 |
| 2024 | $7,433,947 | $544,705 | $416,900 | $342,000 | 21 | $354,985 | $492,015 | $388,431 |
| 2023 | $7,306,142 | $1,598,589 | $478,122 | $390,000 | 21 | $401,883 | $1,547,092 | $353,960 |
| 2022 | $6,185,675 | $1,296,929 | $481,557 | $400,000 | 23 | $411,173 | $1,241,835 | $404,635 |
| 2021 | $5,370,303 | $764,044 | $448,453 | $359,000 | 22 | — | $704,218 | $413,961 |
| 2020 | $5,054,712 | $737,422 | $402,929 | $352,000 | 24 | — | $700,438 | $368,393 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ms Grumbacher Foundation reported a distributable amount of $419K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Big City Mountaineers describes its work as connecting youth from disinvested communities with nature to strengthen life skills and build community. Education Through Music LA received grants for an endowment and support of its nonprofit mission. Outside the Lens says it uses media arts to build young people’s confidence and help them pursue creative pathways and social change. Other recipients include Homeboy Industries, which supports formerly incarcerated and formerly gang-involved people, and LandPaths, which fosters a love of the land in Sonoma County.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $376,000. Awards ranged from $5,000 to $73,000, with a median of $10,000. Notable grants included $73,000 each to Big City Mountaineers and Education Through Music LA; $45,000 to Scaling Student Success; and $25,000 to Homeboy Industries. Big City Mountaineers also received $15,000 for expanded service in California, while Common Sense Media and Outside the Lens each received $15,000.
The foundation reported 21 grants totaling $342,000 in 2024 and 21 grants totaling $390,000 in 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joshua G. Schultz as president and Susan Gregory, Rowan Schultz, Dhayan Roark, and Rae Schultz as directors.
The Ms Grumbacher Foundation is led by Joshua G. Schultz, President on every filing since 2020; all 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joshua G. Schultz
President
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$6K (2020) → $10K (2025)
Rowan Schultz
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$2K (2020) → $3K (2025)
Susan Gregory
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$2K (2020) → $3K (2025)
Dhayan Roark
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$2K (2021) → $3K (2025)
Rae Schultz
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$2K (2024) → $3K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Mary Jo Grumbacher (2020) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $10K, to Joshua G Schultz (President). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Ms Grumbacher Foundation
How much does The Ms Grumbacher Foundation give each year?
The Ms Grumbacher Foundation gave $376K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $342K across 21 grants.
What is The Ms Grumbacher Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ms Grumbacher Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,905, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ms Grumbacher Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Ms Grumbacher Foundation give grants?
The Ms Grumbacher Foundation gives mostly in California: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), Burbank, CA (2 grants), Arvada, CO (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Ms Grumbacher Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on The Ms Grumbacher Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support of the Nonprofit Mission" (11 grants).
Who are The Ms Grumbacher Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ms Grumbacher Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Education Through Music LA ($93,000 across 2 grants), Big City Mountaineers ($88,000 across 2 grants) and Scaling Student Success ($45,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Ms Grumbacher Foundation?
The Ms Grumbacher Foundation reported $7.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $389K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $419K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Ms Grumbacher Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Big City Mountaineers describes its work as connecting youth from disinvested communities with nature to strengthen life skills and build community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ms Grumbacher Foundation?
The foundation’s filing says to contact Joshua Schultz and submit a letter with all pertinent information included. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ms Grumbacher Foundation's EIN?
The Ms Grumbacher Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2697348. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ms Grumbacher Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ms-grumbacher-foundation-morg_7f6a43446c2c4e3383bb6010ca47b2d8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_232697348_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ms Grumbacher Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ms-grumbacher-foundation-morg_7f6a43446c2c4e3383bb6010ca47b2d8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Ms Grumbacher 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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