The Murray Reese Foundation
The Murray Reese Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Monica, California. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations working in areas that include food insecurity, disability inclusion, LGBTQ+ media representation, arts and culture, journalism, and democracy.
The Murray Reese Foundation at a glance
In short: The Murray Reese Foundation gave $1.3M across 48 grants in 2024 (avg $27K), top state California. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,294,059
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 48
- -2.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,960
- +2.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $90,808
- -45.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (16 of 48, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (37% 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 Murray Reese Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2113 La Mesa Drive, Santa Monica, CA 90402
Phone: (818) 783-0570
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Murray Reese Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Project Angel Food ($255K). Together the top 10 received $910K.
Grant Size Distribution
213 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 182 grants of 213 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 grants went to recipients in multiple states. By grant dollars, California accounted for 37%, New York 18%, Massachusetts 15%, Washington, DC 10%, and Maryland 9%. The remaining grant dollars went to recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 48 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Murray Reese Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 48 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $24K; repeat grants $28K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 84% 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 $564K (2020) to $1.3M (2024). In 2024 it made 48 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Project Angel Food Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $255,000 |
| Family Equality Council New York, NY | General Support | $125,000 |
| Respectability Rockville, MD | General Support | $112,500 |
| WBGH Foundation Boston, MA | General Support | $87,375 |
| Disability Belongs Fredericksberg, VA | General Support | $75,000 |
| Local Journalism Project Inc Wellfleet, MA | General Support | $55,000 |
| Eisenhower Health Foundation Rancho Mirage, CA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Glaad New York, NY | General Support | $50,000 |
| Palm Springs Art Museum Palm Springs, CA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Palm Springs, CA | General Support | $50,000 |
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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 | $90,808 | $1,253,330 | $1,330,444 | $1,294,059 | 48 | $1,314,290 | $664,337 | $631 |
| 2023 | $167,825 | $1,175,086 | $1,315,874 | $1,293,422 | 49 | $1,302,513 | $571,697 | $671 |
| 2022 | $308,613 | $1,055,505 | $852,301 | $828,185 | 39 | $839,368 | $288,505 | $12,277 |
| 2021 | $233,894 | $1,160,421 | $715,400 | $703,870 | 41 | $709,635 | $326,851 | $24,049 |
| 2020 | $133,978 | $482,852 | $566,295 | $564,020 | 36 | — | $55,402 | $8,852 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Murray Reese Foundation reported a distributable amount of $631 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 own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grantees describe a range of work: Project Angel Food says it provides medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling to critically ill people in Los Angeles County; Disability Belongs says it works to advance representation and inclusion for people with disabilities; and GLAAD says it promotes fair and inclusive LGBTQ+ representation in media.
Other grantees describe work in arts and culture, factual information and journalism, and democratic accountability. For example, the Palm Springs Art Museum says it creates experiences through its collection, exhibitions, and education programs, while the Good Information Foundation says it supports efforts to increase factual information online.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 48 grants totaling $1,294,059. Grants ranged from $500 to $255,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest awards included $255,000 to Project Angel Food, $125,000 to Family Equality Council, $112,500 to RespectAbility, $87,375 to WBGH Foundation, and $75,000 to Disability Belongs. Each of these grants was listed for general support.
Other notable 2024 grants included $55,000 to Local Journalism Project, Inc., and $50,000 each to Eisenhower Health Foundation, GLAAD, Palm Springs Art Museum, and Palm Springs Plaza Theatre.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Harvey Hamilton Reese II as executive director and Jonathan Murray and Daniel Howard as trustees.
The Murray Reese Foundation is led by Harvey Hamilton Reese II, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Harvey Hamilton Reese II
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Howard
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Murray
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 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.
Frequently asked questions about The Murray Reese Foundation
How much does The Murray Reese Foundation give each year?
The Murray Reese Foundation gave $1.3M across 48 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.3M across 49 grants.
What is The Murray Reese Foundation's typical grant size?
The Murray Reese Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $26,960, across 48 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Murray Reese Foundation that year got $24K on average.
Where does The Murray Reese Foundation give grants?
The Murray Reese Foundation's top state is California, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (18%) and Massachusetts (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants), Provincetown, MA (6 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (5 grants).
Does The Murray Reese Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Murray Reese Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (48 of 48) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Murray Reese Foundation's largest grantees?
The Murray Reese Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Project Angel Food ($255,000), Family Equality Council ($125,000) and Respectability ($112,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Murray Reese Foundation?
The Murray Reese Foundation reported $91K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $631 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Murray Reese Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Murray Reese Foundation?
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 Murray Reese Foundation's EIN?
The Murray Reese Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-1191280. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Murray Reese Foundation 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 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Murray Reese Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-murray-reese-foundation-morg_acaa39d4493f483982f7063fbf5e3ed2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_811191280_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Murray Reese Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-murray-reese-foundation-morg_acaa39d4493f483982f7063fbf5e3ed2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Murray Reese 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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