The Neilan Foundation is a private independent foundation based in Pasadena, California. Established in 2006 and designated as a 501(c)(3) organization, the foundation operates as a grantmaking entity focused on supporting charitable causes primarily in education, human services, and community health.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.1M
-8.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$920K
-7.3% YoY
Grant Count
12
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$77K
-7.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Neilan Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's grant-making priorities include:
- Education — particularly programs serving special needs students
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Healthcare and community health programs
- Cultural institutions and heritage preservation
- Research into neurological disease
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.
Grant Range
$5,000 to $255,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in California, Virginia, and New York, with a particular emphasis on California-based recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving (as of most recent filings):
- Total assets: $3,115,573 (2024)
- Total assets: $3,388,837 (2023)
- Total giving: $920,000 (2024)
- Total giving: $993,000 (2023)
- Total revenues: $377,481 (2023)
- Total expenses: $1,057,580 (2023)
- Total liabilities: $0 (2023)
- Giving rate: 29.5% of assets
Tax-Exempt Status: Tax-exempt since June 2007 (EIN: 20-5481398)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,115,573 | $3,388,837 | $4,068,936 |
| Revenue | $676,888 | $377,481 | $1,197,840 |
| Expenses | $950,944 | $1,057,580 | $638,340 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $920,000 | $992,836 | $605,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $667,944 | $340,737 | $1,164,500 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,230,140 | $1,100,953 | $865,179 |
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
91 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Huntington Library Art Museum ($255,000), Usc Norris Comprehensive Cancer Cen ($200,000), Huntington Health ($150,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PASADENA, CA | TO SUPPORTRESEARCH INTOTHE CAUSES OFNEUROLOGICALDISEASE | $30,000 |
| EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION INC WEST PALM BEACH, FL | TO SUPPORT THERELIANCE STEEL &ALUMINUM COEMPLOYEE RELIEFFUND | $20,000 |
| HUNTINGTON HEALTH LOS ANGELES, CA | TO SUPPORTPROGRAMS ATHUNTINGTONHOSPITAL SERVINGTHE HEALTH CARENEEDS OF OURLOCAL COMMUNITY | $150,000 |
| THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY ART MUSEUM PASADENA, CA | TO SUPPORT THEHUNTINGTON'SVISITOR SHUTTLE PROGRAM, BENCHES AND UMBRELLAS PURCHASES, ARBOREAL RECOVERY PROJECT, AND STORIES FROM THE LIBRARY EXHIBITION | $255,000 |
| CLASSICAL KUSC LOS ANGELES, CA | TO SUPPORTCLASSICAL KUSC'SMISSION TO MAKEA POSITIVEIMPACT ONINDIVIDUALS ANDCOMMUNITIES BYCHAMPIONING THEPOWER OFCLASSICAL MUSIC | $10,000 |
| PASADENA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC PASADENA, CA | TO SUPPORTPASADENACONSERVATORY OFMUSIC'S MISSIONTO SUPPORTCOMMUNITY MUSICEDUCATION ANDPERFORMANCEPROGRAMS | $105,000 |
| QUILTS FOR KIDS NEPAL ROCKBRIDGE BATHS, VA | TO SUPPORT THEQUILTS FOR KIDSPROGRAM | $25,000 |
| USC NORRIS COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CEN LOS ANGELES, CA | TO FUND A RESEARCH ASSISTENT RESPONSIBLE FOR OPERATION OF THE HYPERION XTI SYSTEM | $100,000 |
| USC NORRIS COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CEN LOS ANGELES, CA | TO SUPPORT THE PRECISION IMMUNOTHERAPY AND IMMUNE LANDSCAPE STUDIES | $200,000 |
| BOYS REPUBLIC CHINO HILLS, CA | TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS PROVIDING SERVICES TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key leadership includes:
- Michael Robert Whalen — Chief Executive Officer and Registered Agent (Pasadena, CA)
- Michael R Whalen — Secretary (Pasadena, CA)
- Barbara L Cox-Winter — Chief Financial Officer (Glendale, CA)
- Norman Fujitaki — Chief Financial Officer (San Marino, CA)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL WHALEN | President | 1 | $22,000 |
| GAIL GIMBEL | Director | 0.5 | — |
| THOMAS GIMBEL | Director | 0.5 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 531 S Marengo Avenue Pasadena, CA 91101-3114
Telephone: 323-501-6706
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Neilan Foundation fund?
The foundation's grant-making priorities include: • **Education** — particularly programs serving special needs students • **Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking** • **Human Services** • **Healthcare and community health programs** • **Cultural institutions and heritage preservation** • **Research into neurological disease**
How do I apply for a grant from The Neilan Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: approximately $920,000 (2024) • Number of grants: 12 grants annually (2024) • Grant range: $5,000 to $255,000 • Median grant size: $28,000 (2024) **Application Policy:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis. **Recent Grants (2023):** • Huntington Health: $235,000 (to support programs serving local community health care needs) • Huntington Library Art Museum and Botanical Gardens: $215,000 (for golf cart…
Where does The Neilan Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in California, Virginia, and New York, with a particular emphasis on California-based recipients.
What size grants does The Neilan Foundation award?
In 2024, The Neilan Foundation awarded 12 grants totaling $920K — an average of about $77K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Neilan Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Neilan Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Neilan Foundation's EIN?
The Neilan Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5481398. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Neilan Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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