The Nicholson Family Foundation
The Nicholson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Petaluma, California. Founded in 1996, it supports nonprofit organizations serving local underserved youth in arts, education, and social services, with a stated emphasis on small-budget organizations and general operating support for established partners.
Key facts about The Nicholson Family Foundation
In short: The Nicholson Family Foundation gave $313K across 49 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in California. 47% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 77-0444787
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $313,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 49
- Average grant
- $6,388
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (23 of 49, 2025)
- Total assets
- $6,915,487
- Primary geography
- California (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to apply
- The foundation accepts unsolicited requests through its online Letter of Inquiry form; its application instructions also call for a narrative proposal. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- Published deadlines differ: the application page and one FAQ state June 1 for consideration in the following calendar…
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$6.9M
+2.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$313K
-3.0% YoY
Grant Count
49
+2.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
-5.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Nicholson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $260K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Nicholson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 23 of 49 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 45% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 130% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to champion organizations that create opportunities for local underserved youth in arts, education, and social services. Its guidelines say it funds youth-based programming and prioritizes nonprofits with smaller budgets, with grants proportional to organizational budget size.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of supported work. First Graduate says it helps students become the first in their families to graduate from college and pursue meaningful careers. Be A Mentor says it coordinates mentoring programs for children and young adults. ARTogether says it provides arts programs for refugee and immigrant communities. Performing Arts Workshop says it helps young people develop learning and creative skills through the arts, while Hack the Hood describes providing tech skills and career navigation for youth and communities of color.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 49 grants totaling $313,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median of $5,000. Its largest listed 2025 grant was $25,000 to George Mark Children’s House for general operating expenses and pediatric hospice. Other listed grants of $10,000 included ARTogether, Be A Mentor, Berkeley Art Center, Camping Unlimited, First Graduate, Hack the Hood, Hospice of Santa Cruz, Performing Arts Workshop, San Francisco Mime Troupe, San Francisco Youth Theatre, and Survivors Healing Center. Several were identified as multi-year grants.
Review Cycle
Published deadlines differ: the application page and one FAQ state June 1 for consideration in the following calendar year; another FAQ states September 1, and the grant-program listing states August 1.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Nicholson Family Foundation
Ready to take the next step with The Nicholson Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it funds youth-based programming in Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. Its 2025 grants were concentrated in California, with smaller shares going to recipients in Idaho and Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $313K (2025) to $347K (2022). In 2025 it made 49 grants totaling $313K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was George Mark Children's House ($25K). Together the top 10 received $115K.
Grant Size Distribution
192 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 189 grants of 192 (98%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| George Mark Children's House San Leandro, CA | General Operating Expenses. Pediatric Hospice. | $25,000 |
| Artogether Oakland, CA | General operating expenses. Multi-year grant. Arts & education programs. | $10,000 |
| Be a Mentor Inc Hayward, CA | General Operating Expenses. Multi-Year Grant. Education Programs. | $10,000 |
| Berkeley Art Center Berkeley, CA | General Operating Expenses. Arts & Educational Support. | $10,000 |
| Camping Unlimited Boulder Creek, CA | General operating expenses. Multi-year grant. Social enrichment for disabled youth. | $10,000 |
| First Graduate San Francisco, CA | General Operating Expenses. Multi-Year Grant. Education. | $10,000 |
| Hack the Hood Oakland, CA | General operating expenses. Multi-year grant. Arts & education programs. | $10,000 |
| Hospice of Santa Cruz Scotts Valley, CA | General Operating Expenses. Social & Educational Programs. | $10,000 |
| Performing Arts Workshop San Francisco, CA | General Operating Expenses. Multi-Year Grant. Performing Arts Programs. | $10,000 |
| San Francisco Mime Troupe San Francisco, CA | General operating expenses. Multi-year grant. Arts & education programs. | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $313,000 | 49 |
| 2024 | $322,670 | 48 |
| 2023 | $326,050 | 48 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $6,915,487 | $6,765,169 | $6,625,512 |
| Revenue | $420,701 | $570,858 | $500,366 |
| Expenses | $380,986 | $431,201 | $424,802 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $337,633 | $368,194 | $373,836 |
| Net Investment Income | $377,350 | $507,851 | $440,956 |
| Distributable Amount | $259,539 | $397,068 | $373,994 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 21, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kelsey Nicholson as president; Martha McAliister as vice president; Kallie Blanchard as secretary; and Kathleen Hull, John Nicholson, Brenda Nicholson, Chris Blanchard, and Bruce Nicholson as directors.
The Nicholson Family Foundation is led by Kelsey Nicholson, President since 2024 (on filings since 2022); 1 of 8 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kelsey Nicholson
President
Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2022
20 hrs/week
$29K (2025)
Brenda Nicholson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bruce Nicholson
Director
President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Blanchard
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Nicholson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen Hull
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kallie Blanchard
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martha McAliister
Vice President
Secretary & Vice President → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Kristin Hull (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Linda Nicholson (2022–2024) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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 $29K, to Kelsey Nicholson (President).
Contact
Application contact: Kelsey Nicholson
Mailing address: 6691 Moro Street, Petaluma, CA 94954
Phone: (510) 653-3117
Website: https://thenicholsonfamilyfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The Nicholson Family Foundation
How much does The Nicholson Family Foundation give each year?
The Nicholson Family Foundation gave $313K across 49 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $323K across 48 grants.
What is The Nicholson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Nicholson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,388, across 49 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Nicholson Family Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Nicholson Family Foundation give grants?
The Nicholson Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (12 grants), Oakland, CA (8 grants), Santa Cruz, CA (6 grants) and Berkeley, CA (3 grants).
Does The Nicholson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 96% of The Nicholson Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (47 of 49) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Nicholson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Nicholson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include George Mark Children's House ($25,000), Artogether ($10,000) and Be a Mentor Inc ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Nicholson Family Foundation?
The Nicholson Family Foundation reported $6.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $338K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $260K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Nicholson Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to champion organizations that create opportunities for local underserved youth in arts, education, and social services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Nicholson Family Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests through its online Letter of Inquiry form; its application instructions also call for a narrative proposal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Nicholson Family Foundation's EIN?
The Nicholson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0444787. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does The Nicholson Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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