The Nicholson Family Foundation
The Nicholson Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 1996 and based in Petaluma, California. Operating as a family foundation with a multi-generational board, the organization focuses on supporting nonprofit organizations in Northern California through strategic grantmaking to small-budget organizations serving underserved youth.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$6.9M
+1.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$337K
+4.4% YoY
Grant Count
45
-6.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$7K
+11.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Nicholson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $431K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Nicholson Family Foundation's mission is to champion organizations that create opportunities for local underserved youth in Arts, Education, and Social Services.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Arts and culture
- Education
- Social services
- Youth development
Guiding Principles:
- Learning about and working with new small-budget organizations
- Proportional grants scaled to organizational budget size for strategic impact
- Providing operational support for nonprofit organizations
- Operating an invitation-only multi-year grant program with annual rotating concentration in one of the three focus areas
Grantmaking
The foundation accepts Letters of Inquiry and operates an invitation-only multi-year grant program. Specific application procedures are available through their website.
Grant Range
s:** $670–$70,000, with median grants around $5,000
Grant Types
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Nicholson Family Foundation funds organizations in five Bay Area counties:
- Alameda County
- San Francisco
- San Mateo County
- Santa Clara County
- Santa Cruz County
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2025):
- Total Assets: $6,873,387
- Total Giving: $337,000
- Total Revenue: $566,360
- Total Expenses: $458,559
- Number of Employees: 1
Previous Year (2024):
- Total Assets: $6,765,169
- Total Giving: $368,194
- Total Revenue: $570,858
- Total Expenses: $431,201
Giving Rate: Approximately 5.5%
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $6,873,387 | $6,765,169 | $6,625,512 |
| Revenue | $566,360 | $570,858 | $500,366 |
| Expenses | $458,559 | $431,201 | $424,802 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $385,745 | $368,194 | $373,836 |
| Net Investment Income | $492,890 | $507,851 | $440,956 |
| Distributable Amount | $430,526 | $397,068 | $373,994 |
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
188 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Nicholson Family Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include George Mark Children's House ($70,000), Tides Center Oasis for Girls First Exposures ($15,000), Artogether ($10,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ARTOGETHER OAKLAND, CA | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. MULTI-YEAR GRANT. ARTS & EDUCATION PROGRAMS. | $10,000 |
| BAY AREA WILDERNESS TRAINING BERKELEY, CA | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS. | $5,000 |
| BE A MENTOR INC HAYWARD, CA | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. SOCIAL & EDUCATION PROGRAMS. | $5,000 |
| BEYOND EMANCIPATION OAKLAND, CA | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. FINAL MULTI-YEAR GRANT. SUPPORTIVE PROGRAM FOR TRANSITIONING FROM FOSTER CARE YOUTH. | $10,000 |
| BOTH SIDES OF THE CONVERSATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. SOCIAL & EDUCATION PROGRAMS. | $5,000 |
| CAMPING UNLIMITED BOULDER CREEK, CA | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. MULTI-YEAR GRANT. SOCIAL ENRICHMENT FOR DISABLED YOUTH. | $10,000 |
| CATALYST YOUTH NETWORK OAKLAND, CA | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. SOCIAL & EDUCATION PROGRAMS. | $5,000 |
| CHILDREN RISING OAKLAND, CA | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. | $5,000 |
| DESTINY ARTS CENTER OAKLAND, CA | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. PREFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS. | $5,000 |
| DIGITAL NEST WATSONVILLE, CA | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. FINAL MULTI-YEAR GRANT. ARTS & EDUCATION PROGRAMS. | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Kelsey Nicholson – President (20 hours/week)
- Martha McAlister – Secretary/Vice President
- John Nicholson – Director
- Brenda Nicholson – Director
- Linda Nicholson – Director
- Kathleen Hull – Director
- Kristin Hull – Director
- Chris Blanchard – Director
- Kallie Blanchard – Director
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARTHA MCALIISTER | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| KATHLEEN HULL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN NICHOLSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KELSEY NICHOLSON | PRESIDENT | 20 | $50,000 |
| BRENDA NICHOLSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHRIS BLANCHARD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KALLIE BLANCHARD | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| BRUCE NICHOLSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 120 4th Street, PMB 2775, Petaluma, CA 94953-8800
Phone: 510-388-3574
Website: thenicholsonfamilyfoundation.org
EIN: 77-0444787
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Nicholson Family Foundation fund?
**Mission:** The Nicholson Family Foundation's mission is to champion organizations that create opportunities for local underserved youth in Arts, Education, and Social Services. **Primary Focus Areas:** • Arts and culture • Education • Social services • Youth development **Guiding Principles:** • Learning about and working with new small-budget organizations • Proportional grants scaled to organizational budget size for strategic impact • Providing operational support for nonprofit organizatio…
How do I apply for a grant from The Nicholson Family Foundation?
**Grant Ranges:** $670–$70,000, with median grants around $5,000 **Grant Types:** • General operating support • Multi-year grants • Youth-based programming grants **Recent Grant Activity:** • George Mark Children's House: $70,000 (2025) for operational support of pediatric hospice and palliative care • Tides Center: Oasis for Girls: Multi-year grant supporting girls and young women of color aged 14-18 from under-resourced communities in San Francisco • Digital Nest: Multi-year education-focused…
Where does The Nicholson Family Foundation make grants?
The Nicholson Family Foundation funds organizations in five Bay Area counties: • Alameda County • San Francisco • San Mateo County • Santa Clara County • Santa Cruz County
What size grants does The Nicholson Family Foundation award?
In 2025, The Nicholson Family Foundation awarded 45 grants totaling $337K — an average of about $7K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Nicholson Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Nicholson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $431K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Nicholson Family 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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