The O'Brien Family Foundation
The O'Brien Family Foundation is a private foundation based in San Mateo, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in education, scholarships, human services, and community services, with most grant dollars going to recipients in California.
Key facts about The O'Brien Family Foundation
In short: The O'Brien Family Foundation gave $780K across 56 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in California. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 52-2390855
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $779,550
- Grants made (2025)
- 56
- Average grant
- $13,921
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (9 of 52, 2025)
- Total assets
- $845,699
- Primary geography
- California (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
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
$846K
+91.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$780K
+8.1% YoY
Grant Count
56
+9.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$14K
-1.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The O'Brien Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $71K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The O'Brien Family Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 52 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for tutoring, scholarships, school facilities, education access, food assistance, and general charitable support.
Grantee descriptions illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Bay Scholars says it helps promising low-income students access and flourish at college-preparatory Catholic high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Jackson describes its work as helping vulnerable people, especially children, women, and families. The California Homebuilding Foundation says it promotes the homebuilding industry through scholarships, research, education, and professional recognition. The Kamukama Foundation says it supports Victory School’s work to improve children’s lives in Uganda through education. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 51 grants totaling $720,900. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $125,000, with a median of $5,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in California. The reported shares for Texas and New York were 1% each; Tennessee and Massachusetts were each reported as 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 56 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $578K (2023) to $991K (2021). In 2025 it made 56 grants totaling $780K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of San Francisco ($125K). Together the top 10 received $447K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($100,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
261 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 238 grants of 261 (91%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | University Ministry Tutoring Program | $125,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $100,000 |
| Mercy High School Burlingame, CA | Capital Campaign for Athletic and Student Life Center | $100,000 |
| Flintridge Sacred Heart La Canada Flintridge, CA | Capital Campaign | $50,000 |
| St Ignatius College Preparatory San Francisco, CA | Scholarship | $27,600 |
| Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy La Canada Flintridge, CA | FSHA Eaton Fire Fund | $25,000 |
| California Homebuilding Foundation Sacramento, CA | Bita Program | $25,000 |
| Catholic Charities San Francisco, CA | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Justin Siena High School Leap Napa, CA | Lasallian Education Access Progam | $24,500 |
| Hanna Academy Sonoma, CA | In Honor of John Heilman | $20,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $441,571 | $428,152 | $756,434 | $720,900 |
| 2023 | $769,853 | $216,136 | $613,611 | $578,475 |
| 2022 | $1,167,328 | $350,507 | $1,001,611 | $957,250 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $845,699 | $441,571 | $769,853 |
| Revenue | $1,229,895 | $428,152 | $216,136 |
| Expenses | $825,767 | $756,434 | $613,611 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $790,346 | $730,448 | $587,097 |
| Net Investment Income | $232,695 | $252,979 | $106,340 |
| Distributable Amount | $70,943 | $48,288 | $67,991 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dennis C. O'Brien as president, Gloria A. O'Brien as secretary, and Susan Frimel and Chris O'Brien as directors.
The O'Brien Family Foundation is led by Dennis C. O'Brien, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Dennis C. O'Brien
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris O'Brien
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Frimel
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gloria A. O'Brien
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 3130 La Selva Street Suite 101, San Mateo, CA 94403
Phone: (650) 377-0300
Frequently asked questions about The O'Brien Family Foundation
How much does The O'Brien Family Foundation give each year?
The O'Brien Family Foundation gave $780K across 56 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $721K across 51 grants.
What is The O'Brien Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The O'Brien Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $13,921, across 56 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The O'Brien Family Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does The O'Brien Family Foundation give grants?
The O'Brien Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 96% 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 (9 grants), Redwood City, CA (6 grants), Menlo Park, CA (4 grants) and Burlingame, CA (2 grants).
Does The O'Brien Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 48% of The O'Brien Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 56) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The O'Brien Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The O'Brien Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of San Francisco ($125,000), Mercy High School ($100,000) and Flintridge Sacred Heart ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($100,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The O'Brien Family Foundation?
The O'Brien Family Foundation reported $846K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $790K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $71K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The O'Brien Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for tutoring, scholarships, school facilities, education access, food assistance, and general charitable support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The O'Brien Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 O'Brien Family Foundation's EIN?
The O'Brien Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2390855. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The O'Brien Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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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