The Ronda Gruber Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker San Francisco, CA EIN: 36-4568159

The Ronda Gruber Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. It provides funding to charitable organizations that support, educate, and provide services to people in need.

Key facts about The Ronda Gruber Foundation

In short: The Ronda Gruber Foundation gave $66K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in California. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
36-4568159
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$66,250
Grants made (2025)
12
Average grant
$5,521
Median grant
$2,500
New grantees (estimate)
50% first-time grantees (6 of 12, 2025)
Total assets
$532,093
Primary geography
California (66% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. 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

$532K

-2.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$66K

+52.7% YoY

Grant Count

12

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$6K

+52.7% YoY

Is The Ronda Gruber Foundation open to new grantees?

50%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 6 of 12 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count

Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.

  • 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 79% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2023 it paid out 193% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation describes its charitable activity as funding organizations that support, educate, and provide services to people in need. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in education, animal care, medical research and care, mental health, public media, guide-dog training, and the arts.

Among its 2025 grantees, Life Learning Academy says it creates a nonviolent community and an extended-family setting for students who have not been successful in traditional schools, helping them develop academic, vocational, and social skills. KQED describes its work as providing Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media, convening community dialogue, bringing the arts to audiences, and supporting students and teachers. Guide Dogs for the Blind says it empowers lives through partnerships between people, dogs, and communities. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation awarded 12 grants totaling $66,250. Grants ranged from $500 to $25,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest awards included $25,000 to Life Learning Academy for a charter high school and $15,000 to the San Francisco SPCA for animal care. Other notable grants were $7,500 to Macular Degeneration Research for medical research and $5,000 to Wounded Warrior Project for mental health care and wellness.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2025 grants went to organizations in multiple states. California received 66% of grant dollars, Maryland 11%, and Kansas 8%; Texas and Virginia each received 4%.

Grant Distribution by State

9states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.

Cities

San FranciscoWashingtonNew YorkLos AngelesWiltonClarksburgCupertinoMemphisMerrifieldVirginia BeachFultonNapaPenngrovePleasant HillRestonSan FranciacoSan RafaelTopekaWest HillWoodland Hills

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$20K$40K$60K$80K10 grants2019 6 grants2020 6 grants2021 6 grants2022 6 grants2023 12 grants2024 12 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $24K (2021) to $74K (2020). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $66K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Life Learning Academy: $25KLife Learning Academy$25KSan Francisco SPCA: $15KSan Francisco SPCA$15KMacular Degeneration Research: $8KMacular Degeneration Research$8KWounded Warrior Project: $5KWounded Warrior Project$5KOperation Smiles: $3KOperation Smiles$3KDoctors Without Borders: $3KDoctors Without Borders$3KSmile Train: $3KSmile Train$3KKqed Inc: $2KKqed Inc$2KGuide Dogs for the Blind: $1KGuide Dogs for the Blind$1KDeborah Slater Dance Theatre: $750Deborah Slater Dance Theatre$750

The largest 2025 recipient was Life Learning Academy ($25K). Together the top 10 received $63K.

Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($2,500), which are not listed by name.

Grant Size Distribution

42 grants across all recorded years

42<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 42 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Life Learning Academy San Francisco, CACharter High School$25,000
San Francisco SPCA San Francisco, CASaving, Protecting & Caring for Anim$15,000
Macular Degeneration Research Clarksburg, MDMedical Research$7,500
Wounded Warrior Project Topeka, KSMental Health Care and Wellness$5,000
1 grant to individuals Recipients not named —$2,500
Operation Smiles Virginia Beach, VAChild Cleft Surgeries$2,500
Doctors Without Borders New York, NYMedical Care$2,500
Smile Train Washington, DCHealthcare$2,500
Kqed Inc San Francisco, CAPublic Media$1,500
Guide Dogs for the Blind San Rafael, CAGuide Dog Training$1,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $532,093 $52,317 $75,998 $66,250
2024 $545,573 $66,391 $53,679 $43,375
2023 $524,215 $37,825 $74,023 $49,500
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$25K$50K$75K$100K2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$532,093$545,573$524,215
Revenue$52,317$66,391$37,825
Expenses$75,998$53,679$74,023
Qualifying Distributions$66,250$43,375$49,500
Net Investment Income$12,324$19,039$9,918
Distributable Amount——$25,680

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 7, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 5, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 1, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 5, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 11, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 14, 2025)
  7. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 16, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Jack M. Scott as director and Hilde Brautigan as secretary.

The Ronda Gruber Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Jack M. Scott

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Hilde Brautigan

    Secretary

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 78160, San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: (415) 399-9400

Frequently asked questions about The Ronda Gruber Foundation

How much does The Ronda Gruber Foundation give each year?

The Ronda Gruber Foundation gave $66K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $43K across 12 grants.

What is The Ronda Gruber Foundation's typical grant size?

The Ronda Gruber Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $5,521, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ronda Gruber Foundation that year got $3K on average.

Where does The Ronda Gruber Foundation give grants?

The Ronda Gruber Foundation gives mostly in California: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (11%) and Kansas (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (4 grants).

Does The Ronda Gruber Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on The Ronda Gruber Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.

Who are The Ronda Gruber Foundation's largest grantees?

The Ronda Gruber Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Life Learning Academy ($25,000), San Francisco SPCA ($15,000) and Macular Degeneration Research ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($2,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Ronda Gruber Foundation?

The Ronda Gruber Foundation reported $532K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $52K.

What does The Ronda Gruber Foundation fund?

The foundation describes its charitable activity as funding organizations that support, educate, and provide services to people in need. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in education, animal care, medical research and care, mental health, public media, guide-dog training, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Ronda Gruber Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Ronda Gruber Foundation's EIN?

The Ronda Gruber Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4568159. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does The Ronda Gruber 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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