The Sam Mazza Foundation
The Sam Mazza Foundation is a private foundation based in California that supports arts and arts education initiatives. Its IRS filing lists San Francisco as its location, while the foundation’s website says its headquarters are in Pacifica.
The Sam Mazza Foundation at a glance
In short: The Sam Mazza Foundation gave $379K across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in California. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $378,940
- -14.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 31
- -13.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,224
- -0.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $21,538,533
- +0.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (6 of 30, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (97% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Sam Mazza Foundation
- Contact
Application contact: The Sam Mazza Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 14700, San Francisco, CA 94114
Phone: (650) 355-0272
Website: https://sammazzafoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sam Mazza Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Golden Thread Productions ($45K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $241K.
Grant Size Distribution
185 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 185 grants of 185 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 filing says Bay Area proposals are preferential. In that year, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in California; Illinois and New York each received 1%, and recipients in Washington, DC received 0%. The listed 2024 grants include organizations in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Pacifica, Burlingame, and Los Angeles.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Sam Mazza Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 30 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $14K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−7%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 201% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $379K (2024) to $443K (2023). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $379K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dance Brigade San Francisco, CA | Grrrrrl Brigade | $35,000 |
| Golden Thread Productions San Francisco, CA | 11 Reflections | $30,000 |
| Look What SHE Did Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Music at Kohl Mansion Burlingame, CA | General Operating Grant | $20,000 |
| ABD Productions San Francisco, CA | SKYWATCHERS - At the Table | $20,000 |
| Ars Minerva San Francisco, CA | La Flora | $20,000 |
| Living Jazz Oakland, CA | Children's Project | $20,000 |
| Pacifica Education Foundation Pacifica, CA | Music In Schools | $20,000 |
| West Edge Opera Berkeley, CA | Dolores and Workshop | $18,000 |
| Central Stage Richmond, CA | General Support | $18,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Sam Mazza Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing type is Form 990-PF, a private foundation.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $21,538,533 | $677,966 | $925,026 | $378,940 | 31 | $744,141 | $462,398 | $369,740 |
| 2023 | $21,536,520 | $354,195 | $1,045,416 | $443,435 | 36 | $890,183 | $240,199 | $890,504 |
| 2022 | $16,105,305 | $229,817 | $923,977 | $420,065 | 37 | $992,150 | $142,484 | $675,446 |
| 2021 | $18,794,140 | $701,915 | $1,757,894 | $407,530 | 34 | $1,290,085 | $610,049 | $774,398 |
| 2020 | $19,050,992 | $1,659,187 | $932,015 | $381,110 | 47 | — | $1,423,331 | $713,527 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sam Mazza Foundation reported a distributable amount of $370K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says it believes that advancing the arts and arts education helps humanity achieve its highest potential. It supports initiatives that enrich culture through the arts and arts education, and describes its work as championing arts organizations that engage innovatively with their communities.
The foundation’s 2024 filing identifies the arts and arts education as funding focuses, often with special emphasis on youth. Its website says it has granted to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations working through the arts, education, or to address quality-of-life concerns. Applicants must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3), either directly or through a fiscal agent. The foundation does not make grants for endowments.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate a range of activities. Dance Brigade says its mission is to engage Bay Area communities and artists in exploring contemporary social issues through dance and dance theater. Golden Thread Productions says it produces plays from or about the Middle East and its diaspora. Music at Kohl Mansion says it presents chamber concerts and music education in public schools, while Living Jazz says it educates students and artists of all ages and abilities through jazz.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $378,940. Awards ranged from $500 to $35,000, with a median of $12,000. Notable grants included $35,000 to Dance Brigade for Grrrrrl Brigade, $30,000 to Golden Thread Productions for 11 Reflections, $25,000 to Look What SHE Did for general support, and $20,000 each to Music at Kohl Mansion, ABD Productions, Ars Minerva, Living Jazz, and Pacifica Education Foundation.
The website says the foundation currently accepts proposals by invitation only. It says organizations whose proposals are requested will be notified in December, with completed proposals due May 1 and approved grants disbursed in June. The 2024 filing describes a process in which an organization submits an online letter of inquiry; approval of the inquiry leads to an invitation to submit a formal proposal. Materials may include organizational information, mission and values, financial statements, budgets, and relevant public-relations and website information. The board may request additional information, a live presentation, or a site visit. Funding decisions are made by the board as a group. For fiscally sponsored grants, the foundation says it does not tolerate administrative fees and prefers that all funding go to the grantee, its creators, and artists.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jeanette Cool as executive director, Anne Galjour as director, and Robert C Hood as treasurer. The website says Jeanette Cool heads the foundation’s board of directors.
The Sam Mazza Foundation is led by Jeanette Cool, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jeanette Cool
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$87K (2020) → $79K (2024)
Anne Galjour
Director
On filings since 2020
3.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert C Hood
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $79K, to Jeanette Cool (Exec Dir).
Frequently asked questions about The Sam Mazza Foundation
How much does The Sam Mazza Foundation give each year?
The Sam Mazza Foundation gave $379K across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $443K across 36 grants.
What is The Sam Mazza Foundation's typical grant size?
The Sam Mazza Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $12,000, and its average grant was $12,224, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sam Mazza Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Sam Mazza Foundation give grants?
The Sam Mazza Foundation gives mostly in California: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (13 grants), Berkeley, CA (4 grants) and Pacifica, CA (4 grants).
Does The Sam Mazza Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 29% of The Sam Mazza Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Sam Mazza Foundation's largest grantees?
The Sam Mazza Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Golden Thread Productions ($45,000 across 2 grants), Dance Brigade ($35,000) and Look What SHE Did ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Sam Mazza Foundation?
The Sam Mazza Foundation reported $21.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $744K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $370K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Sam Mazza Foundation fund?
The foundation says it believes that advancing the arts and arts education helps humanity achieve its highest potential. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sam Mazza Foundation?
The Sam Mazza Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check sammazzafoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Sam Mazza Foundation's EIN?
The Sam Mazza Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3644356. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sam Mazza Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sam-mazza-foundation-morg_fff95ea190be489f936f33b4631db64a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203644356_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sam Mazza Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sam-mazza-foundation-morg_fff95ea190be489f936f33b4631db64a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Sam Mazza Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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