The Seaver Institute
The Seaver Institute is a private foundation based in Santa Monica, California. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including colleges and universities, conservation groups, cultural institutions, and organizations addressing community needs.
Key facts about The Seaver Institute
In short: The Seaver Institute gave $3.7M across 50 grants in 2025 (avg $75K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 30-1322696
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,729,296
- Grants made (2025)
- 50
- Average grant
- $74,586
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $39,730,601
- Primary geography
- California (78% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. 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
$39.7M
-1.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.7M
+54.6% YoY
Grant Count
50
-2.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$75K
+57.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Seaver Institute reported a distributable amount of $3.5M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How The Seaver Institute gives
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 118% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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. In an earlier profile, its grantmaking strategy is described as providing seed money for research and early-stage projects; the filings summarized here do not specify formal funding areas.
The grantees’ own missions illustrate the kinds of organizations supported. Scripps College says it educates women to develop their intellect and talents and contribute to society through leadership, service, integrity, and creativity. The Nature Conservancy describes its mission as conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Westside Food Bank says it addresses hunger in West Los Angeles County, while Baby2Baby says it provides children in need with essentials including diapers, formula, and clothing.
Grantmaking
The institute reported 50 grants totaling $3,729,296 in 2025, compared with 51 grants totaling $2,413,000 in 2024. In 2025, grants ranged from $1,000 to $875,000, with a median of $12,500.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, California recipients received 78% of grant dollars, followed by Massachusetts at 10%, Maryland at 5%, Washington at 4%, and Virginia at 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 50 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
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
101 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SCRIPPS COLLEGE Claremont, CA | QUALIFIED EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $875,000 |
| HARVARD WESTLAKE SCHOOL Studio City, CA | QUALIFIED EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $502,000 |
| WOODS HOLE OCEONGRAPHIC Woods Hole, MA | QUALIFIED EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $350,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO Los Angeles, CA | QUALIFIED EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $350,000 |
| SUTAINABLE CONSERVATION San Francisco, CA | QUALIFIED EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $200,000 |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY Baltimore, MD | QUALIFIED EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $200,000 |
| SANTA BARBARA BOTANICAL GARDEN Santa Barbara, CA | QUALIFIED EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $165,000 |
| CALTECH Pasadena, CA | QUALIFIED EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $158,771 |
| NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGEL Los Angeles, CA | QUALIFIED EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $140,000 |
| UW FOUNDATION Seattle, WA | QUALIFIED EXEMPT CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $135,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants reported | Grant count |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,729,296 | 50 |
| 2024 | $2,413,000 | 51 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $39,730,601 | $40,181,474 | $40,301,284 |
| Revenue | $4,594,232 | $3,744,369 | $452,935 |
| Expenses | $5,150,581 | $3,857,879 | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,124,235 | $2,860,023 | — |
| Net Investment Income | $3,554,261 | $2,842,043 | $452,935 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,487,549 | $3,192,865 | $91,091 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nathan Dean as president and director; Victoria Seaver Dean as chair and director; Hannah Dean as secretary and director; Kyle Dean as treasurer and director; and Jennie Dean as vice chair and director. It also lists Roxanne Wilson, Martha Seaver, Barbara Wagner, and Lynne Brickner as directors.
The Seaver Institute is led by Nathan Dean, President & Director since 2025 (on filings since 2023); 2 of 9 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nathan Dean
President & Director
Assistant Secretary → Secretary & Director, 2024
Secretary & Director → President & Director, 2025
On filings since 2023
15 hrs/week
$75K (2025)
Victoria Seaver Dean
Chair & Director
President → President, Director & Chair, 2024
President, Director & Chair → Chair & Director, 2025
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
$291K (2024) → $113K (2025)
Barbara Wagner
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hannah Dean
Secretary & Director
Director → Assistant Secretary & Director, 2024
Assistant Secretary & Director → Secretary & Director, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennie Dean
Vice Chair & Director
Director → Vice Chair & Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kyle Dean
Treasurer & Director
Treasurer → Treasurer & Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lynne Brickner
Director
Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martha Seaver
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roxanne Wilson
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Hilary Hill (2023) — Director
- Former: Margaret Keene (2023) — Assistant Treasurer
- Former: Marie Knowles (2023) — Director
- Former: Nancy Bekavac (2023) — Director
- Former: Robert Flick (2023) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Thomas Pfister (2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "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
Contact
Mailing address: 2118 Wilshire Blvd 1123, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Phone: (310) 979-0298
Frequently asked questions about The Seaver Institute
How much does The Seaver Institute give each year?
The Seaver Institute gave $3.7M across 50 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.4M across 51 grants.
What is The Seaver Institute's typical grant size?
The Seaver Institute's median grant in 2025 was $12,500, and its average grant was $74,586, across 50 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Seaver Institute give grants?
The Seaver Institute gives mostly in California: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (10%) and Maryland (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (14 grants), San Francisco, CA (3 grants), Santa Cruz, CA (3 grants) and Claremont, CA (2 grants).
Who are The Seaver Institute's largest grantees?
The Seaver Institute's largest 2025 grantees include Scripps College ($875,000), Harvard Westlake School ($502,000) and Woods Hole Oceongraphic ($350,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Seaver Institute?
The Seaver Institute reported $39.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Seaver Institute fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. In an earlier profile, its grantmaking strategy is described as providing seed money for research and early-stage projects; the filings summarized here do not specify formal funding areas. The grantees’ own missions illustrate the kinds of organizations supported. Scripps College says it educates women to develop their intellect and talents and contribute to society through leadership, service, integrity, and creativity. The Nature Conservanc…
How do I apply for a grant from The Seaver Institute?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Seaver Institute's EIN?
The Seaver Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-1322696. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.
Does The Seaver Institute 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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