The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation
The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation is a private foundation based in West Hollywood, California. It supports charitable organizations, with 2025 grants including awards to arts and cultural organizations, food and nutrition programs, and educational and scientific institutions.
The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation at a glance
In short: The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation gave $1.7M across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $54K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,660,830
- +18.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- -6.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $53,575
- +25.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $318,248
- +20.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (80% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 8605 Santa Monica Blvd 126165, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Phone: (310) 478-4148
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was San Francisco Ballet ($600K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
140 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 88 grants of 140 (63%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in California received 80% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in New York (11%), Arkansas (3%), Washington, DC (3%), and Kansas (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation gives
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 79% from 2022 to 2025. 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 (2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $140K (2019) to $1.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $1.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Ballet San Francisco, CA | General Use | $600,000 |
| Edible Schoolyard Project Berkeley, CA | General Use | $200,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | General Use | $100,900 |
| Mark Morris Dance Group Brooklyn, NY | General Use | $100,000 |
| University of California Berkeley Berkeley Foundation Berkeley, CA | Cal Performances | $75,000 |
| San Francisco SPCA San Francisco, CA | General Use | $50,500 |
| Crowden Music Center Berkeley, CA | General Use | $50,000 |
| Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Bentonville, AR | General Use | $50,000 |
| Smithsonian Institute Cooper Hewitt Design Museum New York, NY | General Use | $50,000 |
| Uc Regents Berkeley, CA | General Use | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $318,248 | $1,718,430 | $1,665,260 | $1,660,830 | 31 | $1,660,830 | — | $18,030 |
| 2024 | $265,078 | $1,410,304 | $1,410,468 | $1,406,238 | 33 | $1,406,238 | $16 | $23,370 |
| 2023 | $265,242 | $1,069,167 | $989,525 | $985,150 | 26 | $987,337 | — | $17,945 |
| 2022 | $185,600 | $920,019 | $929,598 | $926,000 | 27 | $927,799 | — | $16,115 |
| 2021 | $195,179 | $686,357 | $859,485 | $856,500 | 23 | $857,993 | — | $13,761 |
| 2020 | $213,512 | $910,055 | $825,904 | $810,650 | 25 | — | — | $9,387 |
| 2019 | $129,361 | $125 | $158,538 | $140,433 | 9 | — | — | $12,823 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation reported a distributable amount of $18K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including dance, museums, libraries, food education, senior services, public broadcasting, and science education. For example, Meals on Wheels of San Francisco says its mission is to provide homebound seniors with nutritious meals, daily human contact, and supportive services. The California Academy of Sciences describes its mission as regenerating the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 31 grants totaling $1,660,830 in 2025, compared with 33 grants totaling $1,406,238 in 2024 and 26 grants totaling $985,150 in 2023. In 2025, grants ranged from $5,000 to $600,000, with a median of $25,000.
The largest 2025 awards included $600,000 to San Francisco Ballet, $200,000 to Edible Schoolyard Project, $100,900 to Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, and $100,000 to Mark Morris Dance Group. Other awards included $75,000 to the University of California Berkeley Berkeley Foundation for Cal Performances and $50,000 each to San Francisco SPCA, Crowden Music Center, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian Institute Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, UC Regents, and the University of California Berkeley Bancroft Library for the Robert H. Hirst Fund for the Mark Twain Papers Project.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Shelby M. Gans and Frederick M. Gans as trustees.
The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Frederick M. Gans
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shelby M. Gans
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation
How much does The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation give each year?
The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation gave $1.7M across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 33 grants.
What is The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation's typical grant size?
The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $53,575, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation give grants?
The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation gives mostly in California: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (9 grants), Berkeley, CA (6 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (29 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation's largest grantees?
The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include San Francisco Ballet ($600,000), Edible Schoolyard Project ($200,000) and Meals on Wheels of San Francisco ($100,900), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation?
The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation reported $318K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $18K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including dance, museums, libraries, food education, senior services, public broadcasting, and science education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation?
The foundation 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 Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation's EIN?
The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3209213. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Shelby and Frederick Gans 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.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 25, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 7, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 20, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 2, 2024)
Live grants for the work The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-shelby-and-frederick-gans-foundation-morg_328e9f8ed8374bb484eea274de40a5d9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263209213_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Shelby and Frederick Gans Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-shelby-and-frederick-gans-foundation-morg_328e9f8ed8374bb484eea274de40a5d9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Shelby and Frederick Gans 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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