The Shiley Foundation
The Shiley Foundation is a private foundation based in Pauma Valley, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in education, health, biomedical research, services for older adults, and the arts.
The Shiley Foundation at a glance
In short: The Shiley Foundation gave $1.1M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $83K), mostly in California. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,080,430
- -24.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +18.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $83,110
- -36.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $40,000
- Total assets
- $13,896,559
- -1.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (100% 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 Shiley Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 207, Pauma Valley, CA 92061
Phone: (760) 729-2343
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Shiley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was CA State San Marcos Foundation ($500K). Together the top 10 received $995K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($40,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 71 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Shiley Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $34K; repeat grants $105K. How we count
Medians: $32K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 23% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 116% 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 $1.1M (2024) to $1.4M (2023). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CA State San Marcos Foundation San Marcos, CA | Support for Education Programs. | $500,000 |
| Serving Seniors San Diego, CA | Improving the well-being of low-income seniors through innovative programs and services that have a positive impact on seniors and our community as a whole | $102,000 |
| Salk Institute La Jolla, CA | Support Education and Research | $100,000 |
| University of San Diego San Diego, CA | Support for Higher Education Programs | $75,000 |
| Meals on Wheels San Diego, CA | Support for Local Community Food Banks | $50,000 |
| Rady Children's Hospital San Diego San Diego, CA | Pediatric Health Care | $50,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $40,000 |
| La Jolla Institute of Immunology La Jolla, CA | Biomedical Research | $38,430 |
| University of California San Diego La Jolla, CA | Support for Higher Education Programs | $30,000 |
| Patrons of the Prado San Diego, CA | Benefit the arts organizations and museums on the prado in balboa park, san diego, ca | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $13,896,559 | $977,704 | $1,236,176 | $1,080,430 | 13 | $1,187,128 | $939,656 | $1,021,724 |
| 2023 | $14,153,585 | $854,980 | $1,585,187 | $1,438,500 | 11 | $1,541,709 | $805,502 | $1,103,841 |
| 2022 | $14,883,792 | $1,276,750 | $1,411,129 | $1,256,513 | 13 | $1,357,927 | $1,043,455 | $1,280,616 |
| 2021 | $14,604,332 | $1,542,895 | $1,300,662 | $1,147,520 | 7 | $1,246,913 | $1,194,135 | $1,279,299 |
| 2020 | $14,132,927 | $733,426 | $1,257,772 | $1,102,005 | 27 | — | $692,822 | $1,180,184 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Shiley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M for 2024 — 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 2024 grant purposes include support for education and higher education programs, biomedical research, pediatric health care, services for seniors, community food banks, and arts and cultural organizations.
Among its grantees, Serving Seniors describes its mission as providing impactful programs and life-sustaining services to older adults living in poverty. Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego says it works to enhance children’s health and developmental potential through care, education, research, and advocacy. Patrons of the Prado says it raises funds for arts, science, and cultural centers in Balboa Park and for educational access for San Diego schoolchildren. The Old Globe describes its mission as advancing American theatre through theatrical experiences, programming, and education.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $1,080,430. Grant amounts ranged from $21,000 to $500,000, with a median grant of $40,000. Notable grants included $500,000 to the California State San Marcos Foundation for education programs; $102,000 to Serving Seniors; $100,000 to the Salk Institute for education and research; and $75,000 to the University of San Diego for higher education programs. Other grants included $50,000 to Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego for pediatric health care, $38,430 to the La Jolla Institute of Immunology for biomedical research, and $25,000 to Patrons of the Prado.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Darlene V. Shiley as president, Linda L. Shoaff as CFO, and Thomas E. K. Cerruti as executive director and secretary.
The Shiley Foundation is led by Thomas E. K. Cerruti, Executive Director & Secretary on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Thomas E. K. Cerruti
Executive Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
12 hrs/week
$84K (2020) → $90K (2024)
Darlene V. Shiley
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda L. Shoaff
CFO
On filings since 2020
5 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 $90K, to Thomas E K Cerruti (Exec DIR&SEC).
Frequently asked questions about The Shiley Foundation
How much does The Shiley Foundation give each year?
The Shiley Foundation gave $1.1M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 11 grants.
What is The Shiley Foundation's typical grant size?
The Shiley Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $40,000, and its average grant was $83,110, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Shiley Foundation that year got $34K on average.
Where does The Shiley Foundation give grants?
The Shiley Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (6 grants) and La Jolla, CA (3 grants).
Does The Shiley Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Shiley Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Shiley Foundation's largest grantees?
The Shiley Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include CA State San Marcos Foundation ($500,000), Serving Seniors ($102,000) and Salk Institute ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($40,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Shiley Foundation?
The Shiley Foundation reported $13.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Shiley Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grant purposes include support for education and higher education programs, biomedical research, pediatric health care, services for seniors, community food banks, and arts and cultural organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Shiley Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Shiley Foundation's EIN?
The Shiley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3466851. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Shiley Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 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 Shiley Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-shiley-foundation-morg_2471e3a842ba4f59a7e2f263b054ab24
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_953466851_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Shiley Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-shiley-foundation-morg_2471e3a842ba4f59a7e2f263b054ab24},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Shiley 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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