The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I
The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I is a private foundation based in Irvine, California. Sunwest Bank says its foundation was created in 2009 to support local nonprofit organizations and employee programs, with a focus on vulnerable children and families.
The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I at a glance
In short: The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I gave $545K across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), top state California. 48% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $545,345
- +44.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- +17.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,198
- +23.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,698,595
- +7.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (13 of 27, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (42% 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 Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations. Applicants are asked to submit a completed application and grant request form, an IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, a W-9, two years of financial statements, and a project plan with budget. The foundation will not consider applications from individuals; religious organizations for religious purposes; political campaigns or individual candidates; scholarship applicants; or sponsorship events. Some grants require a grant agreement. Recipients outside the United States must sign one and provide other documentation required by the IRS.
- Contact
Application contact: Patrice R Lee
Mailing address: 2050 Main Street Suite 300, Irvine, CA 92614
Phone: (714) 730-4435
Website: https://sunwestbank.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I
Who The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Challenging Heights ($100K). Together the top 10 received $452K.
Grant Size Distribution
117 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 100 grants of 117 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes investing in local nonprofit organizations. In 2024, its grant dollars were reported as 42% to California, 16% to Delaware, 6% to Arizona, and 2% to Florida; another 34% was assigned to an unidentified state category. Listed recipients include organizations in California and Arizona, as well as a Delaware recipient.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 27 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 361% 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 $275K (2022) to $545K (2024). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $545K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Challenging Heights | Community Services | $100,000 |
| Legado De Esperanza Foundation (Legacy of Hope) Wilmington, DE | Community Services | $86,505 |
| Nuevo Amanecer Juntos (New Dawn Together Assoc) | Community Services | $60,757 |
| Orange County Rescue Mission Tustin, CA | Community Services- Employment | $50,000 |
| Thorn Manhattan Beach, CA | Develop Technology to Fight Child Sexual Abuse | $50,000 |
| Collette's Children's Home Huntington Beach, CA | Community Services-Homeless Shelter | $25,000 |
| Escuela De La Calle | Community Services | $25,000 |
| Mary's Path Santa Ana, CA | Community Services | $25,000 |
| Fristers Irvine, CA | Community Services-Low Income Dads and Teen Parents | $15,000 |
| Homeless Youth Connection Avondale, AZ | Community Services | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I?
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 | $3,698,595 | $752,814 | $780,928 | $545,345 | 27 | $591,283 | $197,324 | $163,570 |
| 2023 | $3,443,836 | $593,602 | $490,023 | $377,603 | 23 | $424,993 | $46,572 | $157,263 |
| 2022 | $3,358,984 | $674,199 | $361,648 | $274,923 | 14 | $309,563 | $140,114 | $147,563 |
| 2021 | $3,020,940 | $1,138,054 | $542,038 | $464,762 | 28 | $495,269 | $107,060 | $148,091 |
| 2020 | $2,401,155 | $96,901 | $423,517 | $362,299 | 25 | — | $53,512 | $126,724 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I reported a distributable amount of $164K 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
The foundation says it aims to build prosperous communities by fostering a philanthropic corporate culture and advancing the impact of effective charitable organizations. Its focus is the care of vulnerable children and families, including support for programs meeting basic and critical needs.
Recent grantees illustrate the range of work supported. Orange County Rescue Mission describes its work as providing guidance, counseling, education, job training, shelter, food, clothing, health care, and independent-living communities. THORN says it builds technology and deploys programs to defend children from sexual exploitation. Homeless Youth Connection describes its mission as removing barriers to graduation for homeless youth, while Human Options says it provides a safe place and support for people affected by relationship violence. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 27 grants totaling $545,345. Awards ranged from $233 to $100,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Among the larger grants were $100,000 to Challenging Heights, $86,505 to Legado de Esperanza Foundation, $60,757 to Nuevo Amanecer Juntos, and $50,000 each to Orange County Rescue Mission and THORN. Other listed awards included $25,000 each to Collette’s Children’s Home, Escuela de la Calle, and Mary’s Path.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Eric Hovde as chairman; Carson Lappetito, Kent Smith, and Kara Trebs as trustees; and Nicole Bice as executive director.
The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I is led by Nicole Bice, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nicole Bice
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$17K (2020) → $18K (2024)
Eric Hovde
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carson Lappetito
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kent Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kara Trebs
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/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 $18K, to Nicole Bice (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I
How much does The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I give each year?
The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I gave $545K across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $378K across 23 grants.
What is The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I's typical grant size?
The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $20,198, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I that year got $19K on average.
Where does The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I give grants?
The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I's top state is California, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Delaware (16%) and Arizona (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Irvine, CA (4 grants), Santa Ana, CA (2 grants) and Phoenix, AZ (2 grants).
Does The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Services" (17 grants).
Who are The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I's largest grantees?
The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I's largest 2024 grantees include Challenging Heights ($100,000), Legado De Esperanza Foundation (Legacy of Hope) ($86,505) and Nuevo Amanecer Juntos (New Dawn Together Assoc) ($60,757), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I?
The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I reported $3.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $591K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $164K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I fund?
The foundation says it aims to build prosperous communities by fostering a philanthropic corporate culture and advancing the impact of effective charitable organizations. Its focus is the care of vulnerable children and families, including support for programs meeting basic and critical needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I?
The foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I's EIN?
The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-1607730. 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 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
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sunwest-bank-charitable-foundation-i-morg_c0efbc7a80734d5db42091a6ab146025
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_271607730_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sunwest-bank-charitable-foundation-i-morg_c0efbc7a80734d5db42091a6ab146025},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Sunwest Bank Charitable Foundation I'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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