The Waits Brennan Foundation
The Waits Brennan Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working on food assistance, shelter and care, mental health, aquatic conservation, and other causes.
The Waits Brennan Foundation at a glance
In short: The Waits Brennan Foundation gave $132K across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $131,750
- +1363.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- +350.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,319
- +225.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $678,023
- -0.3% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (85% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Waits Brennan Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1880 Century Park E Ste 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Phone: (310) 954-1050
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Waits Brennan Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Redwood Food Bank ($40K). Together the top 10 received $129K.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 59 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 15% to recipients in Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Waits Brennan Foundation gives
- Giving grew 239% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 413% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1K (2022) to $132K (2024). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $132K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Redwood Food Bank Santa Rosa, CA | Support of a local community food bank to feed those in need and end hunger in the community | $40,000 |
| Catholic Charities Diocese of Santa Rosa Santa Rosa, CA | In support of the organizations efforts to provide shelter, meals, and care to underserved populations. | $30,000 |
| NAMI Santa Rosa, CA | Support to provide support to those with diagnosed mental illness. | $20,000 |
| Naui Sonoma County Riverview, FL | Education for divers while advocating for aquatic conservation efforts. | $20,000 |
| Pacific Zen Center Santa Rosa, CA | Support of the community seeking food assistance, in addition providing emergency food boxes and vital food distribution centers. | $9,000 |
| Redwood Gospel Mission Santa Rosa, CA | Support of a Homelessness Organization. | $7,000 |
| Food for Thought Forestville, CA | Support to End Food Deserts Nationwide. | $1,200 |
| NRDC San Fransisco, CA | Support for Advocacy for Environmental Protection Causes | $1,000 |
| Actors Gang Culver City, CA | To provide assistance in the performing arts industry in support of formerly incarcerated individuals. | $500 |
| Bread & Roses Venice, CA | Support of human services mission through live music performances to underserved and marginalized communities. | $500 |
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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 | $678,023 | $130,535 | $132,330 | $131,750 | 18 | $131,750 | $29,955 | $31,886 |
| 2023 | $679,818 | $178,185 | $9,025 | $9,000 | 4 | $9,000 | $27,160 | $27,350 |
| 2022 | $510,608 | $2,006 | $1,075 | $1,000 | 1 | $1,000 | $1,931 | $25,080 |
| 2021 | $509,677 | $100,038 | $38,625 | $38,900 | 25 | $38,900 | $313 | $22,042 |
| 2020 | $448,264 | $101,167 | $78,733 | $78,000 | 11 | — | $967 | $20,595 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Waits Brennan Foundation reported a distributable amount of $32K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for food banks and food distribution, shelter and services for underserved populations, mental health support, aquatic conservation education, homelessness services, environmental advocacy, performing arts, and music education.
Among the grantees, St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin describes its mission as providing individualized assistance with food, housing, employment, and community participation. The Actors’ Gang says it presents plays, introduces theater to children, and brings self-expression to incarcerated people. Sera Jey Foundation says it supports an institution providing K–12 education for disadvantaged children and preserving Himalayan cultural traditions and ethnic arts. Sonoma Land Trust describes its work as protecting Sonoma County’s natural, cultural, agricultural, and open landscapes.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $131,750. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $40,000, with a median of $500.
Larger reported grants included $40,000 to Redwood Food Bank, $30,000 to Catholic Charities Diocese of Santa Rosa, $20,000 to NAMI, and $20,000 to NAUI Sonoma County. Other grants included $9,000 to Pacific Zen Center, $7,000 to Redwood Gospel Mission, and $1,200 to Food for Thought. The foundation also gave $500 each to Actor’s Gang and Sera Jey Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kathleen Brennan as president and Tom Waits as secretary/CFO.
The Waits Brennan Foundation is led by Kathleen Brennan, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kathleen Brennan
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Tom Waits
Secretary & CFO
On filings since 2020
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Waits Brennan Foundation
How much does The Waits Brennan Foundation give each year?
The Waits Brennan Foundation gave $132K across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $9K across 4 grants.
What is The Waits Brennan Foundation's typical grant size?
The Waits Brennan Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $500, and its average grant was $7,319, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Waits Brennan Foundation give grants?
The Waits Brennan Foundation gives mostly in California: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Rosa, CA (7 grants).
Does The Waits Brennan Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on The Waits Brennan Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Waits Brennan Foundation's largest grantees?
The Waits Brennan Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Redwood Food Bank ($40,000), Catholic Charities Diocese of Santa Rosa ($30,000) and NAMI ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Waits Brennan Foundation?
The Waits Brennan Foundation reported $678K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $132K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $32K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Waits Brennan Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Waits Brennan Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Waits Brennan Foundation's EIN?
The Waits Brennan Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4812822. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Waits Brennan 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
Live grants for the work The Waits Brennan Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Waits Brennan Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-waits-brennan-foundation-morg_8bebae1459504c6f8354740df97e9b39
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954812822_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Waits Brennan Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-waits-brennan-foundation-morg_8bebae1459504c6f8354740df97e9b39},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Waits Brennan 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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