The William G Irwin Charity Foundation
The William G. Irwin Charity Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. It makes capital grants to eligible public charities and fiscally sponsored organizations in California and Hawaii, prioritizing projects related to basic needs, medical facilities, and private schools.
The William G Irwin Charity Foundation at a glance
In short: The William G Irwin Charity Foundation gave $10.8M across 117 grants in 2024 (avg $93K), mostly in California. 75% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $10,840,417
- -13.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 117
- +36.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $92,653
- -36.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $115,150,685
- +3.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 75% first-time grantees (71 of 95, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (90% 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 William G Irwin Charity Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Applications are accepted exclusively through the online application process. The application overview requests a project summary, budget information, funding raised to date, and narrative responses about the organization, capital need, property, lawsuits, endowment, and project timeline. The filing lists a summary letter for an expression of interest and, for a complete proposal, current financial statements and budget, a list of officers, directors, or trustees, federal and state tax-exemption letters, and a justification for the request and description of the organization. Awarded grantees must wait three years from the last decision date before reapplying. If an application is denied, the foundation asks applicants to wait one year and submit a different project.
- Review Cycle
- The next listed application window is July 27–August 7, 2026. The board is scheduled to review proposals on September 17, with decisions expected by the end of September.
- Deadline
- The next listed application window is July 27–August 7, 2026.
- Contact
Application contact: Melissa Morazan Senior Program Offi
Mailing address: 1660 Bush Street Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: (415) 561-6540
Email: mmorazan@pfs-llc.net
Website: https://williamgirwinfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The William G Irwin Charity Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was San Francisco University High School ($500K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.1M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($25,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
436 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 168 grants of 436 (39%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grants are restricted to charitable uses in California and Hawaii. The foundation says most grants go to organizations serving the Greater Bay Area and Hawaii and that it rarely funds in Southern California. In 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to California recipients and 10% to Hawaii recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 117 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The William G Irwin Charity Foundation open to new grantees?
75%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 71 of 95 grantees (75%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $109K; repeat grants $129K. How we count
Medians: $96K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 16% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 34% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 200% 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 $5.2M (2020) to $12.5M (2023). In 2024 it made 117 grants totaling $10.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lumen Christi Academies of the Roman Catholic DIO Oakland, CA | Improvements to the plant to ensure safety and security at st. Elizabeth school | $400,000 |
| Children's Day School San Francisco, CA | Building dreams together: the campaign for childrens day school | $300,000 |
| St Mary's Medical Center Foundation San Francisco, CA | SMMC Adolescent Behavioral Health Anti-Ligature Project | $275,000 |
| The Ceres Community Project Sebastopol, CA | The Center for Food, Youth & Community | $250,000 |
| Dynamic Community Solutions Waianae, HI | 200 dwelling units - puuhonua o waianae capital campaign | $250,000 |
| San Francisco University High School San Francisco, CA | University High School California Street Campus | $250,000 |
| San Francisco University High School San Francisco, CA | University High School California Street Campus | $250,000 |
| A Better Way Inc Berkeley, CA | Health and safety improvements for a better way hq | $200,000 |
| Child Start Incorporated Napa, CA | Vallejo Early Learning Center | $200,000 |
| Community Housing Partnership DBA Homerise San Francisco, CA | Renovations to the San Cristina Affordable Housing Structure | $200,000 |
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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 | $115,150,685 | $6,113,050 | $14,569,918 | $10,840,417 | 117 | $11,100,729 | $5,686,925 | $5,549,289 |
| 2023 | $111,448,347 | $8,173,053 | $14,575,206 | $12,501,725 | 86 | $12,810,006 | $7,717,649 | $5,361,507 |
| 2022 | $109,869,635 | $6,713,898 | $16,479,469 | $10,033,594 | 82 | $10,257,041 | $6,265,522 | $5,709,418 |
| 2021 | $95,703,761 | $19,136,887 | $9,048,845 | $8,079,041 | 88 | $8,292,965 | $18,667,023 | $6,029,346 |
| 2020 | $85,615,719 | $5,505,439 | $5,911,939 | $5,206,028 | 63 | — | $5,014,683 | $5,253,261 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The William G Irwin Charity Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.5M 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’s stated purpose is to make capital grants exclusively in California and Hawaii. It prioritizes organizations providing basic needs such as shelter and food, medical facilities, and private schools, with particular focus on the Greater Bay Area and Hawaii.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of work among its grantees. Children’s Day School describes its mission as balancing academic learning with students’ personal development. Dynamic Community Solutions describes its work as providing communal living solutions to address homelessness. An individual recipient Medical Center Foundation says it supports the mission of an individual recipient Medical Center and the provision of medical care. These are grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 117 grants totaling $10,840,417. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $400,000, with a median of $50,000. Notable awards included $400,000 to Lumen Christi Academies of the an individual recipient Diocese for safety and security improvements at St. Elizabeth School; $300,000 to Children’s Day School for its capital campaign; $275,000 to an individual recipient Medical Center Foundation for an adolescent behavioral health anti-ligature project; and $250,000 each to The Ceres Community Project, Dynamic Community Solutions, and San Francisco University High School for capital projects.
The foundation generally expects applicants to have raised 75% of project funds before applying, with exceptions when the request covers the full project cost or helps reach the project’s final cost. It prefers at least one additional funder for a capital project. Requests should generally be under $200,000, particularly for organizations that have not received a prior grant. It does not fund planning or needs assessments, soft costs, endowment drives, events, general operating expenses, programmatic support, annual appeals, videos, medical research, or scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jane Olds Bogart as trustee, William L Olds III as audit committee chair, Anthony O Zanze as president, James F Zanze as vice president, and Michelle Sauger as treasurer. The foundation’s staff contacts include Senior Program Officer Eunice Valentine and Grants Manager Rachel Murch Watters.
The William G Irwin Charity Foundation is led by Anthony O. Zanze, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Anthony O. Zanze
President
Vice President & Audit Committee Chair → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William L. Olds III
Audit Committee Chair
President → Audit Committee Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jane Olds Bogart
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James F. Zanze
Vice President
Secretary → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Sauger
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 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.
Frequently asked questions about The William G Irwin Charity Foundation
How much does The William G Irwin Charity Foundation give each year?
The William G Irwin Charity Foundation gave $10.8M across 117 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $12.5M across 86 grants.
What is The William G Irwin Charity Foundation's typical grant size?
The William G Irwin Charity Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $92,653, across 117 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The William G Irwin Charity Foundation that year got $109K on average.
Where does The William G Irwin Charity Foundation give grants?
The William G Irwin Charity Foundation gives mostly in California: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Hawaii (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (40 grants), Oakland, CA (11 grants), San Jose, CA (7 grants) and Honolulu, HI (6 grants).
Does The William G Irwin Charity Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of The William G Irwin Charity Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 117) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Annual Funding - Food Bank Grants" (21 grants), "Annual Grant" (5 grants) and "Discretionary Grant" (3 grants).
Who are The William G Irwin Charity Foundation's largest grantees?
The William G Irwin Charity Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include San Francisco University High School ($500,000 across 2 grants), Lumen Christi Academies of the Roman Catholic DIO ($400,000) and St Anthony Foundation ($380,000 across 5 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($25,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The William G Irwin Charity Foundation?
The William G Irwin Charity Foundation reported $115.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $11.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The William G Irwin Charity Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to make capital grants exclusively in California and Hawaii. It prioritizes organizations providing basic needs such as shelter and food, medical facilities, and private schools, with particular focus on the Greater Bay Area and Hawaii. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The William G Irwin Charity Foundation?
Applications are accepted exclusively through the online application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The William G Irwin Charity Foundation's EIN?
The William G Irwin Charity Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-6069873. 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The William G Irwin Charity Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-william-g-irwin-charity-foundation-morg_dafecfc57b2e49f1b0ec6ef939367160
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_946069873_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The William G Irwin Charity Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-william-g-irwin-charity-foundation-morg_dafecfc57b2e49f1b0ec6ef939367160},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 William G Irwin Charity 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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