Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust
The Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Daly City, California. It makes grants to charitable organizations, with 2025 awards supporting organizations involved in animal welfare, health, human services, education, and youth programs.
Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust gave $730K across 35 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), mostly in California. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $729,500
- -6.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- +2.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,843
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $9,171,322
- -4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (3 of 35, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing states that the attached grant application form reflects all requirements. It identifies John Nicolai as the contact for applications and says awards are limited to charitable organizations operating within California and subject to the jurisdiction of its Attorney General.
- Review Cycle
- There are no submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- There are no submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: John Nicolai
Mailing address: 950 John Daly Boulevard Suite 300, Daly City, CA 94015
Phone: (650) 755-2333
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Dr Norman Shumway Endowed Family of Funds ($145K). Together the top 10 received $555K.
Grant Size Distribution
167 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 139 grants of 167 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 1% to recipients in the District of Columbia. The 2024 filing states that awards are limited to charitable organizations operating within California and subject to the jurisdiction of its Attorney General.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 35 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 91% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 90% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $730K (2025) to $785K (2023). In 2025 it made 35 grants totaling $730K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Norman Shumway Endowed Family of Funds San Mateo, CA | Charitable Contribution to support charity's mission to improve patient health through continual scientific innovation, revolutionary operative care, and exemplary surgical education | $145,000 |
| Marin Humane Society Novato, CA | Charitable Contribution to support charity's mission to improve the lives of animals and people through advocacy, education, and support | $75,000 |
| Peninsula Humane Society San Mateo, CA | Charitable Contribution to support charity's mission to support humane service to needy animals | $75,000 |
| San Francisco SPCA San Francisco, CA | Charitable Contribution to support charity's mission to save and protect animals, and provide care and treatment | $75,000 |
| Marine Mammal Center Sausalito, CA | Charitable Contribution to support charity's mission to expand knowledge about marine mammals and inspire their global conservation | $40,000 |
| St Anthony's Foundation San Francisco, CA | Charitable Contribution to support charity's mission to provide shelter, housing, meals, medical care, clothing and furniture, rehabilitation services, and senior services | $40,000 |
| Samaritan House San Mateo, CA | Charitable Contribution to support charity's mission to provide services to help meet the essential daily needs of low-income people within San Mateo County, California | $30,000 |
| Curi Odyssey (Formerly Coyote Point Museum) San Mateo, CA | Charitable Contribution to support charity's mission to help children acquire the tools to deeply understand the changing world | $25,000 |
| Supporters of the Doelger Senior Center Daly City, CA | Charitable Contribution to support charity's mission to improve the quality of life for seniors and adults in Daly City and surrounding areas | $25,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Charitable Contribution to support charity's mission to provide isolated homebound seniors in San Francisco with nutritious meals, daily human contact, and supportive services | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust?
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 | $9,171,322 | $536,486 | $1,011,639 | $729,500 | 35 | $876,685 | $414,267 | $978,202 |
| 2024 | $9,646,475 | $976,151 | $1,055,390 | $779,500 | 34 | $923,176 | $858,634 | $887,355 |
| 2023 | $9,725,714 | $921,833 | $1,042,100 | $784,500 | 32 | $925,745 | $805,477 | $876,831 |
| 2022 | $9,845,981 | $385,288 | $1,064,125 | $784,500 | 33 | $929,918 | $280,634 | $966,717 |
| 2021 | $10,524,817 | $931,729 | $1,034,002 | $784,000 | 33 | — | $823,960 | $883,695 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $978K 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 mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Marin Humane describes its mission as transforming lives through animal care, humane education, and advocacy. Samaritan House says it works to fight poverty by providing food, shelter access, healthcare, and other supportive services. Meals on Wheels of San Francisco describes its work as providing homebound seniors with meals, human contact, and supportive services. Other 2025 grantees included health foundations, youth organizations, and a marine mammal conservation organization.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust made 35 grants totaling $729,500. Grants ranged from $4,500 to $145,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest 2025 award was $145,000 to the Dr. Norman Shumway Endowed Family of Funds. Other notable grants included $75,000 each to Marin Humane Society, Peninsula Humane Society, and San Francisco SPCA; $40,000 each to the Marine Mammal Center and St. Anthony’s Foundation; and $30,000 to Samaritan House.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles E. Cross, John F. Nicolai, and Claudette M. Nicolai as trustees.
Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John F Nicolai
Trustee
On filings since 2021
6 hrs/week
$49K (2021) → $71K (2025)
Claudette M Nicolai
Trustee
On filings since 2024
6 hrs/week
$17K (2024) → $71K (2025)
Charles E. Cross
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
6 hrs/week
$25K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: D. Eugene Richard (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: John R. Violet (2021–2024) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $71K, to John F Nicolai (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust
How much does Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust give each year?
Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust gave $730K across 35 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $780K across 34 grants.
What is Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $20,843, across 35 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust that year got $8K on average.
Where does Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust give grants?
Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust gives mostly in California: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (12 grants), San Mateo, CA (8 grants), Daly City, CA (5 grants) and Santa Rosa, CA (2 grants).
Does Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 35 grants with a stated purpose on Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Dr Norman Shumway Endowed Family of Funds ($145,000), Marin Humane Society ($75,000) and Peninsula Humane Society ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust?
Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust reported $9.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $877K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $978K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Marin Humane describes its mission as transforming lives through animal care, humane education, and advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust?
The 2024 filing states that the attached grant application form reflects all requirements. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust's EIN?
Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3318483. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thelma-doelger-charitable-trust-morg_5447976dfcd143298498dd246588f081
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943318483_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thelma-doelger-charitable-trust-morg_5447976dfcd143298498dd246588f081},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust'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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