Universal Sunlight Foundation

SAN MARINO, CA EIN: 27-1016751

Universal Sunlight Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in San Marino, California. Established in 2009, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and maintains a significant asset base to support philanthropic activities across multiple regions.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$32.4M

+28.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.1M

-44.7% YoY

Grant Count

+16.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$163K

-52.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Universal Sunlight Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation does not have a publicly stated mission statement. However, its funding interests include:

Education
Health
Children and youth
Police departments
Eastern religions

The foundation primarily supports nonprofit organizations in California, with emphasis on Southern California.

Grantmaking

The foundation is open to new applicants, though specific application deadlines and procedures are not detailed in available sources.

Grant Range

$50–$2,000,000

Average Grant

amount: $2,000

Review Cycle

and procedures are not detailed in available sources.

How to Apply

Ready to take the next step with Universal Sunlight Foundation?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports organizations across multiple states and international locations, including:

California (primary focus, particularly Southern California)
Hawaii
Massachusetts
Tennessee
International locations including Berlin and Taipei
New York

Grant Distribution by State

California $7.7M (96%)

Hawaii $300K (4%)

Massachusetts $13K (0%)

New York $5K (0%)

Tennessee $2K (0%)

States

California Hawaii Massachusetts New York Tennessee

Cities

AptosArcadiaCupertinoHacienda HeightsHonoluluLos AngelesMcminnvilleMemphisMenlo ParkMonterey ParkNew YorkPasadenaProvincetownRosemeadSan MarinoUkiah

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue:

Total assets: $25,204,312 (most recent filing)
Total assets: $32,417,458 (2024 filing)
Annual revenue: $8,797,602
Annual expenses: $2,586,164
Expense ratio: 29.4%

Contact Information:

Address: 1100 Avondale Road, San Marino, CA 91108-1136
Telephone: 626-583-8288
EIN: 27-1016751

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$32,417,458	$25,204,312	$14,164,608
Revenue	$2,795,944	$8,797,602	$-15,592,431
Expenses	$1,501,359	$2,586,164	$2,285,547
Qualifying Distributions	$1,141,020	$2,062,076	$2,187,550
Net Investment Income	$3,261,448	$2,858,066	$45,929
Distributable Amount	$1,274,450	$746,579	$1,250,350

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 7 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

52 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Cedars-sinai Medical Center ($1,000,000), Miao Fa Zentrum ($80,000), Namo Amitabha Society ($30,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
NAMO AMITABHA SOCIETY ARCADIA, CA	CHARITABLE	$30,000
MIAO FA ZENTRUM	CHARITABLE	$80,000
CENTER FOR COASTAL STUDIES PROVINCETOWN, MA	CHARITABLE	$6,020
UNITED CHARITY FOUNDATION SAN MARINO, CA	CHARITABLE	$15,000
CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER Los Angeles, CA	CHARITABLE	$1,000,000
Jared Hung New York, NY	CHARITABLE	$5,000
BUDDHAS LIGHT INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIA HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CA	CHARITABLE	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is managed by trustees:

Bin Fen Cheng
Allen Yeh

Both trustees serve without compensation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
BIN FEN CHENG	Trustee	7	—
ALLEN YEH	Trustee	3	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Universal Sunlight Foundation fund?

The foundation does not have a publicly stated mission statement. However, its funding interests include: • Education • Health • Children and youth • Police departments • Eastern religions The foundation primarily supports nonprofit organizations in California, with emphasis on Southern California.

How do I apply for a grant from Universal Sunlight Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total annual giving: $1,141,020 • Grant range: $50–$2,000,000 • Average grant amount: $2,000 • The foundation awarded 6 grants in 2024 • Historically awarded 2,048 grants in the previous year • Approximately 12% of new applicants receive funding **Application Process:** The foundation is open to new applicants, though specific application deadlines and procedures are not detailed in available sources.

Where does Universal Sunlight Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports organizations across multiple states and international locations, including: • California (primary focus, particularly Southern California) • Hawaii • Massachusetts • Tennessee • International locations including Berlin and Taipei • New York

What size grants does Universal Sunlight Foundation award?

In 2024, Universal Sunlight Foundation awarded 7 grants totaling $1.1M — an average of about $163K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Universal Sunlight Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Universal Sunlight Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.