Upside Down Foundation
Upside Down Foundation is a private foundation based in Pasadena, California. It reported 22 grants totaling $183,899 in 2024, supporting organizations and charitable recipients with activities including mission work, poverty alleviation, medical transportation, pregnancy-related care, and religious education.
Upside Down Foundation at a glance
In short: Upside Down Foundation gave $184K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in California. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $183,899
- +15.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +37.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,359
- -15.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $569,689
- +3.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (7 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (57% 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 Upside Down 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. Its filing lists Jerry Wada as the contact and lists forms and materials, deadlines, and award restrictions as N/A.
- Contact
Application contact: Jerry Wada
Mailing address: 358 W Green St Unit 212, Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: (818) 952-4120
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Upside Down Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Crystal Powers ($35K). Together the top 10 received $160K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 81 grants of 82 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 57% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 20% to Texas, 11% to Oregon, 7% to Indiana, and 4% to Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Upside Down Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 22 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 119% 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 $116K (2022) to $184K (2024). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $184K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Powers Bedford, TX | Mission Work | $35,000 |
| Heavenly Treasures Glendora, CA | Charity | $22,745 |
| Jason Kerner Missionary Middle East Aloha, OR | Charity | $20,000 |
| Axial Project Pasadena, CA | Charity | $15,024 |
| Robert and Pearl Allen Missionaries in China Mokelumne Hill, CA | Mission Work | $15,000 |
| Upward Bound Study Monterey Park, CA | Charity | $15,000 |
| International Childcare Ministries Indianapolis, IN | Charity | $13,680 |
| Mission Flight El Monte, CA | Mission Work | $10,100 |
| Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Madison, WI | Charity | $8,000 |
| Avenues Pregnancy Clinic Glendale, CA | Charity | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Upside Down Foundation?
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 | $569,689 | $206,188 | $186,206 | $183,899 | 22 | $183,974 | $206,188 | $155,237 |
| 2023 | $549,707 | $123,137 | $159,277 | $158,880 | 16 | $158,930 | $123,137 | $132,156 |
| 2022 | $585,847 | $85,420 | $118,309 | $115,680 | 9 | $115,755 | $85,420 | $127,830 |
| 2021 | $618,736 | $148,670 | $163,749 | $161,430 | 17 | $161,480 | $146,351 | $131,762 |
| 2020 | $633,815 | $107,579 | $128,310 | $127,100 | 18 | — | $107,579 | $99,564 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Upside Down Foundation reported a distributable amount of $155K 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 own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for mission work and for charitable organizations. For example, Heavenly Treasures describes its mission as helping people in developing countries build self-sufficiency through handicraft micro-enterprises. Mission Flight says it flies medical patients to appointments in California and volunteer teams to remote, impoverished areas of Mexico. Thru The Bible describes its work as producing a Bible-study program broadcast in more than 250 languages and dialects.
Other 2024 grantees describe work in pregnancy-related care, Bible education, and lending durable medical equipment. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $183,899. Grants ranged from $100 to $35,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $35,000 to Crystal Powers for mission work; $22,745 to Heavenly Treasures; $20,000 to Jason Kerner Missionary Middle East for charity; $15,024 to Axial Project; and $15,000 each to Robert and Pearl Allen Missionaries in China for mission work and Upward Bound Study. Other notable grants included $13,680 to International Childcare Ministries, $10,100 to Mission Flight for mission work, and $8,000 to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jerry Wada as president and director, and Jane Wada as secretary and director.
Upside Down Foundation is led by Jerry Wada, President & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jerry Wada
President & Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Wada
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Jerry Wada Jerry Wada Jerry (2020) — President & Director
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 Upside Down Foundation
How much does Upside Down Foundation give each year?
Upside Down Foundation gave $184K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $159K across 16 grants.
What is Upside Down Foundation's typical grant size?
Upside Down Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,359, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Upside Down Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Upside Down Foundation give grants?
Upside Down Foundation gives mostly in California: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Texas (20%) and Oregon (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pasadena, CA (4 grants).
Does Upside Down Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Upside Down Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (19 grants) and "Mission Work" (3 grants).
Who are Upside Down Foundation's largest grantees?
Upside Down Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Crystal Powers ($35,000), Heavenly Treasures ($22,745) and Jason Kerner Missionary Middle East ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Upside Down Foundation?
Upside Down Foundation reported $570K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $184K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $155K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Upside Down Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for mission work and for charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Upside Down 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 Upside Down Foundation's EIN?
Upside Down Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3701540. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Upside Down 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Upside Down Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/upside-down-foundation-morg_44a3ce09fdbd44bb86adecbd99f992b2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203701540_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Upside Down Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/upside-down-foundation-morg_44a3ce09fdbd44bb86adecbd99f992b2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Upside Down 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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