Urbanek Education Fund is a family foundation established in 2000 and based in Menlo Park, California. The organization operates as a private 501(c)(3) foundation focused on supporting educational institutions through scholarship funding.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$516K
+68.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$208K
-31.1% YoY
Grant Count
34
-24.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
-8.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Urbanek Education Fund reported a distributable amount of $33K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Urbanek Education Fund primarily funds scholarships for study at educational institutions. The foundation's grantmaking focuses on supporting students pursuing higher education at various universities and colleges.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 45 grants in 2023. Recent scholarship grants include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily operates in California, with scholarship support directed to educational institutions across the United States, including UC system schools and major research universities.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2023 Financial Summary:
- Total Assets: $306,196
- Total Revenues: $332,006
- Total Expenses: $318,705
- Total Grants, Contributions, etc.: $202,050
- Investment Income and Dividends: $5,120
- Number of Employees: 0
The foundation operates with minimal overhead as a family foundation with no paid staff.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $516,489 | $306,196 | $292,895 |
| Revenue | $441,098 | $332,006 | $5,785 |
| Expenses | $230,805 | $318,705 | $230,705 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $218,654 | $313,168 | $227,172 |
| Net Investment Income | $61,267 | $399,696 | $252 |
| Distributable Amount | $33,360 | $27,690 | $24,565 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
209 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include University of California Berkeley ($16,000), University of Texas at Dallas ($13,000), Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($11,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| KONG MEIQIN | SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY AT AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. | $2,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS amherst, MA | SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY. | $10,000 |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CAMBRIDGE, MA | SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY. | $11,000 |
| North Eastern University Boston, MA | SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY. | $5,000 |
| ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY Tempe, AZ | SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY. | $8,000 |
| CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY SAN LOUIS OBISPO, CA | SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY. | $6,000 |
| CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY PITTSBURGH, PA | SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY. | $7,000 |
| CLARK COLLEGE Vancouver, WA | SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY. | $3,000 |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY NEW YORK, NY | SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY. | $10,000 |
| XIAN LIN WONG | SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY AT AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. | $2,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Urbanek | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| LIDA URBANEK | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| PENNY GALLO | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Urbanek Education Fund fund?
The Urbanek Education Fund primarily funds scholarships for study at educational institutions. The foundation's grantmaking focuses on supporting students pursuing higher education at various universities and colleges.
How do I apply for a grant from Urbanek Education Fund?
The foundation made 45 grants in 2023. Recent scholarship grants include: • University of California Santa Barbara: $24,000 (2023) • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): $11,000 (2023) • Columbia University: $11,000 (2023) Grant awards typically range from $5,000 to $24,000 based on recent activity.
Where does Urbanek Education Fund make grants?
The foundation primarily operates in California, with scholarship support directed to educational institutions across the United States, including UC system schools and major research universities.
What size grants does Urbanek Education Fund award?
In 2024, Urbanek Education Fund awarded 34 grants totaling $208K — an average of about $6K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Urbanek Education Fund required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Urbanek Education Fund reported a distributable amount of $33K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Urbanek Education Fund's EIN?
Urbanek Education Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3372793. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Urbanek Education Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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