Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust
Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. It supports charitable organizations through grants; its 2025 filing reports 26 grants totaling $581,000.
Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust gave $581K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in California. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $581,000
- +24.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $22,346
- +14.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $4,813,456
- -2.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (13 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (75% 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 Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3503 Laguna Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Phone: (650) 224-8931
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Society for Technion ($100K). Together the top 10 received $345K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($100,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
131 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 113 grants of 131 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 75% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 19% to New York, 4% to Maryland, and 2% to the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 26 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 28% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 111% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $453K (2022) to $581K (2025). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $581K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Society for Technion New York, NY | General | $100,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $100,000 |
| Second Harvest Silicon Valley San Jose, CA | General | $50,000 |
| American Cancer Society Hagerstown, MD | General | $25,000 |
| Canine Companions Santa Rosa, CA | General | $25,000 |
| Lucille Packard Child Health Palo Alto, CA | General | $25,000 |
| Oshman Family JCC Palo Alto, CA | General | $25,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, CA | General | $25,000 |
| San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance San Diego, CA | General | $25,000 |
| San Francisco Opera San Francisco, CA | General | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,813,456 | $779,998 | $913,465 | $581,000 | 26 | $835,998 | $702,531 | $751,474 |
| 2024 | $4,947,830 | $464,935 | $828,393 | $467,500 | 24 | $745,250 | $381,792 | $762,868 |
| 2023 | $5,325,016 | $777,888 | $850,437 | $497,500 | 27 | $769,379 | $696,830 | $713,327 |
| 2022 | $5,397,565 | $501,530 | $806,194 | $452,500 | 26 | $724,758 | $420,094 | $764,003 |
| 2021 | $5,721,330 | $999,860 | $692,052 | $475,000 | 28 | $640,378 | $948,186 | $668,565 |
| 2020 | $5,423,493 | $617,419 | $619,446 | $457,000 | 32 | — | $576,710 | $580,204 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $751K 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 grants went to organizations working in areas including music and the arts, science and environmental education, Jewish culture, food assistance, health, and wildlife. These are areas represented by the listed grantees, not stated mission areas of the trust.
For example, Young Musicians Foundation describes its mission as providing tuition-free music education and experiences to underserved students. The California Science Center Foundation says it aims to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning, while the California Academy of Sciences describes its work as regenerating the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Jewish Film Institute says it champions films and filmmakers that expand and evolve the Jewish story.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the trust reported 26 grants totaling $581,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest reported grants included $100,000 each to the American Society for Technion and UC Berkeley’s Rausser College of Natural Resources, and $50,000 to Second Harvest Silicon Valley. Other $25,000 grants went to the American Cancer Society, Canine Companions, Lucille Packard Child Health, Oshman Family JCC, Planned Parenthood, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and San Francisco Opera. The listed grants were reported for general purposes.
Other 2025 grants included $20,000 to Young Musicians Foundation, $15,000 to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and $10,000 each to the California Science Center Foundation, California Academy of Sciences, and Jewish Film Institute. The Skirball Cultural Center received $5,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Donna Seidel and Joan Seidel as trustees.
Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joan Seidel
Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$141K (2020) → $77K (2025)
Donna Seidel
Trustee
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
$74K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $77K, to Joan Seidel (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust
How much does Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust give each year?
Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust gave $581K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $468K across 24 grants.
What is Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $22,346, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust that year got $23K on average.
Where does Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust give grants?
Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust gives mostly in California: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (6 grants), Palo Alto, CA (3 grants), San Francisco, CA (3 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include American Society for Technion ($100,000), Second Harvest Silicon Valley ($50,000) and American Cancer Society ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($100,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust?
Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust reported $4.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $836K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $751K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including music and the arts, science and environmental education, Jewish culture, food assistance, health, and wildlife. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust?
The trust 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 Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust's EIN?
Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6995937. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/virginia-friedhofer-charitable-trust-morg_a9a2019291d94614b6118480a09e8634
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956995937_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Virginia Friedhofer Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/virginia-friedhofer-charitable-trust-morg_a9a2019291d94614b6118480a09e8634},
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 Virginia Friedhofer 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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