Volentine Family Foundation
The Volentine Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Barbara, California. Established by Myatt and Genevieve Volentine in 1988, it supports education, substance abuse rehabilitation, youth activities, and community organizations that promote public wellbeing.
Volentine Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Volentine Family Foundation gave $1.3M across 69 grants in 2024 (avg $19K), mostly in California. 9% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,280,000
- -2.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 69
- +1.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $18,551
- -4.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $24,101,761
- +2.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (6 of 69, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (73% 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 Volentine Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The filing directs organizations to the foundation’s website for requirements and submission of an initial inquiry. If approved to proceed, an organization may be asked to submit a grant application and supporting documentation. Awards are limited to organizations operating in Santa Barbara, California, and Loveland, Colorado.
- Review Cycle
- The stated inquiry deadline is April 20. The 2026 deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- The stated inquiry deadline is April 20.
- Contact
Application contact: Volentine Family Foundation
Mailing address: 19 W Carrillo Street Ste B, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: (805) 962-5719
Website: https://volentine.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Volentine Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Santa Barbara Foundation ($60K). Together the top 10 received $387K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($10,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
365 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 345 grants of 365 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing limits awards to organizations operating in Santa Barbara, California, and Loveland, Colorado. In 2024, 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 23% to recipients in Colorado; smaller shares went to Arizona, Oklahoma, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 69 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Volentine Family Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 69 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 77% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% 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 (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 $1.0M (2020) to $1.4M (2022). In 2024 it made 69 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Safety and Shelter Program | $60,000 |
| Unity Shoppe Inc Santa Barbara, CA | Family Support Services | $55,000 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Educationnursing Bachelors Degree Program | $42,000 |
| Thompson Education Foundation Loveland, CO | Educationtef Scholarships | $40,000 |
| CASA Serena Santa Barbara, CA | Alcohol and Drug Recovery Services | $35,000 |
| Transition House Santa Barbara, CA | Family Support Services | $35,000 |
| Food from the Heart Santa Barbara, CA | Family Support Services | $30,000 |
| Foodbank of Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | Family Support Services | $30,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity - Santa Barbara County Goleta, CA | Family Support Services | $30,000 |
| Loveland Food Bank Loveland, CO | Family Support Services | $30,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $24,101,761 | $2,773,288 | $2,110,223 | $1,280,000 | 69 | $1,464,868 | $2,174,914 | $1,528,384 |
| 2023 | $23,438,503 | $1,123,671 | $2,183,657 | $1,314,680 | 68 | $1,496,416 | $515,544 | $1,476,800 |
| 2022 | $24,494,140 | $1,524,870 | $2,299,440 | $1,437,859 | 72 | $1,619,937 | $904,805 | $1,534,548 |
| 2021 | $25,281,225 | $2,715,907 | $1,925,683 | $1,230,200 | 81 | $1,370,409 | $2,197,616 | $1,579,856 |
| 2020 | $24,482,563 | $754,675 | $1,672,977 | $1,001,250 | 75 | — | $242,376 | $1,365,228 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Volentine Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says it aims to make a difference in the communities it serves through educational scholarships, substance abuse rehabilitation programs, and charitable organizations that foster and promote youth activities. Its website also identifies education and vocation, youth, rehabilitation and transition, and community as focus areas. Education grants may support learning environments, classroom experiences, and access to higher education or vocational training; rehabilitation and transition funding may support prevention and recovery services.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of its giving. The Santa Barbara Foundation says its mission is to mobilize collective wisdom and philanthropic capital to build empathetic, inclusive, and resilient communities. Transition House describes its work as addressing family homelessness through residential services and support for families with children. The Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse says it provides education, prevention, and treatment related to substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 69 grants totaling $1,280,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $60,000, with a median of $15,000. Notable awards included $60,000 to the Santa Barbara Foundation for a safety and shelter program, $55,000 to Unity Shoppe Inc for family support services, and $42,000 to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation for a nursing bachelor’s degree program. Other large grants included $40,000 to Thompson Education Foundation for scholarships and $35,000 each to Casa Serena for alcohol and drug recovery services and Transition House for family support services.
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website describes an initial inquiry and review process; organizations whose requests are consistent with its guidelines and priorities may be invited to submit a full application and supporting documentation. An invitation is not a guarantee of funding.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Nancy K. Popenhagen as president, Diane K. Hayes as vice president, Claudette Sabiron as secretary, Catherine Macaulay as treasurer, and Richard A. Nightingale as chief financial officer.
Volentine Family Foundation is led by Nancy K. Popenhagen, President on every filing since 2020; all 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nancy K. Popenhagen
President
On filings since 2020
11 hrs/week
$74K (2020) → $80K (2024)
Catherine Macaulay
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$14K (2020) → $20K (2024)
Claudette Sabiron
Secretary
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$59K (2020) → $65K (2024)
Diane K. Hayes
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$26K (2020) → $32K (2024)
Richard A. Nightingale
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$14K (2020) → $20K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $80K, to Nancy K Popenhagen (President). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Volentine Family Foundation
How much does Volentine Family Foundation give each year?
Volentine Family Foundation gave $1.3M across 69 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.3M across 68 grants.
What is Volentine Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Volentine Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $18,551, across 69 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Volentine Family Foundation that year got $16K on average.
Where does Volentine Family Foundation give grants?
Volentine Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (45 grants), Loveland, CO (9 grants), Fort Collins, CO (3 grants) and Goleta, CA (2 grants).
Does Volentine Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 1% of Volentine Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 69) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Family Support Services" (16 grants), "Community Support Services" (7 grants) and "Youth Support Services" (6 grants).
Who are Volentine Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Volentine Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Santa Barbara Foundation ($60,000), Unity Shoppe Inc ($55,000) and Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation ($42,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($10,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Volentine Family Foundation?
Volentine Family Foundation reported $24.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (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 Volentine Family Foundation fund?
The foundation says it aims to make a difference in the communities it serves through educational scholarships, substance abuse rehabilitation programs, and charitable organizations that foster and promote youth activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Volentine Family Foundation?
The filing directs organizations to the foundation’s website for requirements and submission of an initial inquiry. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Volentine Family Foundation's EIN?
Volentine Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0203235. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Volentine Family 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 October 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). Volentine Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/volentine-family-foundation-morg_1bfdf2ba832e44bf8c4a8c9b90e51e40
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_770203235_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Volentine Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/volentine-family-foundation-morg_1bfdf2ba832e44bf8c4a8c9b90e51e40},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Volentine Family 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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