Wasserman Foundation
The Wasserman Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1952 by Lew and Edie Wasserman, it supports work in education, arts and culture, health, service, and global initiatives.
Wasserman Foundation at a glance
In short: Wasserman Foundation gave $13.7M across 197 grants in 2024 (avg $69K), mostly in California. 46% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $13,681,470
- +0.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 197
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $69,449
- +0.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $113,748,925
- -8.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (80 of 173, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (65% 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 Wasserman Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 10900 Wilshire Blvd Suite 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Phone: (310) 407-0200
Website: https://wassermanfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wasserman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was UCLA Foundation ($5.2M across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $10.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
752 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 577 grants of 752 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, California recipients received 65% of grant dollars, followed by New York at 14%, Illinois at 7%, Arkansas at 4%, and Ohio at 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 197 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Wasserman Foundation open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 80 of 173 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $121K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 47% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+13%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 252% 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 $10.9M (2020) to $13.7M (2024). In 2024 it made 197 grants totaling $13.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UCLA Foundation Los Angeles, CA | UCLA CARES (childhood anxiety, reslience, educatio NECK SURGERY | $2,000,000 |
| UCLA Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Pauley Pavilion | $1,500,000 |
| UCLA Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Football/Basketball | $1,500,000 |
| Choose Chicago Foundation Chicago, IL | Hospitality & Tourism Initiatives | $1,000,000 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY | 2024 Costume Institute Benefit | $757,000 |
| Bill Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation Little Rock, AR | Endowment | $500,000 |
| Lacma Los Angeles, CA | Building LACMA Campaign | $500,000 |
| Lacma Los Angeles, CA | Momentum Campaign | $500,000 |
| Lacma Los Angeles, CA | General Operating Contribution 2024 | $340,000 |
| Academy Museum Foundation Beverly Hills, CA | General Operating Support | $250,000 |
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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 | $113,748,925 | $3,732,372 | $15,683,216 | $13,681,470 | 197 | $14,693,915 | $2,363,472 | $5,831,473 |
| 2023 | $124,839,898 | $5,528,272 | $15,833,358 | $13,598,144 | 197 | $14,689,533 | $3,772,137 | $6,327,442 |
| 2022 | $131,085,982 | $10,241,848 | $14,608,352 | $12,207,407 | 141 | $13,152,446 | $6,417,930 | $6,795,621 |
| 2021 | $159,400,991 | $20,692,789 | $14,566,812 | $12,102,595 | 111 | $12,996,193 | $15,268,133 | $7,884,085 |
| 2020 | $147,525,911 | $4,144,314 | $12,971,747 | $10,862,012 | 106 | — | $5,699,786 | $6,914,685 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wasserman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.8M 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 funds education, arts and culture, health, service, and global initiatives. Its education partners include the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, College Track, Project Scientist at CalTech, Los Angeles Unified School District, and DonorsChoose.org. The family has also endowed scholarships at six universities: Brandeis University, CalArts, Caltech, Georgetown University, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and UCLA.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of its giving. UCLA Foundation describes itself as UCLA’s giving, receiving, and investing arm, supporting the university’s academic and research work. Choose Chicago Foundation says it advances Chicago’s civic, cultural, and economic growth through travel and tourism initiatives. The Academy Museum Foundation describes its work as advancing the understanding, celebration, and preservation of cinema. City of Hope says its mission is to support people affected by cancer and diabetes, while Brentwood School describes its aim as helping students think critically and creatively, act ethically, and shape a meaningful future.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 197 grants totaling $13,681,470. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $2,000,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Among its largest reported grants were $2,000,000 to UCLA Foundation for UCLA CARES; $1,500,000 to UCLA Foundation for Pauley Pavilion; and another $1,500,000 to UCLA Foundation for football and basketball. Other major grants included $1,000,000 to Choose Chicago Foundation for hospitality and tourism initiatives and $757,000 to The Metropolitan Museum of Art for its 2024 Costume Institute Benefit. The foundation also gave $500,000 to LACMA for each of its Building LACMA and Momentum campaigns.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Casey Wasserman as president and trustee; Steve Guise as secretary; Ryan Berenson as CFO; Mike Watts and Charles Paul as trustees; and Emmet Wasserman and Stella Wasserman as vice presidents. The foundation’s website identifies Rica Rodman as executive director.
Wasserman Foundation is led by Casey Wasserman, President & Trustee on every filing since 2020; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Casey Wasserman
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles Paul
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Mike Watts
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ryan Berenson
CFO
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Guise
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Emmet Wasserman
Vice President
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Stella Wasserman
Vice President
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
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 Wasserman Foundation
How much does Wasserman Foundation give each year?
Wasserman Foundation gave $13.7M across 197 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $13.6M across 197 grants.
What is Wasserman Foundation's typical grant size?
Wasserman Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $69,449, across 197 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wasserman Foundation that year got $30K on average.
Where does Wasserman Foundation give grants?
Wasserman Foundation gives mostly in California: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (14%) and Illinois (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (42 grants), New York, NY (27 grants), Beverly Hills, CA (11 grants) and Nashville, TN (7 grants).
Does Wasserman Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 13% of Wasserman Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 197) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Wasserman Serve Day 2024" (4 grants) and "2024 Annual Gala" (3 grants).
Who are Wasserman Foundation's largest grantees?
Wasserman Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include UCLA Foundation ($5,200,000 across 4 grants), Lacma ($1,565,000 across 5 grants) and Choose Chicago Foundation ($1,000,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Wasserman Foundation?
Wasserman Foundation reported $113.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $14.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Wasserman Foundation fund?
The foundation funds education, arts and culture, health, service, and global initiatives. Its education partners include the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, College Track, Project Scientist at CalTech, Los Angeles Unified School District, and DonorsChoose.org. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wasserman Foundation?
The foundation 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 Wasserman Foundation's EIN?
Wasserman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6038762. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Wasserman 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). Wasserman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wasserman-foundation-morg_77822dab6ca2437bb373849064dde467
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956038762_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wasserman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wasserman-foundation-morg_77822dab6ca2437bb373849064dde467},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Wasserman 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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