Writer Family Foundation
Writer Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Barbara, California. Its 2024 filing reports 14 grants totaling $47,928, with listed awards to organizations in California, Washington, DC, New York, and Connecticut.
Writer Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Writer Family Foundation gave $48K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in California. 43% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $47,928
- +0.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- -6.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,423
- +8.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $41,435
- +206.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (6 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (60% 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 Writer Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit a written application with all applicable information.
- Contact
Application contact: George S Writer
Mailing address: 1510 Monte Vista Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Phone: (805) 565-3936
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Writer Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County ($10K). Together the top 10 received $44K.
Grant Size Distribution
85 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 85 grants of 85 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in California (60%), Washington, DC (19%), New York (19%), and Connecticut (2%). The filing lists awards to organizations in Santa Barbara and San Francisco, California; Washington, DC; New York, New York; and Stonington, Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Writer Family Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 14 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 43% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−18%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $48K (2023) to $68K (2020). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $48K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara, CA | Charitable Support | $10,000 |
| Direct Relief International Santa Barbara, CA | Charitable Support | $10,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Charitable Support | $8,000 |
| Trust Tai Washington, DC | Charitable Support | $4,625 |
| Project Hope Washington, DC | Charitable Support | $2,500 |
| The Trust for Public Land San Francisco, CA | Charitable Support | $2,000 |
| Accion International Wasjomgtpm, DC | Charitable Support | $2,000 |
| Santa Barbara Tennis Patrons Santa Barbara, CA | Charitable Support | $2,000 |
| Oniracom Santa Barbara, CA | Charitable Support | $1,803 |
| Coast Guard Foundation Stonington, CT | Charitable Support | $1,000 |
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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 | $41,435 | $76,630 | $51,617 | $47,928 | 14 | $49,457 | $49,137 | $1,327 |
| 2023 | $13,499 | $49,516 | $50,631 | $47,500 | 15 | $48,929 | $42,955 | $1,227 |
| 2022 | $14,614 | $28,183 | $62,548 | $57,099 | 16 | $59,472 | $19,747 | $1,384 |
| 2021 | $48,979 | $50,636 | $58,620 | $58,500 | 19 | $58,500 | $46,004 | $2,199 |
| 2020 | $58,051 | $97,962 | $70,175 | $68,000 | 21 | — | $77,658 | $786 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Writer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County says its mission is to conserve natural resources, agricultural land, and open spaces. The Trust for Public Land says it creates parks and protects land for people and healthy, livable communities. Accion International describes its mission as promoting a fair and inclusive economy and improving underserved people’s economic well-being.
Other 2024 recipients include Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation, which says it raises and distributes funds for the hospital’s charitable, scientific, and educational activities, and the Coast Guard Foundation, which describes programs supporting Coast Guard members, spouses, and children. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $47,928. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median grant of $2,000. Notable grants included $10,000 each to the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and Direct Relief International, and $8,000 to Doctors Without Borders. Other listed awards included $4,625 to Trust TAI, $2,500 to Project HOPE, and $2,000 each to the Trust for Public Land, Accion International, and Santa Barbara Tennis Patrons.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists George S. Writer as president/treasurer, Judith H. Writer as secretary, and Jeffrey H. Writer as vice president.
Writer Family Foundation is led by George S. Writer, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
George S. Writer
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey H. Writer
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judith H. Writer
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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 Writer Family Foundation
How much does Writer Family Foundation give each year?
Writer Family Foundation gave $48K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $48K across 15 grants.
What is Writer Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Writer Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,423, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Writer Family Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Writer Family Foundation give grants?
Writer Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (19%) and New York (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (6 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Writer Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Writer Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Support" (14 grants).
Who are Writer Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Writer Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County ($10,000), Direct Relief International ($10,000) and Doctors Without Borders ($8,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Writer Family Foundation?
Writer Family Foundation reported $41K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $49K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Writer Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County says its mission is to conserve natural resources, agricultural land, and open spaces. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Writer Family Foundation?
Submit a written application with all applicable information. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Writer Family Foundation's EIN?
Writer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0275156. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Writer 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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