Tsao Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The filing says this foundation gives only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered; a small nonprofit should look first for an introduction through someone already connected to it.
- Most of its grant dollars go to organisations it has funded before (91%), which suggests it is a relationship-led funder.
- If an invitation comes, a request around $50,000 fits its pattern, since half its grants are $50,000 or less and the median grant is $50,000; about 8 in 10 grants fall between $5,000 and $560,000, a typical band rather than a ceiling, and the largest grant was about $1,650,000.
- Its recorded grants are mainly in California and Illinois, but it states no geographic focus, so those are observed patterns rather than eligibility rules.
- The filing gives no application stages, submission instructions or thematic priorities, so any approach should rest on the recipient types it records: hospitals, community foundations, universities, museums, churches, recovery services and food banks.
Overview
Tsao Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Corona Del Mar, CA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
Across its filings, the foundation records grants to hospitals and hospital foundations, community foundations, universities and schools, cultural associations and museums, churches, recovery services and food banks. The stated purpose across the grants is support for charitable organisations’ exempt purposes. These recipient types describe recorded giving rather than declared grant categories; the filings do not state thematic priorities or eligibility criteria. Contributions are limited to preselected charitable organisations, and unsolicited requests are not accepted. Its recorded recipients are concentrated in California, with additional grants in other states.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California and Illinois.
How to apply
The filing indicates that contributions are limited to preselected charitable organisations and unsolicited requests are not accepted. It gives no application stages or submission instructions.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 91% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 63 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 22% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to organisations Tsao Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 17% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 22 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $42,500 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Choc Foundation · Support charitable organizations exempt purpose$1,640,0002024 tax year
- Orange County Community Foundation · Support charitable organizations exempt purpose$1,320,0002024 tax year
- Purpose of Recovery · Support charitable organizations exempt purpose$606,7002024 tax year
- China Institute in America · Support charitable organizations exempt purpose$340,0002024 tax year
- Renewal Foundation · Support charitable organizations exempt purpose$261,3352024 tax year
- South Coast Chinese Culture Assoc · Support charitable organizations exempt purpose$200,0002024 tax year
- Hoag Hospital Foundation · Support charitable organizations exempt purpose$200,0002024 tax year
- Charitable Ventures of Orange County · Suport charitable organizations exempt purposes$157,5002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Janie Tsao — Foundation Manager
- Steven Tsao — CFO
- Micheael Liyoung Tsao — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,567,564 | $3,284,900 | $84,460,412 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,364,472 | $3,855,000 | $87,539,098 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $7,179,533 | $5,134,835 | $122,862,380 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Tsao Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Corona Del Mar, CA
Applying to Tsao Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Corona Del Mar, CA