Prebys Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Prebys Foundation focuses its giving on San Diego County, prioritising arts and culture, youth success, health and well-being, and medical research, alongside support for nonprofit capacity, catalytic leadership, and civic infrastructure and dialogue; check that your work sits within these themes before approaching it.
- Most grants to organisations fall between $1,250 and $260,000, with a median of $75,000, so a request in that range is realistic, though the largest grant made was $6,700,000.
- New organisations should use the website inquiry form to introduce their work, and it is worth reviewing the specific grant opportunity and guidelines before applying, as the application method varies by programme.
- The foundation describes itself as community-engaged and learning-led, building long-term partnerships through collaboration and dialogue, and 69% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the prior two years, so relationship-building and repeat contact look valuable.
- It does not fund capital campaigns or building projects, individual scholarships or tuition assistance, one-time fundraising events or sponsorships, endowments, or work across the border, so organisations seeking support for these should look elsewhere.
Overview
Prebys Foundation is a US private foundation based in San Diego, CA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
Prebys Foundation awards grants to organisations with charitable status, fiscal sponsors or tribal entities, and works with organisations of all sizes, from large institutions to small volunteer-led groups. It focuses on arts and culture, youth success, health and well-being, and medical research in San Diego County. It also invests in the wider ecosystem supporting those priorities, including nonprofit capacity, catalytic leadership, and civic infrastructure and dialogue. The Foundation describes its approach as community-engaged and learning-led, building long-term partnerships through collaboration and ongoing dialogue. It assesses fit against strategic priorities, the strength of the work and its potential impact, rather than the organisation’s size or budget.
Themes
- Arts and culture
- Youth success
- Health and well-being
- Medical research
- Nonprofit capacity
- Catalytic leadership
- Civic infrastructure and dialogue
Geographic Focus
Priority: San Diego County.
What They Don't Fund
- Capital campaigns or building projects
- Individual scholarships or tuition assistance
- One-time fundraising events and sponsorships
- Endowments
- Work across the border
How to apply
New organisations can use the website inquiry form to introduce their work to the foundation.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 69% 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 1,003 grants to organisations were $75,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Requests are assessed for alignment with each initiative’s goals and criteria, investment opportunities in underfunded and underserved communities, and the foundation’s learning priorities.
- Strong proposals align with Prebys’ priorities and show potential for meaningful, long-term impact in San Diego County.
- Proposals should be grounded in community needs, show clear goals and outcomes, and reflect thoughtful collaboration or partnership where appropriate.
- The foundation may consider populations served, geographic location, project design, partnership strength and organisational health, depending on the initiative.
- Before applying, organisations are encouraged to review the specific grant opportunity and guidelines.
- The foundation encourages organisations to stay true to their mission rather than altering work or proposing projects outside their expertise to fit an opportunity.
- Reporting is initiative-specific and may involve a narrative or site visits with foundation and community partners.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 69% of grant dollars went to organisations Prebys Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 392 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $100k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Uc San Diego For The Depot (Uc SD FDTN) · General operating$3,000,0002024 tax year
- San Diego Symphony Orchestra Association · General operating$3,000,0002024 tax year
- San Diego State University Foundation · General operating$1,600,0002024 tax year
- The Campanile Foundation Sdsu · General operating$1,500,0002024 tax year
- Sharp Healthcare Foundation · General operating$1,000,0002024 tax year
- San Diego Tijuana World Design Capital 2024 · General operating$1,000,0002024 tax year
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance · General operating$1,000,0002024 tax year
- WGBH Educational Foundation · General operating$1,000,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Dan Yates — President
- Constance Carroll — Director
- Alan Sorkin — Secretary
- Victoria Hamilton — Director
- Peter Ellsworth — Treasurer
- Paula Cordeiro — Director
- Mary Walshok — Director
- Irma Cota — Director
- Grant Oliphant — CEO
- Gil Alvarado — CFO
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $59,843,543 | $47,147,006 | $1,264,018,132 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $63,631,241 | $53,715,018 | $1,118,398,532 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $67,516,173 | $54,897,373 | $1,188,688,234 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Prebys Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (619) 860-2100
- San Diego, CA
- prebysfdn.org
Applying to Prebys Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (619) 860-2100
- San Diego, CA
- prebysfdn.org