Johnny Carson Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The Johnny Carson Foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small nonprofit should not approach it cold with an application.
- Its reported portfolio covers food banks, schools and universities, healthcare providers, arts and cultural organisations, museums, and community and social-service bodies, with unrestricted support as its leading recorded purpose, so there may be a fit if your work sits in one of these fields.
- A realistic request would be modest: about 8 in 10 of its 502 grants fall between $5,000 and $75,000, the median grant was $15,000, and half of its 502 grants were $15,000 or less, though the largest grant was about $5,000,000.
- With 95% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had already funded the previous year, this looks like a relationship-led funder weighted heavily towards existing recipients, so new applicants may find it hard to break in.
- No geographic focus is stated, though its filings show grants mainly in California and Nebraska.
Overview
Johnny Carson Foundation is a US private foundation based in Encino, CA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (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
The filed grant record describes unrestricted support as its leading recorded purpose and shows grants to charitable organisations across several fields. Recipients include food banks, schools and universities, healthcare providers, arts and cultural organisations, museums, and community and social-service bodies. Other recorded purposes include scholarships, support for cultural facilities and health research. The filing says contributions go only to preselected charitable organisations and that unsolicited requests are not accepted. This is an organisation-facing grantmaker whose reported portfolio spans multiple charitable fields.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California and Nebraska.
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 95% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 502 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 33% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 95% of grant dollars went to organisations Johnny Carson Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 252 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $20,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- University of Nebraska Foundation · Carson center for emerging media arts - $2,000,000lied center building fund-$2,500,000$4,500,0002023 tax year
- Faith Regional Health Services Foundation · Varian trubeam radiotherapy system & vault$500,0002023 tax year
- La Regional Food Bank · Unrestricted support$405,0002023 tax year
- Westside Food Bank · Unrestricted support$305,0002023 tax year
- Homeboy Industries · Unrestricted support$285,0002023 tax year
- National Comedy Center · Johnny carson exhibit$250,0002023 tax year
- University of Nebraska · Laptops for carson center for emerging media arts$220,0002023 tax year
- Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools · Scholarships - $135,000black, proud and college bound initiative - $50,000unrestricted support-$20,000$205,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Jeffrey Sotzing — Chief Program Officer / Director
- Lawrence Heller — Director
- Steven Sotzing — Director
- Allan L Alexander — CEO / President / General Counsel / Director
- Lawrence L Witzer — COO / CFO / Secretary / Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $18,820,169 | $15,466,600 | $164,052,877 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $16,317,304 | $13,302,700 | $160,229,953 | Filing for 2023 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
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At a glance
Applying to Johnny Carson Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Encino, CA
Applying to Johnny Carson Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Encino, CA