Harold C And Marilyn A Hohbach Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $305,000 (2023 tax year)
• Total Assets: $127.9 million (2023 tax year)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: Not publicly disclosed

Contact Details

Address: 29 Lowery Dr, Atherton, CA 94027-2227

Note: No public website, email, or phone number is available. The foundation operates as a private grantmaking foundation.

Overview

The Harold C And Marilyn A Hohbach Foundation was established in 2009 as a private grantmaking foundation following the legacy of Harold C. Hohbach, a distinguished patent law attorney and real estate developer who worked closely with Silicon Valley inventors for over 50 years. With total assets of $127.9 million (2023 tax year) and annual giving of $305,000 (2023 tax year), the foundation focuses on three primary areas: education, arts and culture, and philanthropy. Harold Hohbach, who passed away on December 28, 2017, at age 96, was passionate about education and inspiring the next generation of thinkers and doers, greatly admiring the ingenuity and creativity of the inventors he worked with throughout his career. The foundation is currently led by his son Douglas C. Hohbach as President, alongside directors Janet Hohbach McCloy and Ellen Hohbach Scheetz. The foundation's most notable grant was a transformative $25 million gift to Stanford University Libraries in 2019 to create Hohbach Hall and endow the Silicon Valley Archives program.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation supports projects across multiple program areas with no fixed grant cycles or specific application deadlines publicly disclosed. According to its tax filing, the foundation "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and doesn't accept unsolicited applications for funds."

In 2023 (most recent tax year available), the foundation distributed $305,000 in grants.

Priority Areas

Education: The foundation strongly prioritizes educational initiatives, particularly those that inspire entrepreneurially-minded students and preserve the history of innovation. This includes support for universities, archives, and educational programs.

Arts and Culture: Support for cultural institutions and initiatives that preserve and promote historical and artistic heritage, especially related to Silicon Valley's innovation history.

Silicon Valley History and Innovation: Special interest in preserving the legacy of Silicon Valley inventors and creating educational resources for future innovators. The foundation's $25 million gift to Stanford Libraries created Hohbach Hall, which features items from the Silicon Valley Archives such as design documents and drawings for Douglas Engelbart's first computer mouse prototype and early audio and video recording technology from the Ampex Corp. collection.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. However, the foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors:

• Douglas C. Hohbach - President (son of founders)
• Janet Hohbach McCloy - Director (daughter of founders)
• Ellen Hohbach Scheetz - Director (daughter of founders)

All board members are children of the founders, maintaining family control and vision for the foundation's mission.

Founding Vision:

Harold C. Hohbach was passionate about education and inspiring future innovators. According to Marilyn Hohbach: "It was important to Harold that the drive and passion of entrepreneurially minded students be encouraged and the accomplishments of the Silicon Valley inventors that came before not be forgotten."

Harold "greatly admire[d] their ingenuity, creativity and contributions to society" among valley inventors, and he "was passionate about education and inspiring the next generation of thinkers and doers."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. According to its tax filing, the foundation "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and doesn't accept unsolicited applications for funds." The foundation operates as a private family foundation with grants made through board discretion rather than open solicitation.

Getting on Their Radar

Given the family's deep connection to Silicon Valley innovation and education, potential grantees might consider:

• Stanford University connections: The foundation's largest grant went to Stanford Libraries. Organizations with Stanford affiliations or partnerships may have increased visibility.
• Silicon Valley innovation and history: Projects that align with the foundation's interest in preserving Silicon Valley's innovative legacy and inspiring future entrepreneurs may resonate with the foundation's mission.
• Family connections to patent law and technology: Harold Hohbach's 50-year career as a patent attorney means the foundation may have particular interest in technology, innovation, and intellectual property-related educational initiatives.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed.

Application Success Factors

Given the limited public information about the foundation's selection criteria, success factors can be inferred from their funding pattern:

Alignment with Founding Vision: Projects that align with Harold Hohbach's passion for education, innovation, and preserving the legacy of Silicon Valley inventors appear most likely to receive support. The foundation's mission emphasizes encouraging "the drive and passion of entrepreneurially minded students" and ensuring "the accomplishments of the Silicon Valley inventors that came before not be forgotten."

Preselected Organizations: The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations, meaning grants are made through trustee discretion and existing relationships rather than through an open application process.

Educational Impact: The foundation's largest investment—the $25 million Stanford gift—was specifically designed to create "a dynamic and engaging space to support inquiry and exploration and offer new ways to connect and expand knowledge." Projects with clear educational outcomes and opportunities for student engagement may be favored.

Innovation and Technology Focus: Given Harold Hohbach's career working with inventors in electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, computing, and medical devices, projects related to technological innovation and its history may have particular appeal.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process: This is a private family foundation operating through trustee discretion. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications.
• Education and innovation are central: The foundation's largest grants support educational initiatives that preserve innovation history and inspire future entrepreneurs.
• Stanford connection is significant: The foundation's $25 million gift to Stanford represents their largest known grant and reflects deep commitment to academic institutions.
• Family-led governance: All three board members are children of the founders, maintaining family control and vision for the foundation's mission.
• Limited public information: The foundation maintains a low public profile with no website, and financial data is only available through IRS 990-PF filings.

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Harold C And Marilyn A Hohbach Foundation. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/270864414 (Accessed December 23, 2025)
• Stanford News. "Stanford Libraries' transformative gift creates hub highlighting Silicon Valley history." January 31, 2019. https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2019/01/stanford-libraries-transformative-gift-creates-hub-highlighting-silicon-valley-history (Accessed December 23, 2025)
• Silicon Valley Archives at Stanford. "The Hohbach Family." https://sva.stanford.edu/about/hohbach-family (Accessed December 23, 2025)
• Philanthropy News Digest. "Stanford Receives $25 Million to Create Research Hub, Endow Archive." January 31, 2019. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/stanford-receives-25-million-to-create-research-hub-endow-archive (Accessed December 23, 2025)
• The Almanac. "Developer Harold Hohbach of Atherton dies at 96." January 5, 2018. https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2018/01/05/developer-harold-hohbach-of-atherton-dies-at-96/ (Accessed December 23, 2025)
• Stanford Libraries. "About - Hohbach Hall Exhibits." https://hohbachexhibits.stanford.edu/about (Accessed December 23, 2025)