Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 35-2554499 · since 2016curcifoundation.org·California, Colorado, Georgia, Utah, Washington·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$12M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$13,500 to $890k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$250k

Typical grant (median)

40 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests, so a small charity should not send it a proposal cold; its Research Grants are submitted only by nominees from six named institutions.
It funds science-based research, mainly basic research in neuroscience, regenerative medicine, cell biology, cancer and nanotechnology, so work outside those fields is unlikely to fit.
Most of its grants fall between $13,500 and $890,000, with a median of about $225,000, so any request should be sized to research costs rather than a modest community budget.
In its latest filing, 82% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded in earlier filings, so it appears relationship-led and hard for a new applicant to enter.

Overview

Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation is a US private foundation based in Torrance, 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

The foundation supports science-based research aimed at advancing a healthy and sustainable future for humans. Its stated fields include neuroscience and brain science, regenerative medicine, cell biology including stem cells, cancer, and nanotechnology and nanoscience. It backs basic research addressing fundamental scientific questions that can advance medicine or scientific knowledge, and directs funds towards efforts intended to benefit all or a large portion of humanity rather than specific individuals. Its competitive Research Grants process considers proposals submitted by nominees from a defined group of universities. The Ph.D. Scholars Program provides full scholarships and living expenses for life-sciences doctoral students, with a stated aim of increasing the number of women and international students in such programmes. Its Ph.D. Fellows Program provides tuition and living expenses to advanced doctoral students through their fifth year.

Themes

Neuroscience/brain science
Regenerative medicine
Cell biology
Cancer
Nanotechnology/nanoscience
Basic research

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California, Washington, Utah, Colorado and Georgia.

How to apply

For its Research Grants, proposals are submitted by nominees from six named institutions. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 82% 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 125 grants to organisations were about $225,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

Research proposals are assessed competitively and should foster a sustainable future for humankind, with far-reaching and lasting implications.
The foundation supports basic research addressing fundamental scientific questions that can lead to significant advances in medicine or scientific knowledge.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

California60%

Washington10%

Utah7%

Colorado7%

Georgia7%

Pennsylvania6%

6 other states: 3%

The largest single recipient received 14% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations Shurl and Kay Curci 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

40 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $250k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 40 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$5k–$10k3%

$10k–$25k10%

$25k–$50k13%

$50k–$100k5%

$100k–$250k18%

$250k–$500k35%

$500k–$1M18%

Median $250k (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

University of Utah · Ph.d scholars program
$972,4392024 tax year
University of Colorado Foundation · Ph.d scholars program
$972,4392024 tax year
University of Washington · Ph.d fellowship program
$944,1162024 tax year
University of California San Diego · Ph.d scholars program
$944,1162024 tax year
Uc Berkeley Foundation · Phd scholars program
$917,8912024 tax year
Uc San Francisco Foundation · Ph.d scholars program
$900,4072024 tax year
Innovative Genomics Initiative · Igi-genomic discover toll fund
$625,0002024 tax year
University of California Berkeley · Ph.d scholars program
$498,0302024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Robert Tjian — Director
Amy E Fuermann — Secretary
James G Mitchell — Director
Kay Curci — Director
E Davisson Hardman — Treasurer / Director
Ronald V Rosequist — President / Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$9,751,529	$8,833,932	$94,220,748	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$12,652,006	$11,494,657	$106,890,274	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$13,234,322	$12,042,982	$114,913,317	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.