The Joe MacPherson Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation makes contributions only to organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered; your route in is a relationship that might lead to an invitation.
- Its filings show no single field of work, with grants spread across youth-serving groups, food banks, hospitals, arts organisations, a university, public-school foundations and community foundations, so judge fit by your charitable purpose rather than a stated programme.
- Most of its grants are modest: half of its grants to organisations were $30,000 or less, and the typical band runs from $10,000 to $200,000, though the largest grant was $375,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
- Repeat giving is strong, with 82% of grant dollars to organisations in its most recent filing going to groups it had also funded in the filing before, so a new applicant should expect to be an outsider to a settled group of recipients.
- No geographic focus is stated, so the grants shown mainly in California, Washington and Hawaii should not by themselves rule out your organisation.
Overview
The Joe MacPherson Foundation is a US private foundation based in Tustin, 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 filings do not state a specific field of work: all the organisation grants are reported with the generic purpose charitable. The recipients instead show a broad mix, including youth-serving organisations, food banks, hospitals, arts organisations, a university, public-school foundations and community foundations. The recorded giving spans several kinds of charitable organisation rather than demonstrating one dominant programme area. The application information says contributions go only to preselected charitable organisations and unsolicited requests are not accepted. The filings do not explain how organisations are selected, set out further eligibility conditions or describe a formal way for organisations to seek consideration.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California, Washington and Hawaii.
How to apply
Contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations; unsolicited requests are not accepted.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 82% 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 45 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 20% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations The Joe MacPherson Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 7% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 23 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $30,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Boys and Girls Club of Central OC · Charitable$375,0002023 tax year
- Hawaii Community Foundation · Charitable$200,0002023 tax year
- University of Puget Sound · Charitable$200,0002023 tax year
- Pacific Symphony · Charitable$175,0002023 tax year
- Laura's House · Charitable$175,0002023 tax year
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of OC · Charitable$100,0002023 tax year
- CASA · Charitable$50,0002023 tax year
- Second Harvest of OC · Charitable$50,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Jeffrey MacPherson — V.Pres. / Dir
- James MacPherson — CFO / Secretary / Director
- Anne L MacPherson — President / CEO / Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,693,592 | $1,470,000 | $26,099,864 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,974,028 | $1,740,000 | $31,451,499 | 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 The Joe MacPherson Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Tustin, CA
Applying to The Joe MacPherson Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Tustin, CA