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John Mohme Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.5M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.2M
0
Success Rate
12%

John Mohme Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,500,000
  • Success Rate: 12% for new applicants
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $200,000
  • Grant Median: $55,000
  • Geographic Focus: California (primary), Colorado, Michigan

Contact Details

Address: Culver City, CA

Note: The foundation does not have a publicly listed website, phone number, or email address for grant inquiries.

Overview

Established in 2019 and granted 501(c)(3) status the same year, the John Mohme Foundation is a private independent foundation with total assets of approximately $25-27 million. The foundation distributes approximately $2.5 million annually in grants, supporting organizations primarily in California with additional support in Colorado and Michigan. Led by the Mohme family, the foundation focuses on general operating support for preselected charitable organizations across education, arts and culture, human services, and youth development. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited grant applications, instead identifying beneficiaries through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates a single general support program:

  • General Operating Support: $5,000 - $200,000 (median: $55,000)
  • Application method: Invitation only
  • Approximately 30-32 grants awarded annually

Priority Areas

Based on recent grant awards, the foundation actively funds:

  • Youth Education and Development: Including youth orchestras and educational programs
  • Arts and Culture: Supporting organizations like the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles
  • Higher Education: Grants to institutions such as UC Davis
  • Human Services: Community support organizations like A Place Called Home
  • Philanthropy and Voluntarism: General support for nonprofit organizations

Geographic priorities include major California cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose, with additional support in Colorado and Michigan communities.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states they do not accept unsolicited requests for funds, meaning organizations without pre-existing relationships or trustee connections are unlikely to receive funding.

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by family members of the Mohme family:

Leadership Team:

  • Rodger Mohme, President (Compensation: $20,000)
  • Robert Mohme, Vice President and Secretary (Compensation: $20,000)
  • Jayne Bower, Operations Manager and Audit Chair (Compensation: $20,000)

The small leadership structure reflects the foundation's private family foundation status, with decision-making concentrated among family members and a single operations manager.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

According to foundation records, the John Mohme Foundation "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees based on their knowledge of organizations and communities they wish to support.

Organizations should not submit unsolicited grant proposals, letters of inquiry, or funding requests to this foundation.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are awarded through trustee discretion rather than through an application review process.

Success Rates

For organizations without pre-existing relationships, the success rate is effectively 0% as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. For new applicants who are invited to apply, available data suggests approximately 12% success rate, though this figure should be interpreted with caution given the invitation-only model.

In recent years:

  • 2024: 32 grants awarded
  • 2023: 30 grants awarded

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only model.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analyzing their recent grant awards reveals patterns that may indicate their funding preferences:

Recent Grant Recipients and Amounts:

  • Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles: $180,000
  • UC Davis: $150,000
  • A Place Called Home: $125,000
  • Los Angeles Philharmonic Association: $120,000

Funding Patterns:

  • The foundation provides "GENERAL SUPPORT" grants, suggesting they prefer unrestricted funding that allows organizations operational flexibility
  • Grant amounts vary significantly ($5,000 to $200,000), with a median of $55,000, indicating they adjust funding levels based on organization size and project scope
  • Multi-year or repeat funding relationships appear common, with organizations like the LA Phil appearing multiple times in supporter lists

Organizational Characteristics of Funded Organizations:

  • Established organizations with strong track records
  • California-based nonprofits, particularly in the Los Angeles area
  • Organizations serving youth and education
  • Arts and cultural institutions with community impact
  • Organizations aligned with human services and community development

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: The foundation only supports preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited proposals
  • Family foundation model: Decision-making rests with the Mohme family trustees, meaning personal relationships and trustee knowledge of organizations drive funding decisions
  • General operating support preferred: The foundation emphasizes unrestricted funding rather than project-specific grants
  • California focus: While they support some organizations in Colorado and Michigan, the vast majority of funding goes to California nonprofits
  • Youth and arts emphasis: Recent grants show strong support for youth education, arts organizations, and community development
  • Substantial grant sizes: With a median grant of $55,000 and grants up to $200,000, this is a significant funder when organizations are selected
  • Not accessible through traditional grant-seeking: Organizations should not spend time crafting proposals to this foundation unless specifically invited to do so

References

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