Dry Creek Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $3.6-3.7 million
• Success Rate: N/A (invitation-only)
• Decision Time: N/A (pre-selected organizations)
• Grant Range: $30,000 - $2,615,511
• Geographic Focus: California, Vermont, Oregon (primarily)

Contact Details

• Website: None
• Phone: Not publicly available
• Email: Not publicly available
• Administrative Contact: c/o Whittier Trust

Overview

The Dry Creek Foundation Inc is a private grant-making foundation established as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with assets of approximately $33.7 million. Based in Pasadena, California, the foundation distributes approximately $3.6-3.7 million annually through 8-10 grants to pre-selected charitable organizations. The foundation operates without a public presence, maintaining no website or publicly available contact information, and is professionally administered through Whittier Trust. Their grant-making focuses heavily on environmental conservation, wildlife protection, education, and human services, with a particular emphasis on supporting established organizations with proven track records.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs but makes discretionary grants ranging from $30,000 to over $2.6 million to pre-selected organizations.

Priority Areas

• Environmental conservation and wildlife protection
• Education initiatives
• Human services
• Leadership development programs
• Philanthropy and voluntarism

What They Don't Fund

As an invitation-only funder, they do not consider:

• Unsolicited proposals
• Individual requests
• Organizations without existing relationships with the foundation

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors:

• Charles Knowles - President and Chair of the Board
• Margaret McCarthy - Secretary and Audit Committee member
• Jon Melburg - Vice President and Treasurer
• Pegine Grayson - Assistant Secretary
• Diane Johnson - Director

All board members serve without compensation, demonstrating a commitment to maximizing grant distributions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. According to their IRS Form 990-PF filings, the foundation explicitly states they "only make contributions to preselected charitable organizations and don't accept unsolicited applications for funds." Grants are awarded at the discretion of the board to organizations with which they have existing relationships.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on analysis of their grant patterns and administrative structure:

• The foundation is administered through Whittier Trust, which may serve as a potential connection point for organizations already working with Whittier Trust clients
• Past grantees include major conservation organizations like Wildlife Conservation Network and Conservation Strategy Fund, suggesting networking through these organizations could be valuable
• Board members' professional and philanthropic affiliations may provide introduction opportunities
• Organizations working in environmental conservation in California, Vermont, and Oregon may have better chances of building relevant connections

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made to pre-selected organizations without a formal application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no open application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - invitation-only funding model.

Application Success Factors

Since this is an invitation-only funder, traditional application success factors don't apply. However, analysis of their giving patterns reveals:

• They favor established organizations with strong track records in conservation and education
• Multi-million dollar grants go to organizations with national or international reach (Wildlife Conservation Network received $2.5 million)
• Smaller grants ($30,000-$200,000) support regional organizations in their focus states
• They appear to maintain multi-year relationships with grantees
• Organizations addressing wildlife conservation, habitat protection, and environmental education align strongly with their giving history

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is a legitimate, well-funded private foundation with $33.7 million in assets
• DO NOT submit unsolicited proposals - they will not be reviewed
• Focus on relationship building through board member networks and past grantees
• Consider partnering with their existing grantees on collaborative projects
• Monitor their annual 990-PF filings to understand evolving priorities and new grantee relationships
• Organizations without existing connections should prioritize other funding sources with open application processes
• Environmental conservation organizations in California, Vermont, and Oregon may have the best alignment

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Dry Creek Foundation Inc Form 990-PF filings (accessed March 4, 2026)
• IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search - EIN 82-3434244 verification (accessed March 4, 2026)
• Charity Navigator - Dry Creek Foundation Inc profile (accessed March 4, 2026)
• Instrumentl 990 Report - Dry Creek Foundation Inc analysis (accessed March 4, 2026)
• Cause IQ - Dry Creek Foundation organizational data (accessed March 4, 2026)
• Grantmakers.io - Foundation profile and grant data (accessed March 4, 2026)
• California Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts (accessed March 4, 2026)