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Richard C Seaver Charitable Trust 12-28-78

Annual Giving
$1.3M

Richard C Seaver Charitable Trust 12-28-78

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,334,500 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $28,585,600 (2024)
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: National (primarily Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco)
  • Total Grants Awarded: 39 grants (cumulative)
  • Application Process: No public application process - trustee discretion

Contact Details

Address: 12400 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1240, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1058

Phone: 310-979-0298

Website: None

Note: The trust does not have a public website or accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Richard C Seaver Charitable Trust 12-28-78 (EIN: 95-3311102) is a private family foundation established on December 28, 1978, and granted tax-exempt status in June 2007. Named for Richard Carlton Seaver (1922-2007), a prominent Los Angeles attorney, oil field equipment executive, and philanthropist, the trust continues his family's multi-generational legacy of supporting arts and education in Southern California and beyond.

Richard Carlton Seaver was the nephew of Frank Roger Seaver, founder of the larger Seaver Institute, and took over leadership of the Hydril Company after his uncle's death in 1964. His own philanthropic footprint was substantial, serving as vice chairman of the board of directors of the Seaver Institute and holding trustee positions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Pomona College, California Institute of the Arts, and as board director and president of the Los Angeles Music Center Opera Association.

The trust, managed by his five children as trustees, focuses on arts and education grantmaking across the United States, with particular emphasis on Los Angeles-area institutions. With assets of $28.6 million and annual charitable disbursements of approximately $1.3-1.6 million, the trust operates as a private foundation without public application procedures, making grants based on trustee discretion and the family's longstanding institutional relationships.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not offer formal grant programs or publicly advertised funding cycles. All grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees based on their philanthropic interests and institutional relationships.

Priority Areas

Based on the trust's stated purpose and the Seaver family's documented philanthropic history:

Arts & Culture

  • Opera and classical music (Richard Carlton Seaver served as president of LA Opera Association and the Music Director position at LA Opera carries the "Richard Seaver" designation)
  • Museums and visual arts
  • Performing arts organizations

Education

  • Higher education, particularly liberal arts colleges
  • The Seaver family has extensive ties to the Claremont Colleges (Pomona College, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College)
  • Educational institutions in Southern California including Pepperdine University (Seaver College), Loyola Marymount, USC

Geographic Focus

  • Primary focus on Los Angeles and Southern California
  • Also supports projects in New York, San Francisco, and other major U.S. cities

What They Don't Fund

As a private family foundation operating by trustee discretion:

  • Unsolicited applications are not accepted
  • The trust does not fund organizations outside their established network of relationships
  • No information available on specific exclusions, though the focus remains firmly on arts and education

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

All five trustees are the children of Richard Carlton Seaver and Sallie Tiernan Seaver, serving without compensation:

  • Victoria Seaver Dean - Also serves as President of The Seaver Institute
  • R. Carlton Seaver - Board member of LA Opera
  • Patrick T. Seaver
  • Christopher Seaver
  • Martha Seaver

The family's philanthropic involvement extends across multiple Seaver foundations, including The Seaver Institute (founded 1955 by Frank Roger Seaver), the Beatrice & Samuel A. Seaver Foundation, the Blanche Ebert Seaver Trust for Frank R. Seaver College (Pepperdine), and the Seaver Family Foundation.

Family Legacy

The Seaver family's philanthropy traces back to Frank Roger Seaver (1883-1964), who founded the Hydril Company and The Seaver Institute. His nephew Richard Carlton Seaver (1922-2007) continued the tradition, earning his BA from Pomona College (1946) and JD from UC Berkeley (1949) after serving as a captain in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he was decorated with the Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster. Richard met his wife Sallie Tiernan while they were students at the Claremont Colleges in the 1940s.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Richard C Seaver Charitable Trust 12-28-78 operates as a private family foundation that makes grants based on trustee discretion. The trust does not accept unsolicited applications or proposals.

Grants are typically awarded to:

  • Organizations with which the Seaver family has longstanding relationships
  • Institutions where family members serve on boards or have historical connections
  • Projects identified through the trustees' own networks in arts and education

Getting on Their Radar

The trust operates through the same office as The Seaver Institute (12400 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1240, Los Angeles). Organizations seeking Seaver family support should note:

  • The Seaver Institute (the larger family foundation led by Victoria Seaver Dean) does accept applications and can be contacted at vsd@theseaverinstitute.org
  • The Seaver family is particularly connected to: Pomona College, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Pepperdine University, LA Opera, California Institute of the Arts, and Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History
  • Trustees serve on boards of major Los Angeles arts and cultural organizations
  • The family has a documented interest in "seed money" for innovative projects with high potential for impact

Organizations with missions aligned with the family's interests in arts and education, particularly those in the Los Angeles area, may consider building relationships with the broader Seaver family philanthropic network rather than approaching this specific trust directly.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at trustee discretion without fixed timelines.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Given this is a trustee-discretion foundation, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have historically received Seaver family support share these characteristics:

Institutional Excellence

  • The family supports "highly regarded organizations" with strong reputations in their fields
  • Preference for established institutions with proven track records
  • Focus on organizations positioned to make "significant advancement in their fields"

Los Angeles Connections

  • Strong preference for Southern California institutions
  • Particular affinity for the Claremont Colleges area where Richard and Sallie met as students
  • Long-term relationships with major Los Angeles cultural institutions

Arts & Education Focus

  • Opera and classical music (Richard Carlton Seaver was president of LA Opera Association)
  • Liberal arts education (multiple family members attended Pomona College)
  • Visual arts and museums (Richard served as trustee of LA County Museum of Natural History)

Innovation and Impact Potential

  • The related Seaver Institute emphasizes "seed money for research" and starting "novel ideas"
  • Interest in projects that advance their fields, not just maintain existing programs

Family Connection

  • Board service by family members
  • Alumni relationships (Pomona, Scripps, Pepperdine, etc.)
  • Multi-generational institutional relationships

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - This trust operates entirely on trustee discretion and does not accept unsolicited proposals
  • Consider The Seaver Institute instead - The larger Seaver Institute (led by Victoria Seaver Dean) does have an application process for seed funding projects
  • Focus on institutional relationships - Seaver family support typically flows to organizations where family members serve as trustees or have long historical connections
  • Arts and education alignment is essential - The family's multi-generational focus has been remarkably consistent in supporting opera, classical music, museums, and liberal arts education
  • Los Angeles area organizations have an advantage - While the trust supports projects nationally, Southern California institutions (especially in LA) receive priority
  • Quality and innovation matter - The family seeks "highly regarded organizations" with projects offering "potential for significant advancement"
  • Think long-term relationships - Seaver family philanthropy operates through sustained relationships with institutions, not transactional grantmaking

References

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