MacDonald Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- Because the foundation says it does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to organisations it preselects, a cold application is unlikely to be considered, so organisations that would simply send one should not expect a response.
- Its grants are all for general charitable purposes and have gone to a wide mix of recipients, including schools and early-years education, health and social-service charities, arts and cultural bodies and wildlife groups, so the filing shows no stated programme your work would need to match.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $10,000 and $73,500, with a median of $25,000, so a request of around that size would sit where most of its grants have been, though its largest, about $4,700,000 to Santa Barbara Foundation, an organisation that regrants to other organisations, shows that band is not a ceiling.
- The filings show grants mainly in the United States and California, but no geographic focus is stated, so an organisation elsewhere should not assume it is excluded.
- The filing sets out no timing, deadlines or method for organisations to request consideration, so there is nothing to plan an application around.
Overview
MacDonald Family Foundation is a US private foundation administered by its trustee, San Pasqual Fiduciary Trust, in Los Angeles, CA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 13 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The recorded grants are all described as being for general charitable purposes. They went to a varied group of organisations, including a community foundation, schools and early-years education, wildlife and conservation groups, health and social-service charities, arts and cultural bodies, faith organisations, youth and sports organisations, and international and public-safety charities. The filings therefore show a broad range of recipient types rather than a stated programme or set of funding priorities. Contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations, and no method for organisations to request consideration is set out in the filing.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in the United States and California.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Grant size: In its TY2024 filing, half of its 52 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
5 other states: 4%
- The largest single recipient received 75% of grant dollars to organisations.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 75% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 52 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Santa Barbara Foundation · General charitable purposes$4,703,4342024 tax year
- Santa Barbara Foundation · General charitable purposes$296,5532024 tax year
- Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network · General charitable purposes$100,0002024 tax year
- Richmond Wildlife Center · General charitable purposes$80,0002024 tax year
- River City Inclusive Gymnastics · General charitable purposes$80,0002024 tax year
- Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation · General charitable purposes$73,5002024 tax year
- South Florida Wildlife Center · General charitable purposes$73,5002024 tax year
- Happy Doggo US · General charitable purposes$73,5002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Brooke Eanes — Trustee
- Ariana Rodgers — Trustee
- John Bishop — Trustee
- Peter M Hilf — Trustee
- Virginia Ermentrout — Trustee
- Joyce-Ann Mahoney — Trustee
- Peter F Hilf — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $774,454 | $0 | $44,231,259 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $675,359 | $0 | $49,462,349 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $7,262,338 | $6,656,487 | $47,111,062 | 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.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to MacDonald Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Los Angeles, CA (office of its trustee, San Pasqual Fiduciary Trust)
Applying to MacDonald Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Los Angeles, CA (office of its trustee, San Pasqual Fiduciary Trust)