The Deutsch Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Deutsch Foundation funds work in Los Angeles County, so only organisations working there should approach it.
- A typical request sized between $10,000 and $155,000 is realistic, with many grants around $100,000, though its HALO Award is set at $30,000 and supports volunteer-programme capacity-building alongside recognition of an outstanding volunteer.
- It accepts applications on a rolling basis, so there is no fixed deadline to work around.
- Repeat giving accounts for a high share of its grant dollars, suggesting it tends to favour organisations it has funded before, so new applicants should be prepared for a relationship-led approach.
- For the HALO Award specifically, past recipients are not eligible to apply again, and applicants should be ready to show how volunteer management is embedded in their strategic plans and to involve leadership in capacity-building sessions and assessments.
Overview
The Deutsch Foundation is a US private foundation based in Santa Monica, CA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Deutsch Foundation describes its mission as funding programmes that empower people to reach their fullest potential, strengthen communities and promote the health of society. Its HALO Award supports nonprofit organisations to strengthen volunteer programmes, pairing capacity-building with a grant to the organisation and recognition of an outstanding volunteer. The programme emphasises service to low-income, historically insufficiently catered-to communities, fairness and equal access, and new ways to engage, manage and honour volunteers. The wider grant record includes youth development, social services, health, education, arts education, community development and homelessness services, alongside general operating support. Most recorded grant dollars have gone to California.
Themes
- Volunteer programs
- Community strengthening
- Societal health
Geographic Focus
Los Angeles County.
What They Don't Fund
- HALO Award only: Past recipients
How to apply
Before applying for the HALO Award, organisations are encouraged to consider which representatives will take part in the capacity-building activities.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 79% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 266 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Strong applications articulate a strategic, detailed vision for building organisational capacity by improving and sustaining volunteer-programme efforts.
- Applicants should show that volunteer management is institutionalised in the organisation's operations and strategic plans.
- Applicants should show commitment to serving low-income, historically insufficiently catered-to communities.
- Applicants should demonstrate commitment to learning through the programme's capacity-building sessions and assessments.
- Leadership should be aware of and support the organisation's application and participation, including coaching sessions and assessments.
- Explaining how the nominated volunteer has impacted the organisation strengthens the application.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 4% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 79% of grant dollars went to organisations The Deutsch Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 11% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 73 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $100k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Holocaust Museum La · General operating support$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Coalition for Responsible Community Development · General operating support$555,1282024 tax year
- People Concern · General operating support$300,0002024 tax year
- Southern California Grantmakers · General operating support$250,0002024 tax year
- Skirball Cultural Center · General operating support$250,0002024 tax year
- Homeboy Industries · General operating support$175,0002024 tax year
- CCF Community Initiatives Fund · General operating support$160,0002024 tax year
- Los Angeles Youth Network · General operating support$155,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Janis Minton — Trustee
- Kristina Deutsch — Secretary
- Carl Deutsch — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $9,883,571 | $8,780,652 | $162,133,156 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $10,761,542 | $8,954,200 | $178,985,199 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $11,519,141 | $7,745,128 | $189,448,298 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Deutsch Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- haloaward@crdfoundation.org
- Santa Monica, CA
- haloawards.org
Applying to The Deutsch Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- haloaward@crdfoundation.org
- Santa Monica, CA
- haloawards.org