The Caruso Family Foundation
Los Angeles, CA · EIN 95-4317077. Reported 130 grants totalling $16.5M to 89 recipients across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. The Caruso Family Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $25,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $100,000; the smallest was $250 and the largest $2,204,845. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA | $7,414,084 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Para Los Ninos | Los Angeles, CA | $1,065,850 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Operation Progress Student Assistance Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $915,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Loyola High School | Los Angeles, CA | $800,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Loyola High School of Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $750,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | $741,794 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| BABY2BABY | Los Angeles, CA | $560,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends of United Hatzalah Inc | New York, NY | $360,621 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Strive Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $325,256 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Hoag Hospital Foundation | Newport Beach, CA | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Catholic Education Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $285,716 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Catholic Education Foundation | Evansville, IN | $285,710 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $282,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| St Lawrence of Brindisi Church | Los Angeles, CA | $281,010 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Kering Foundation in the Americas Inc | New York, NY | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Thrive Scholars | Boston, MA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| USC Caruso Catholic Center | Los Angeles, CA | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Monica Schools | Santa Monica, CA | $175,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| St Monica's Catholic Church | Santa Monica, CA | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| A Chance for Children Foundation | Malibu, CA | $90,123 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Avas Heart Inc | Beverly Hills, CA | $85,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| American Friends of Magen David Adorn | New York, NY | $58,282 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Beyond Differences | San Rafael, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Saint John's Hospital and Health Center Foundation | Santa Monica, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Simon Wiesenthal Center Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| USC Mcmorrow | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The People Concern | Los Angeles, CA | $37,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Saint John's Hospital and Health Center | Santa Monica, CA | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| United Friends of the Children | Los Angeles, CA | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Watts 2 Boston Foundation | Westwood, MA | $27,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Save the Children Federation Inc | Fairfield, CT | $26,122 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church | Santa Barbara, CA | $25,661 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Doctors Without Borders | New York, NY | $25,400 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Children's Burn Foundation | Sherman Oaks, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Coro Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| George Lopez Foundation | Woodland Hills, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Lawrence of Brindisi School | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Strive for Change Foundation | Oakland, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Verbum Dei High School | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Learning Rights Law Center | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Los Angeles Police Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Parents of Watts Working With Youth and Adults Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| USC Alumni Association | Los Angeles, CA | $16,700 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Operation Progress Student Assistance Program | Los Angeles, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Saint Mary's Academy | Portland, OR | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| San Miguel School | Los Angeles, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Pius X-St Matthias Academy | Downey, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Raphael School | Los Angeles, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Holocaust Museum La | Los Angeles, CA | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Black Economic Alliance Foundation | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Churches in for Action | Anthem, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Glendale | Glendale, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| City of Hope | Duarte, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Community Initiatives | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Downtown Women's Center | Amarillo, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| KIPP Socal Public Schools | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Los Angeles Police Museum | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Maps Charities | Sherman Oaks, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Resurrection School | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Rape Foundation | Santa Monica, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| UCLA Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| USC School of Architecture | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Our Lady of Mount Carmel School | Santa Barbara, CA | $7,710 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Altamed Health Services Corporation | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Armenian National Committee Western Region | Glendale, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| California Business Properties Association | Sacramento, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Friends of Brentwood Inc | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends of Marquez | Pacific Palisades, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Palisades Enrichment Programs | Pacific Palisades, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Providence Saint Joseph Foundation | Burbank, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Search to Involve Pilipino Americans | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| UC Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Little Italy of Los Angeles Association | San Pedro, CA | $3,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Our Lady of Guadalupe School | Los Angeles, CA | $3,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Saint Benedict's Italian Catholic | Montebello, CA | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ladmc Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Los Angeles Conservancy | Los Angeles, CA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Special Olympics Southern California | Long Beach, CA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| County of Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | $1,178 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cancer Support Community Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Justice for Murdered Children | San Pedro, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lincoln Heights Tutorial Program | Los Angeles, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Los Angeles Italian American Golf Association | Newbury Park, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Mission Community Police Council | Mission Hills, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Nationwide Childrens Hospital Foundation | Columbus, OH | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Round Meadow | Hidden Hills, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Orphaned Starfish Foundation | New York, NY | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
26 of 89 (29%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 44%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Pepperdine University
TO AID THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND CHRISTIAN VALUES - Operation Progress Student Assistance Foundation
EMPOWER UNDERSERVED YOUTH TO BECOME EDUCATED AND REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL - Para Los Ninos
GENERAL OPERATIONS/ICE CREAM TRUCK FOR EVENT - Catholic Education Foundation
TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY AND FAITH BUILDING - Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation
TO SUPPORT VACCINATION DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM - Thrive Scholars
TO SUPPORT HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS GET INTO AND GRADUATE FROM TOP COLLEGES
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 72 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27 | $5,030,260 | $15,000 |
| 2022 | 26 | $3,552,947 | $25,000 |
| 2023 | 43 | $4,213,817 | $22,000 |
| 2024 | 34 | $3,671,443 | $30,330 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
93% of its giving went to organizations in California. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $25,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in California.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Caruso Family Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 101 the Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 95-4317077 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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