The trust makes a small number of very large grants focused on direct charitable relief and controversial public‑health advocacy. Half of its giving in this sample went to organizations involved in COVID‑19 and vaccine policy/advocacy, alongside a major local food security investment in Los Angeles and a pass‑through to a donor‑advised fund. The pattern suggests interest in both immediate community needs and high‑visibility public‑health campaigns rather than broad, diversified philanthropy.
Combs-hughes Charitable Trust Co Charlotte F Hughes gives in a very concentrated pattern: in the 2023 sample, four of its five largest grants were each $200,000, and the biggest was $300,000 to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. That mix points to two clear lanes of giving—direct food assistance in Los Angeles and support for public-health advocacy tied to COVID-19 and vaccines. The trust also made a $173,110 grant to Schwab Charitable Fund, showing that some of its charitable capital moves through donor-advised infrastructure rather than directly to operating charities. Among the named recipients, Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care A received $200,000, alongside $200,000 grants to Informed Consent Action Network and Children’s Health Defense. The overall picture is of a funder making a small number of unusually large grants, with a strong emphasis on immediate relief and issue-driven public-health organizations.
A major portion of the trust’s giving is tied to food security in Los Angeles. In 2023, it gave $300,000 to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, the largest grant in the sample and the clearest example of direct charitable relief. Another core theme is COVID-19 and vaccine-related advocacy. The trust awarded $200,000 to Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care A, $200,000 to Informed Consent Action Network, and $200,000 to Children’s Health Defense. Those grants place public-health policy and vaccine-safety advocacy at the center of its recent support. The $173,110 grant to Schwab Charitable Fund also shows a philanthropic passthrough channel within the trust’s giving pattern.
The typical grant size is fixed at $200,000 at the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile, which shows a tightly clustered pattern around a single large-grant level. The 2023 sample also includes one larger outlier at $300,000 and a passthrough of $173,110. Grants appear concentrated rather than broadly distributed, with only five recent awards visible. All listed grants are charitable, and the foundation does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. No repeat recipients appear in the provided recent-grants sample.
$1.1M
$0
$347K
$1.1M
Most grants fall between $200K and $200K, with a median of $200K.
25th Percentile
$200K
Median
$200K
75th Percentile
$200K
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Concentrated: very few, large grants with multiple six‑figure awards; mix of repeat-style investments in public‑health advocacy groups and a single sizable local service grant; uses donor‑advised fund as a funding vehicle.
Notable grantees: Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Informed Consent Action Network, Front Line COVID‑19 Critical Care Alliance, Children's Health Defense, Schwab Charitable Fund
Grant recipients are all in the United States. The top state by grant count is Florida, though the foundation’s HQ is in California and 20% of grants went to recipients in California. Named recipient locations include Los Angeles, CA; Washington, DC; Austin, TX; Franklin Lakes, NJ; and Orlando, FL. The sample shows a national pattern rather than a single-state program, with grantmaking landing in several major metropolitan areas and one California-based food bank.
The recent grants point to two main areas: Los Angeles food security and public-health advocacy tied to COVID-19 and vaccines. The largest grant went to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, while $200,000 grants went to Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care A, Informed Consent Action Network, and Children’s Health Defense.
The trust’s grant-size distribution is highly uniform: p25, median, and p75 are all $200,000. In the sample, most grants sit at that level, with one larger $300,000 grant and one smaller $173,110 passthrough.
No. Its geographic scope is national, and the recent-grants sample shows recipients in California, Washington, DC, Texas, New Jersey, and Florida. California received 20% of grants, while Florida is the top state by grant count.
Yes. One of the recent grants was $173,110 to Schwab Charitable Fund in Orlando, Florida, indicating that the trust sometimes routes support through a donor-advised fund intermediary.
2023
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2023.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK | LOS ANGELES, CA | $300,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| INFORMED CONSENT ACTION NETWORK | AUSTIN, TX | $200,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| CHILDREN'S HEALTH DEFENSE | FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ | $200,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| FRONT LINE COVID-19 CRITICAL CARE A | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| SCHWAB CHARITABLE FUND | ORLANDO, FL | $173,110 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
FRONT LINE COVID-19 CRITICAL CARE A
$200,000CHARITABLE