Improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies — without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay.
Direct Relief Foundation’s recent giving is dominated by very large operating support to Direct Relief itself: $3,590,990 in 2023 and $3,032,326 in 2024, both earmarked to support the organization’s operations. That pattern points to a funder closely tied to the Direct Relief organization rather than a broad, open grantmaker. The foundation’s stated purpose is to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies, without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. Its active programs align with that mission through health equity, access to medicine, disaster response, and community health support. In the current file, the foundation also appears as a local giver with all recorded grants going to recipients in California. The leadership field names Jonathan Steiner, and the entity is classified as a regular funder. Across the available program descriptions, Direct Relief Foundation supports clinics, partner organizations, and grassroots health actors through targeted cash grants, material aid, and capacity-oriented support rather than individual assistance.
Health equity is a distinct thread in the foundation’s structured programming. The Fund for Health Equity is described as advancing health equity through grants and partnerships focused on communities affected by systemic racism and socioeconomic disparities, with an advisory council guiding the fund. Direct Relief Foundation also funds community-level health delivery: the Community Grants program supports grassroots organizations working on health worker training, mobile clinic operations, and psychosocial or therapy programs for communities recovering from disasters and crises. Another clear line of work is emergency medical support. Under emergency response grants and material aid, the foundation provides rapid assistance to health clinics, first responders, and partner health organizations in disaster settings, including wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes. A further theme is access to care through Partner Aid & Material Support, which equips health facilities and partner organizations with medicine, supplies, and targeted funding.
The two largest recent grants are clustered around the same amount range: a p25 of $3,171,992, median of $3,311,658, and p75 of $3,451,324. The recent record also shows repeat support to the same recipient across consecutive years, with one 2023 grant and one 2024 grant both going to Direct Relief. The foundation is a regular funder and a local grantmaker, not a vehicle for individual assistance or program-related investments. Its published program descriptions include both unsolicited and non-unsolicited pathways, but the portal language indicates that requests may be made for material aid, cash grants, or other assistance in selected contexts.
$5M
$100.1M
$8.8M
$5.3M
Most grants fall between $3.2M and $3.5M, with a median of $3.3M.
25th Percentile
$3.2M
Median
$3.3M
75th Percentile
$3.5M
JONATHAN STEINER
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All recorded grants in the file went to recipients in the United States, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely domestic. The recent-grants table lists Santa Barbara, California as the recipient city for both disclosed awards. The broader program descriptions show a local pattern centered in California, while some active programs extend their service scope to the United States and global settings. The top state by grant count is California, and 100% of grants in the file go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state.
Its active programs point to health clinics, partner organizations, grassroots groups, and community-based health providers. The foundation supports health worker training, mobile clinic operations, psychosocial or therapy programs, access to medicine, and disaster-response partners, rather than individuals.
The stated mission is to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies, without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. Its program areas include disaster relief, access to medicine, health equity, maternal health, opioid response, resilient power, tribal health, humanitarian medical aid, and community grants.
The program descriptions include global geography in several areas, including Fund for Health Equity, Partner Aid & Material Support, and emergency response grants. In the current recent-grants record, however, both disclosed awards went to recipients in the United States.
The typical grant-size distribution is very large: p25 is $3,171,992, median is $3,311,658, and p75 is $3,451,324. The two recent grants listed are $3,590,990 and $3,032,326.
Some active programs are marked as accepting unsolicited requests, including Emergency Response Grants / Material Aid Requests and Apply for Assistance (Partner Aid & Grants). Other listed programs, such as Community Grants and Targeted Partner Grants, are marked as not accepting unsolicited applications.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Direct Relief Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Supports health organizations providing maternal and neonatal services; emergency obstetric care grants are provided in areas affected by disaster or humanitarian crisis.
Who can apply: Health-focused nonprofits, clinics, and humanitarian organizations that provide direct patient care or medical services and meet Direct Relief partner criteria (details on the Apply page).
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECT RELIEF | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $4,963,620 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF DIRECT RELIEF |
| DIRECT RELIEF | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $3,709,369 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF DIRECT RELIEF |
| DIRECT RELIEF | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $3,032,326 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF DIRECT RELIEF |
| DIRECT RELIEF | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $3,590,990 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF DIRECT RELIEF |
