Ernest & Irma Rose Foundation C/O First Foundation Bank
ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism
About Ernest & Irma Rose Foundation C/O First Foundation Bank
The Ernest & Irma Rose Foundation concentrates its giving in Orange County, CA, with a clear emphasis on supporting local performing arts organizations and Jewish communal institutions. Grants skew toward capital/building support and general operating for repeat, established nonprofits, with occasional targeted gifts to higher-education research or endowed positions. The foundation appears to favor a small number of sizable, locally focused awards rather than many dispersed small grants.
Focus Areas
Local performing arts capital projects and facility support (e.g., building funds for community music/dance organizations)Youth music education and ensembles in Orange CountyJewish community infrastructure and general operating support for local federations and family servicesSupport for university research/endowed academic chairs in the region (selective, targeted gifts)
Who They Fund
youth (participants in ensembles/programs)academic researchers and students in earth systems sciencemuseum visitors and the general public
About Ernest & Irma Rose Foundation C/O First Foundation Bank
A defining feature of the Ernest & Irma Rose Foundation C/o First Foundation Bank is its repeated backing of Orange County Music and Dance, including an $81,000 building fund grant in 2023 and a $65,000 building fund grant in 2024. That pattern points to a foundation that supports established local institutions with sizable, purpose-specific gifts. Its recent grants also show sustained support for Jewish communal organizations and arts groups centered in Orange County, alongside selective awards for university research and an exhibit related to Auschwitz. The foundation’s giving is concentrated in California and appears tightly focused on Irvine and nearby Orange County communities. The grant list shows a preference for organizations that already have a local presence and a clear project or operating need. In the arts, the foundation has supported facility and program expenses for music and dance organizations, youth ensembles, and school-based arts programs. In Jewish communal giving, it has provided general operating support to federation organizations in Orange County. It has also made targeted institutional gifts, including support for an endowed chair in earth systems science and funding for a Holocaust exhibit.
What Ernest & Irma Rose Foundation C/O First Foundation Bank Funds
In performing arts infrastructure, the foundation supported Orange County Music and Dance Inc with an $81,000 building fund grant in 2023 and Orange County Music and Dance with a $65,000 building fund grant in 2024. It also gave Pacific Symphony $25,000 for youth ensembles in 2024 and $20,000 for youth ensembles program work in 2023. Jewish communal institutions are another clear focus. The foundation gave Jewish Federation & Family Services Orange County $50,000 for general operating support in 2024 and $50,000 for general operating support in 2024, while also awarding Jewish Federation of Orange County $50,000 for general support in 2023 and again $50,000 for general support in 2023. Beyond arts and community institutions, the foundation made targeted gifts for research and public education. It granted the University of California Irvine Foundation $25,000 for an earth systems science endowed chair and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation $10,000 for an Auschwitz exhibit.
How Ernest & Irma Rose Foundation C/O First Foundation Bank Gives
The typical grant size is $12,500 at the 25th percentile, $37,500 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent giving shows a mix of repeat support and one-off awards: Orange County Music and Dance, Pacific Symphony, and Jewish Federation organizations each appear more than once across 2023 and 2024. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. The grant list also suggests a preference for structured support such as building funds, general operating support, and designated project grants rather than open-ended or individual giving.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$496K
Total Assets
$4.3M
Total Revenue
$47K
Total Expenses
$290K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $13K and $50K, with a median of $38K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$38K
75th Percentile
$50K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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