The Helmut Kiffmann Family Foundation focuses almost exclusively on local San Diego nonprofit infrastructure and direct social-service providers, prioritizing general operating support. Its largest commitments fund community resource centers, YMCAs and organizations helping people with housing instability, recovery and senior needs, indicating a practical, place-based approach to community wellbeing. Grants are frequently renewed to the same organizations and routed through local community foundations when appropriate.
Helmut Kiffmann Family Foundation’s largest recent commitments go to Community Resource Center, including a $1,010,000 general-fund grant in 2025 and a $1,005,000 general-fund grant in 2023. That pattern points to a funder that backs local organizations over time rather than making isolated awards. Across the recent grants list, the foundation supports San Diego–area community infrastructure, housing-related services, senior support, recovery programs, youth recreation, counseling, and some religious organizations. General operating support is common, with several grants labeled simply as general fund. The foundation’s giving also shows repeated support for the same organizations in different years. Community Resource Center received three listed grants, and St Pauls Senior Services, Doors of Change, and YMCA all appear more than once. Other named recipients include Center for Community Solutions, Seeds of Hope, Computers for Kids, and Urban Restoration Counseling Center. The mix suggests a practical portfolio built around direct service providers serving people with housing instability, low-income households, seniors, and individuals seeking counseling or recovery-related support. A few grants extend to broader community and faith-based organizations, but the dominant pattern is local, recurring support for organizations tied to daily needs in the San Diego region.
Housing stability is a clear theme in the foundation’s giving. In 2025, it awarded $50,000 to Center for Community Solutions for general fund support, alongside smaller grants to Doors of Change for general fund support in 2025 and 2024. The foundation also funds senior services. St Pauls Senior Services received $25,000 in 2025, $20,000 in 2023, and $10,000 in 2024, all as general fund support. In youth and family programming, YMCA appears multiple times, including a $262,000 general-fund grant in 2025 and a $21,000 general-fund grant in 2024. Other cause areas include affordable counseling and basic-needs support. Urban Restoration Counseling Center received $5,000 in 2025 for affordable counseling services, while Equation Collaborative Corp received $5,000 in 2025 for health food for underprivileged. End of Life Choices received $5,000 in 2025 for expand end of life options.
$3.1M
$0
$663K
$3.1M
Most grants fall between $9K and $21K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$21K
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Concentrated, local-focused giving with a few large multi-year or repeat general operating grants (notably one very large recipient that receives the majority of funds). Primarily unrestricted/general fund support rather than project-specific grants.
Notable grantees: Community Resource Center, YMCA (local chapters), Doors of Change, St Pauls Senior Services, Center for Community Solutions
Typical grants cluster tightly around the $10,000 level, with a p25 of $9,000, median of $10,000, and p75 of $21,000. The recent record also includes a few much larger general-fund commitments, which raise the average above the median. The foundation behaves like a recurring local sponsor rather than a one-time donor: Community Resource Center, YMCA, Doors of Change, St Pauls Senior Services, and Seeds of Hope each show repeat awards across multiple years. Grants are predominantly unrestricted or general operating support, and the foundation does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly centered in California, with 94% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state and California also showing the highest grant count. Encinitas and San Diego appear most often in the recipient list, with Cardiff, Carlsbad, and West Sacramento also present. Outside California, the only recent recipients are in Lynnwood, Washington, and New York, New York. All listed grants in the recent file go to U.S. recipients.
The foundation backs local direct-service organizations, especially community resource centers, YMCAs, senior services, housing-stability providers, recovery and re-entry programs, counseling services, and some faith-based organizations. Recent examples include Community Resource Center, St Pauls Senior Services, Doors of Change, YMCA, and Urban Restoration Counseling Center.
Typical grants are small to mid-sized: the p25 is $9,000, the median is $10,000, and the p75 is $21,000. The recent list also includes larger commitments, including a $1,010,000 grant to Community Resource Center and a $262,000 grant to YMCA.
Yes. Several organizations appear across multiple years, including Community Resource Center, YMCA, Doors of Change, St Pauls Senior Services, and Seeds of Hope. That pattern suggests repeated support rather than isolated, one-time awards.
California receives nearly all of the giving, with 94% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state and California listed as the top state by grant count. Encinitas and San Diego are especially prominent among recipient cities, with smaller numbers in Cardiff, Carlsbad, and West Sacramento.
Recent grants point to housing stability, senior services, youth recreation and community programming, affordable counseling services, food support for underprivileged populations, and expanded end-of-life options. Named recipients tied to those areas include Center for Community Solutions, St Pauls Senior Services, YMCA, Urban Restoration Counseling Center, Equation Collaborative Corp, and End of Life Choices.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $3,015,407 | 2026 | DONOR ADVISED FUND |
| SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | SAFE & STABLE HOUSING FUND |
| YMCA | ENCINITAS, CA | $17,900 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER | ENCINITAS, CA | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER | ENCINITAS, CA | $1,010,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| YMCA | ENCINITAS, CA | $262,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CENTER FOR COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS | SAN DIEGO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| DOORS OF CHANGE | CARDIFF, CA | $28,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST PAULS SENIOR SERVICES | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| AMERICAN MOLDOVAN JEWISH FEDERATION | ENCINITAS, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| COMPUTERS FOR KIDS | WEST SACRAMENTO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| SEEDS OF HOPE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| END OF LIFE CHOICES | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | EXPAND END OF LIFE OPTIONS |
| URBAN RESTORATION COUNSELING CENTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | AFFORDABLE COUNSELING SERVICES |
| SAINT ANDREWS LUTHERAN CHURCH | SAN DIEGO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| EQUATION COLLABORATIVE CORP | CARLSBAD, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | HEALTH FOOD FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED |
| SAN DIEGUITO UNITED METHODIST CHURC | ENCINITAS, CA | $3,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| ALPHA PROJECT FOR THE HOMELESS | SAN DIEGO, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | HOUSING SERVICES |
| CENTER FOR COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| YMCA | SAN DIEGO, CA | $21,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| DOORS OF CHANGE | CARDIFF, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SEEDS OF HOPE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| COMPUTERS FOR KIDS | WEST SACRAMENTO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST PAULS SENIOR SERVICES | SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER | ENCINITAS, CA | $5,936 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER | ENCINITAS, CA | $1,005,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| DOORS OF CHANGE | CARDIFF, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| COASTAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | ENCINITAS, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST PAULS SENIOR SERVICES | SAN DIEGO, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| YMCA | SAN DIEGO, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| SEEDS OF HOPE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| GIRLS ON THE RUN | ENCINITAS, CA | $9,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST ANDREWS CHURCH | ENCINITAS, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| HOLLY HOUSE | LYNNWOOD, WA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| SAN DIEGUITO METHODIST CHURCH | ENCINITAS, CA | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
YMCA
$17,900GENERAL FUND
COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER
$2,000GENERAL FUND
COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER
$1,010,000GENERAL FUND
YMCA
$262,000GENERAL FUND
DOORS OF CHANGE
$28,000GENERAL FUND
ST PAULS SENIOR SERVICES
$25,000GENERAL FUND
AMERICAN MOLDOVAN JEWISH FEDERATION
$10,000RELIGIOUS
COMPUTERS FOR KIDS
$10,000GENERAL FUND
SEEDS OF HOPE
$10,000GENERAL FUND
END OF LIFE CHOICES
$5,000EXPAND END OF LIFE OPTIONS
SAINT ANDREWS LUTHERAN CHURCH
$5,000RELIGIOUS
EQUATION COLLABORATIVE CORP
$5,000HEALTH FOOD FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED
SAN DIEGUITO UNITED METHODIST CHURC
$3,000RELIGIOUS
ALPHA PROJECT FOR THE HOMELESS
$2,500HOUSING SERVICES
DOORS OF CHANGE
$10,000GENERAL FUND
SEEDS OF HOPE
$10,000GENERAL FUND
COMPUTERS FOR KIDS
$10,000GENERAL FUND
ST PAULS SENIOR SERVICES
$10,000GENERAL FUND
COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER
$5,936GENERAL FUND
COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER
$1,005,000GENERAL FUND
DOORS OF CHANGE
$25,000GENERAL FUND
COASTAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL FUND
ST PAULS SENIOR SERVICES
$20,000GENERAL FUND
SEEDS OF HOPE
$10,000GENERAL FUND
GIRLS ON THE RUN
$9,000GENERAL FUND
ST ANDREWS CHURCH
$5,000GENERAL FUND
HOLLY HOUSE
$5,000GENERAL FUND
SAN DIEGUITO METHODIST CHURCH
$3,000GENERAL FUND