John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
About John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation
The Leonard Family Foundation primarily funds higher-education scholarship programs at public California universities, making large, multi-grant investments in a small number of institutions. Secondary giving supports local social services and medical research, indicating a mix of regional community impact and funding for broadly impactful health research. Their grants are concentrated and strategic rather than widely distributed.
Focus Areas
Scholarship funds for California public universities (e.g., CSU Long Beach, UC Riverside)Scholarship support for undergraduate access in Southern CaliforniaLocal social service capacity in San Diego-area communities (e.g., Community Resource Center)Medical research funding with national organizations (e.g., cancer research)
Who They Fund
students / scholarship recipientslocal community residents (users of makerspace and health center)medical researchers / research subjects (indirect)park visitors / local recreation users
About John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation
John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation’s recent grantmaking is anchored by large scholarship commitments to California public universities, especially California State University Long Beach and UC Riverside. Those higher-education awards appear repeatedly across multiple years, showing a steady pattern of backing student access in mathematics, sciences, and related pathways. Beyond campus scholarships, the foundation also funds a smaller set of community and research grants that extend its reach into local services, environmental stewardship, and biomedical research. The scholarship pattern is especially clear in the foundation’s multi-year support for California State University Long Beach, including a $927,000 grant in 2023 and additional awards in 2024 and 2025. UC Riverside Foundation also appears as a recurring recipient, with grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Outside higher education, the foundation has made recurring gifts to Community Resource Center in Encinitas for social services and to medical-research organizations such as Partners in Health and the American Association for Cancer Research. This mix points to a concentrated strategy: a few institutions receive substantial support over time, while selected community and research partners receive targeted funding for specific programs.
What John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation Funds
Higher education scholarship support is the foundation’s clearest theme. California State University Long Beach received multiple scholarship fund grants, including $384,000 in 2025 and $300,000 in 2024, while UC Riverside Foundation received $454,500 in 2025 and $354,500 in both 2024 and 2023. The foundation also supports community-based services in North County San Diego. Community Resource Center in Encinitas received $150,000 in 2023 and $125,000 in 2024 for social services, followed by another $78,936 in 2025. Its environmental giving includes Nature Collective in Encinitas, which received $70,000 in 2025 and $50,000 in 2023 for environment conservancy. For park-related work, Yosemite Conservancy received $41,082 in 2025 and $10,000 in 2024 for park projects. Biomedical and cancer research also appears as a recurring area, with grants to Partners in Health, the American Association for Cancer Research, and Conquer Cancer Foundation.
How John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.4M
Total Assets
$10.1M
Total Revenue
$2.6M
Total Expenses
$1.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $50K and $148K, with a median of $83K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$83K
75th Percentile
$148K
Geographic Reach
Regional6 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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