The John and Mary Tu Foundation concentrates large gifts to higher education, gifted education/research, and cultural institutions—with a clear Southern California tilt. They also support public media and journalism, and occasionally route substantial dollars through donor-advised/charitable-fund vehicles. Funding is focused and strategic, favoring repeat partnerships with a small set of institutions rather than many one-off grants.
A single $13.2 million contribution to American Endowment Foundation Fbo Mt Onward Charitable Fund stands out in the John and Mary Tu Foundation’s recent record and signals how much of its giving moves through donor-advised fund vehicles. Beyond that large DAF contribution, the foundation makes substantial grants to a small set of institutions over multiple years, especially in education and research. Global Gifted Foundation received $4,683,062 in 2025 after earlier $2 million grants in both 2023 and 2024, showing a repeated commitment rather than a one-time gift. Higher education is another clear thread: Uc-irvine Foundation received seven-figure and other large support across 2023 to 2025. The foundation also backs cultural and civic institutions, including museums, public media, and music organizations. Across the recent grants list, the pattern is concentrated and relationship-based, with several recipients appearing in successive years and grant purposes staying close to education, arts, public media, and related community-serving work.
Education and research are central to this foundation’s grantmaking. Global Gifted Foundation received $4,683,062 in 2025 for support for education and research, following $2,000,000 grants in both 2023 and 2024 for the same purpose. Uc-irvine Foundation also received major support for education and research, including $1,210,000 in 2023, $450,000 in 2024, and $800,000 in 2025. Cultural institutions also receive meaningful support. Bowers Museum was awarded $1,000,000 in 2024 for support for arts, while San Musae Cultural Center received $50,000 in 2023 for arts and $30,000 in 2025 for arts - music. Public media is another recurring theme, with Southern California Public Radio receiving grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for support for public media.
Typical grants cluster at the upper end of the middle range, with a p25 of $27,500, a median of $100,000, and a p75 of $429,125. The recent record shows repeat grants to the same organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. The foundation also uses donor-advised fund giving: the largest recent grant was a contribution to American Endowment Foundation Fbo Mt Onward Charitable Fund for 501(c)(3) purposes. The grant list reflects annual activity rather than a public application process, and the pattern is consistent with one-time and recurring support to established nonprofits.
$3.3M
$10.1M
$929K
$3.4M
Most grants fall between $28K and $429K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$28K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$429K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of repeat grantees and institutions; occasional large contributions routed to donor-advised/charitable fund vehicles rather than direct program funding.
Notable grantees: Global Gifted Foundation, UC‑Irvine Foundation, Bowers Museum, Southern California Public Radio, Pacific Symphony
Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in California, which accounts for 73% of grants to recipients in the HQ state and is also the top state by grant count. Recent California recipients include Huntington Beach, Irvine, Pasadena, Santa Ana, Long Beach, San Pedro, City of Industry, Manhattan Beach, and San Clemente. Outside California, the foundation’s recent grants reached Hudson, Ohio; Breda, Iowa; West Haven, Connecticut; Tyrone, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Arlington, Virginia. All recent grants in the provided list went to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants show a strong emphasis on education and research, especially through Global Gifted Foundation and Uc-irvine Foundation, alongside support for arts, public media, wildlife conservation, youth services, humanitarian aid, and health. The pattern is concentrated rather than broad-based.
Yes. Global Gifted Foundation received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Uc-irvine Foundation also appeared in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Southern California Public Radio received support in each of those three years as well.
The grant-size distribution centers around larger awards: p25 is $27,500, median grant size is $100,000, and p75 is $429,125. The list also includes much larger multi-million-dollar grants, including a $13,224,815 contribution to a donor-advised fund vehicle.
California is the top state by grant count, with 73% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent California recipients are spread across Huntington Beach, Irvine, Pasadena, Santa Ana, Long Beach, San Pedro, City of Industry, Manhattan Beach, and San Clemente.
Yes. Recent non-California recipients include American Endowment Foundation Fbo Mt Onward Charitable Fund in Hudson, Ohio; Western Iowa Journalism Foundation in Breda, Iowa; University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut; Operation Mobilization in Tyrone, Georgia; American Heart Association in Dallas, Texas; Pdx Wildlife in Portland, Oregon; and The National Foundation for Am Policy in Arlington, Virginia.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION FBO MT ONWARD CHARITABLE FUND | HUDSON, OH | $13,224,815 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION TO DAF FOR 501(C)(3) PURPOSES - NOT TAKEN AS QUALIFIED DISTRIBUTION |
| GLOBAL GIFTED FOUNDATION | HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA | $4,683,062 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH |
| UC-IRVINE FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $800,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH |
| PACIFIC SYMPHONY | IRVINE, CA | $350,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS - MUSIC |
| SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO | PASADENA, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC MEDIA |
| OPERATION MOBILIZATION | TYRONE, GA | $119,062 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR RELIGION |
| BRIGHTER UKRAINE FOUNDATION | MANHATTAN BEACH, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR THE HUMANITARIAN AID |
| WESTERN IOWA JOURNALISM FOUNDATION | BREDA, IA | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS - PUBLIC NEWS |
| SAN MUSAE CULTURAL CENTER | CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS - MUSIC |
| INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE | SAN PEDRO, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION |
| FREEDOM WRITERS FOUNDATION | LONG BEACH, CA | $3,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION |
| GLOBAL GIFTED FOUNDATION | HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA | $2,000,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH |
| BOWERS MUSEUM | SANTA ANA, CA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR ARTS |
| UC-IRVINE FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $450,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH |
| SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO | PASADENA, CA | $350,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC MEDIA |
| WESTERN IOWA JOURNALISM FOUNDATION | BREDA, IA | $100,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS - PUBLIC NEWS |
| INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE | SAN PEDRO, CA | $35,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION |
| FREEDOM WRITERS FOUNDATION | LONG BEACH, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION |
| UC BERKLEY FOUNDATION | BERKLEY, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND ARTS |
| MY HERO PROJECT | IRVINE, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION |
| GLOBAL GIFTED FOUNDATION | HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA | $2,000,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH |
| UC-IRVINE FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $1,210,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH |
| WESTERN IOWA JOURNALISM FOUNDATION | BREDA, IA | $450,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS - PUBLIC NEWS |
| SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO | PASADENA, CA | $366,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC MEDIA |
| UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN | WEST HAVEN, CT | $200,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION |
| MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR YOUTH HEALTH |
| AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION | DALLAS, TX | $100,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR HEALTH |
| PDX WILDLIFE | PORTLAND, OR | $75,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION |
| SAN MUSAE CULTURAL CENTER | CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS |
| INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE | SAN PEDRO, CA | $35,800 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION |
| THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR AM POLICY | ARLINGTON, VA | $25,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS - PUBLIC NEWS |
| FREEDOM WRITERS FOUNDATION | LONG BEACH, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB - SOUTH COAST | SAN CLEMENTE, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR YOUTH ACTIVITY |
CONTRIBUTION TO DAF FOR 501(C)(3) PURPOSES - NOT TAKEN AS QUALIFIED DISTRIBUTION
GLOBAL GIFTED FOUNDATION
$4,683,062SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO
$250,000SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC MEDIA
OPERATION MOBILIZATION
$119,062SUPPORT FOR RELIGION
BRIGHTER UKRAINE FOUNDATION
$100,000SUPPORT FOR THE HUMANITARIAN AID
SAN MUSAE CULTURAL CENTER
$30,000SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS - MUSIC
FREEDOM WRITERS FOUNDATION
$3,000SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION
GLOBAL GIFTED FOUNDATION
$2,000,000SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO
$350,000SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC MEDIA
FREEDOM WRITERS FOUNDATION
$20,000SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION
GLOBAL GIFTED FOUNDATION
$2,000,000SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO
$366,500SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC MEDIA
PDX WILDLIFE
$75,000SUPPORT FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
SAN MUSAE CULTURAL CENTER
$50,000SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS
THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR AM POLICY
$25,000SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS - PUBLIC NEWS
FREEDOM WRITERS FOUNDATION
$20,000SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION