The Lamb Family Foundation concentrates its giving in Orange County, CA with multi-year support for local youth-serving organizations and community institutions, while remaining willing to make occasional one-off gifts for international emergency relief. Their largest, repeated grants fund youth development and community hubs (Save Our Youth, YMCA, Orange County Community Foundation) alongside a significant investment in a regional zoo that combines conservation and public education. Overall their portfolio blends place-based, youth-focused philanthropy with targeted charitable flexibility for urgent causes.
Relatively concentrated giving: a small number of sizable grants with multiple repeat awards to core local grantees, supplemented by occasional one-off gifts for international emergency relief.
The Lamb Family Foundation %dave Lamb has repeatedly made its largest grants as general support for Save Our Youth in Costa Mesa, giving $65,000 in both 2023 and 2024 and $55,000 in 2025. That three-year pattern signals a funder that favors sustained backing for local youth-serving organizations rather than one-time project bets. Their grant list also shows a strong commitment to place-based institutions in Orange County, with support for the Orange County Community Foundation, YMCA of Orange County, and several community nonprofits serving children, families, health, and education. The foundation’s giving is not limited to youth development alone. It has also backed The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert with repeated general-fund grants of $50,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, suggesting interest in organizations that combine conservation, public engagement, and education. Alongside these larger commitments, the foundation makes smaller general-support grants to a range of local charities and community groups, including health, shelter, and civic organizations. A smaller set of gifts also reaches beyond Orange County for humanitarian relief, showing flexibility within an otherwise local portfolio.
Youth development is a clear throughline. The foundation gave $65,000 in 2023 and 2024, then $55,000 in 2025, to Save Our Youth in Costa Mesa for general fund support, indicating multi-year backing for mentoring and youth services. Community recreation and social services are another consistent theme. It supported the Young Men's Christian Assoc of Oc in Tustin with $30,100 in 2024, plus $25,000 in both 2023 and 2025, all as general support. The foundation also funds institutions with a public-facing education role. It gave The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert $50,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, again through the general fund. Local philanthropy appears in its support for the Orange County Community Foundation, which received $50,000 in 2024 and $30,000 in 2025.
Typical grants cluster around the foundation’s stated median of $10,000, with a p25 of $5,025 and a p75 of $20,038. The recent record shows many general-fund gifts at $10,000, alongside a smaller number of larger awards in the $25,000 to $65,000 range. The pattern is mostly recurring support: several recipients appear across multiple years, including Save Our Youth, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Young Men's Christian Assoc of Oc, Doctors Without Borders, Hoag Hospital Foundation, Think Together, Ocean Institute, Planned Parenthood, and National Parks Foundation. The foundation is structured as a private family foundation and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$750K
$4.1M
$439K
$786K
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Notable grantees: Save Our Youth, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Orange County Community Foundation, Direct Relief International (Ukraine), Young Men's Christian Association of Orange County (YMCA OC)
The foundation gives almost entirely in California: 90% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and its top state by grant count is CA. Orange County is especially prominent, with grants landing in Costa Mesa, Tustin, Irvine, Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Dana Point, Orange, Garden Grove, and Laguna Beach. Outside California, the recipient list includes New York, Washington, DC, and one international grantee in Santa Barbara tied to Ukraine relief.
Its recent grants center on youth development, community recreation and social services, conservation and zoo-based education, local philanthropy, and humanitarian relief. Recipients include Save Our Youth, Young Men's Christian Assoc of Oc, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Orange County Community Foundation, and Direct Relief Int'l - Ukraine.
Recurring support is a clear pattern. Save Our Youth appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens also appears in all three years; and Young Men's Christian Assoc of Oc appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Several other grantees appear in two different years as well.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $10,000, with a p25 of $5,025 and a p75 of $20,038. The recent grants list also shows larger multi-year gifts in the $50,000 to $65,000 range.
Its grantmaking is heavily concentrated in California. The top state by grant count is CA, and 90% of grants go to recipients in that state. Within California, Orange County cities appear frequently, including Costa Mesa, Irvine, Tustin, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Dana Point, Orange, Garden Grove, and Laguna Beach.
Yes. The recent grants include Doctors Without Borders in New York, National Parks Foundation in Washington, DC, and Direct Relief Int'l - Ukraine in Santa Barbara, which is tied to Ukraine relief.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHERMAN LIBRARY GARDENS | CORONA DEL MAR, CA | $500,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| SAVE OUR YOUTH | COSTA MESA, CA | $55,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS | PALM DESERT, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| HOAG HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | NEWPORT BEACH, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOC | TUSTIN, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| MERCY HOUSE | SANTA ANA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | ORANGE, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| THINK TOGETHER | SANTA ANA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| UCI FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY | LONG BEACH, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| OCEAN INSTITUTE | DANA POINT, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| SAVE OUR YOUTH | COSTA MESA, CA | $55,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS | PALM DESERT, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOC OF OC | TUSTIN, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| MERCY HOUSE | SANTA ANA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | ORANGE, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| THINK TOGETHER | SANTA ANA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| DIRECT RELIEF INT'L - UKRAINE | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY | LONG BEACH, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| HOAG HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | NEWPORT BEACH, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| AMAZON FRONT LINE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| GIRLS INC | SANTA ANA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| UCI FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| SHERMAN LIBRARY GARDENS | CORONA DEL MAR, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| KIDWORKS | SANTA ANA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| SAVE OUR YOUTH | COSTA MESA, CA | $65,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS | PALM DESERT, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOC OF OC | TUSTIN, CA | $30,100 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| OCEAN INSTITUTE | DANA POINT, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | ORANGE, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| NATIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| THINK TOGETHER | SANTA ANA, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| HOAG HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | NEWPORT BEACH, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| MIRACLES FOR KIDS | IRVINE, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| GIRLS INC | SANTA ANA, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| MERCY HOUSE | SANTA ANA, CA | $5,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| KIDWORKS | SANTA ANA, CA | $5,100 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| UCI FOUNDATION | IRVINE, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY | LONG BEACH, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SAVE OUR YOUTH | COSTA MESA, CA | $65,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS | PALM DESERT, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| DIRECT RELIEF INT'L - UKRAINE | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
| YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOC OF OC | TUSTIN, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL FUND |
SHERMAN LIBRARY GARDENS
$500,000GENERAL FUND
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOC
$25,000GENERAL FUND
MERCY HOUSE
GENERAL FUND
THINK TOGETHER
$10,000GENERAL FUND
CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY
$5,000GENERAL FUND
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOC OF OC
$25,000GENERAL FUND
MERCY HOUSE
$10,000GENERAL FUND
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$10,000GENERAL FUND
THINK TOGETHER
$10,000GENERAL FUND
CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY
$5,000GENERAL FUND
AMAZON FRONT LINE
$5,000GENERAL FUND
UCI FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL FUND
SHERMAN LIBRARY GARDENS
$5,000GENERAL FUND
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOC OF OC
$30,100GENERAL FUND
THINK TOGETHER
$10,000GENERAL FUND
MERCY HOUSE
$5,500GENERAL FUND
CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY
$5,000GENERAL FUND
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOC OF OC
$25,000GENERAL FUND