The Linden Root Dickinson Foundation concentrates its funding on education-related causes, with a clear emphasis on informal STEM/early learning through children’s museums and on higher-education access for Black students. It makes very large, general-purpose grants to a small number of organizations—both a prominent local institution in San Diego and a national scholarship/college-support organization—suggesting a mix of local civic investment and broader commitments to educational equity.
Highly concentrated giving: few, very large general-purpose grants; repeat multi-grant support to the same organizations; combination of one prominent local beneficiary and a major national education charity.
Linden Root Dickinson Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by repeated six-figure support for United Negro College Fund Inc, which received $500,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for general purpose use. That pattern sits alongside another clear priority: children’s hands-on science and discovery learning. San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum received $417,750 in 2023, $371,875 in 2024, and $370,720 in 2025, all as general purpose grants. Together, those awards show a funder that concentrates substantial resources in a small number of organizations rather than spreading support widely. The foundation also backs organizations serving San Diego and the broader Southern California region, including Kpbs, Interfaith Community Services Inc, and Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation - San Diego. Its recent grants include support for cultural, educational, health, food, and community-service nonprofits, but the strongest throughline is education-related philanthropy with flexibility built into the awards. General purpose language appears throughout the recent grants list, indicating that recipients are often given room to apply funds where they see fit. The result is a grant portfolio that combines recurring commitments with local civic investment and national educational support.
Education-related work is the clearest theme in the foundation’s recent grants. United Negro College Fund Inc received $500,000 in 2024 and another $500,000 in 2025 for general purpose support, pointing to sustained backing for Black student access and higher-education pathways. Early learning and informal STEM also stand out. San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum received $417,750 in 2023, $371,875 in 2024, and $370,720 in 2025, each listed as general purpose. That sequence suggests multi-year support for museum-based science and discovery programming. The foundation also funds community-serving institutions beyond education. Kpbs received $163,375 in 2024 and $118,750 in 2025, and Interfaith Community Services Inc received $150,000 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2024. These awards show support for public media and local service organizations alongside education-focused giving.
Grant sizes cluster in the mid-to-upper range of the foundation’s portfolio: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median is $62,500, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. Recent grants show repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, including United Negro College Fund Inc, San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, Kpbs, American National Red Cross, and California Missions Foundation. The foundation is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Awards in the recent list are consistently labeled general purpose, suggesting broad operating flexibility rather than tightly restricted project grants.
$2.1M
$30.8M
$1.3M
$2.3M
Most grants fall between $25K and $100K, with a median of $63K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$63K
75th Percentile
$100K
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Notable grantees: San Diego Children's Discovery Museum, United Negro College Fund, Other small/local arts & education nonprofits (remaining 2 grants)
The foundation gives nationally, but California receives the great majority of its grants: 76% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and California is also the top state by grant count. San Diego and Escondido appear frequently, including San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum in Escondido, Kpbs in San Diego, and Interfaith Community Services Inc in Escondido. Other California recipients include San Jose, Valley Center, Encinitas, and Santa Barbara. Outside California, the recent list also includes Washington, DC; New York, NY; and Americus, GA.
Recent grants show support for education, public media, health, food access, arts, and community services. Examples include United Negro College Fund Inc for higher-education access, San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum for discovery learning, Kpbs for public media, and Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank for food assistance.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including United Negro College Fund Inc in 2024 and 2025, San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum in 2023, 2024, and 2025, Kpbs in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and California Missions Foundation in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The grant-size distribution is centered in the middle range: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median is $62,500, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. Recent awards also include several much larger grants, including $500,000 awards and multiple six-figure grants.
California is the main destination for its grants, with 76% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state and California listed as the top state by grant count. Recent California recipients include organizations in San Diego, Escondido, San Jose, Valley Center, Encinitas, and Santa Barbara.
The recent grants list consistently uses general purpose wording. That indicates flexible support rather than narrowly defined project-specific awards, and it appears across education, media, health, arts, and community-service recipients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SAN DIEGO CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY MUSEUM | ESCONDIDO, CA | $370,720 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| INTERFAITH COMMUNITY SERVICES INC | ESCONDIDO, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SECOND HARVEST OF SILICON VALLEY | SAN JOSE, CA | $140,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS | WASHINGTON, DC | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| KPBS | SAN DIEGO, CA | $118,750 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION - SAN DIEGO | SAN DIEGO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS ESCONDIDO FOUNDATION | ESCONDIDO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALIFORNIA LABRADOR RETRIEVERS & MORE RESCUE | VALLEY CENTER, CA | $80,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALIFORNIA MISSIONS FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $65,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SHELTER TO SOLDIER INC | SAN DIEGO, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| COASTAL ROOTS FARM | ENCINITAS, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BAY AREA RESCUE MISSION | RICHMOND, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FOOD BANK OF CONTRA COSTA & SOLANO | CONCORD, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| JACOBS & CUSHMAN SAN DIEGO FOOD BANK | SAN DIEGO, CA | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| POINT LOMA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF LAW | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CANDID | WILLIAMSBURG, VA | $15,315 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WESTMINISTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | ESCONDIDO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SAN DIEGO CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY MUSEUM | ESCONDIDO, CA | $371,875 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| KPBS | SAN DIEGO, CA | $163,375 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION - SAN DIEGO | SAN DIEGO, CA | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| INTERFAITH COMMUNITY SERVICES INC | ESCONDIDO, CA | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $85,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC | AMERICUS, GA | $80,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS ESCONDIDO FOUNDATION | ESCONDIDO, CA | $80,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| JACOBS & CUSHMAN SAN DIEGO FOOD BANK | SAN DIEGO, CA | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALIFORNIA MISSIONS FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $65,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALIFORNIA LABRADOR RETRIEVERS & MORE RESCUE | SAN DIEGO, CA | $55,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BAY AREA RESCUE MISSION | RICHMOND, CA | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FOOD BANK OF CONTRA COSTA & SOLANO | CONCORD, CA | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SECOND HARVEST OF SILICON VALLEY | SAN JOSE, CA | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| POINT LOMA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF LAW | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| COASTAL ROOTS FARM | ENCINITAS, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CANDID | WILLIAMSBURG, VA | $15,315 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WESTMINISTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | ESCONDIDO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SAN DIEGO CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY MUSEUM | ESCONDIDO, CA | $417,750 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| KPBS | SAN DIEGO, CA | $110,175 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC | AMERICUS, GA | $80,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS ESCONDIDO | ESCONDIDO, CA | $75,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALIFORNIA MISSIONS FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $65,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CALIFORNIA LABRADOR RETRIEVERS & MORE RESCUE | SAN DIEGO, CA | $30,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION - SAN DIEGO | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF LAW | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
GENERAL PURPOSE
CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS ESCONDIDO FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CALIFORNIA LABRADOR RETRIEVERS & MORE RESCUE
$80,000GENERAL PURPOSE
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA INC
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF LAW
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CANDID
$15,315GENERAL PURPOSE
WESTMINISTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC
$80,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS ESCONDIDO FOUNDATION
$80,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CALIFORNIA LABRADOR RETRIEVERS & MORE RESCUE
$55,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CANDID
$15,315GENERAL PURPOSE
WESTMINISTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC
$80,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS ESCONDIDO
$75,000GENERAL PURPOSE
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS USA INC
$35,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CALIFORNIA LABRADOR RETRIEVERS & MORE RESCUE
$30,000GENERAL PURPOSE
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF LAW
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE