The MacDonald Family Foundation appears to be a donor-directed family fund with a strong local focus on Santa Barbara-area civic and social causes while also supporting national nonprofits in conservation, animal welfare, youth/faith-based programs and health. Giving mixes one very large, multi-million-dollar commitment to the Santa Barbara Foundation with numerous modest to mid-sized gifts to wildlife rescues, independent schools, community nonprofits and service organizations. The portfolio reflects both place-based community philanthropy and personal interests in animals, outdoor conservation, and youth/faith initiatives.
A single $4.7 million commitment to the Santa Barbara Foundation stands out in the Macdonald Family Foundation C/o San Pasqual Fiduciary Trust’s recent giving and signals how central Santa Barbara is to its philanthropy. The foundation also made a second seven-figure-sized gift to the same recipient in 2025, reinforcing a sustained relationship with a local community anchor. Beyond that civic core, the foundation supports a mix of animal welfare, conservation, education, and faith-linked youth organizations through grants that range from large local awards to smaller national gifts. The portfolio shows a funder that combines place-based support with interest-based philanthropy. On the local side, it backs Santa Barbara institutions such as The Dream Foundation, Laguna Blanca School, the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Santa Barbara Police Foundation, and Santa Barbara Region of Catholic Charities. Outside Santa Barbara, it supports wildlife rescue groups, outdoor conservation organizations, schools, and service nonprofits. The result is a grant pattern that connects one dominant local beneficiary with a wider set of charities aligned to animals, coastal and environmental work, youth development, and community services.
Santa Barbara civic and social support is a defining thread. In 2025, the foundation gave $45,000 to The Dream Foundation for general charitable purposes, $44,000 to the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and $35,000 to the Santa Barbara Police Foundation. It also funded Santa Barbara Region of Catholic Charities at $25,000 and Breast Cancer Resource Center at $25,000. Animal welfare appears repeatedly in the recent grants list. The foundation gave $80,000 to Richmond Wildlife Center, $73,500 each to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Inc and South Florida Wildlife Center, and $25,000 to Charles River Alleycats Inc. Education is another visible area. Grants include $50,000 to The Westminster Schools Inc, $50,000 to Peachtree Presbyterian Pre-school, $45,000 to Laguna Blanca School, $30,000 to Rm Pyles Boys Camp, and $25,000 to Gateway Education Center Pta. Environmental support includes $50,000 to Surfrider Foundation and $40,000 to Yosemite Conservancy.
$6.7M
$37.5M
$2.8M
$7.3M
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Concentrated giving profile: one very large multi-million grant (split across two grants) to a local community foundation paired with numerous smaller, single-year gifts (typically $25k–$100k) to a broad set of repeat-theme grantees; gives to both local Santa Barbara organizations and select national nonprofits aligned with founder interests.
Notable grantees: Santa Barbara Foundation, Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), Richmond Wildlife Center, Surfrider Foundation, Tim Tebow Foundation
The grant-size profile is highly skewed by one very large award, followed by a long tail of mid-sized gifts: the top recent grant is $4,703,434, while the second-largest is $296,553. After that, many awards cluster between $25,000 and $100,000, including several at $50,000, $45,000, $40,000, and $25,000. This looks like donor-directed family philanthropy rather than a program-oriented foundation with a formal application process. The recent grants list shows repeated support to the Santa Barbara Foundation in the same year, which points to ongoing relationship-based giving. All listed grants are to U.S. recipients, and the available data does not show an open application process.
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly U.S.-based, with 52 recent grants to U.S. recipients and no non-U.S. countries listed. Santa Barbara is the clearest hub of giving: Santa Barbara Foundation, The Dream Foundation, Laguna Blanca School, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Santa Barbara Police Foundation, Santa Barbara Region of Catholic Charities, and Breast Cancer Resource Center all appear in the recent grants list. Outside Santa Barbara, gifts reach Atlanta, Richmond, Fort Lauderdale, San Clemente, and Cambridge, showing a spread across both California and other states.
Recent grants point to Santa Barbara civic and social support, animal welfare, outdoor and coastal conservation, education, and youth or faith-linked programs. Examples include support for The Dream Foundation, Richmond Wildlife Center, Surfrider Foundation, The Westminster Schools Inc, and Tim Tebow Foundation.
Yes. The recent grants list includes recipients in Washington, DC; Virginia; North Carolina; Texas; Florida; Iowa; Tennessee; Georgia; Massachusetts; and Tennessee, in addition to multiple California organizations. All listed grants are to U.S. recipients.
Most recent grants fall in the $25,000 to $80,000 range, with several $50,000 and $73,500 awards. The distribution is pulled upward by one $4,703,434 grant and a second $296,553 grant to the Santa Barbara Foundation.
Yes. Santa Barbara organizations appear repeatedly in the recent grants list, including the Santa Barbara Foundation, The Dream Foundation, Laguna Blanca School, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Santa Barbara Police Foundation, Santa Barbara Region of Catholic Charities, and Breast Cancer Resource Center.
Yes. Recent animal-focused grants include $80,000 to Richmond Wildlife Center, $73,500 to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Inc, $73,500 to South Florida Wildlife Center, and $25,000 to Charles River Alleycats Inc.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $4,703,434 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $296,553 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| RAPE ABUSE & INCEST NATIONAL NETWORK | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| RIVER CITY INCLUSIVE GYMNASTICS INC | HENRICO, VA | $80,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| RICHMOND WILDLIFE CENTER | RICHMOND, VA | $80,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| WILDLIFE RESCUE & REHABILITATION INC | KENDALIA, TX | $73,500 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| GREY MUZZLE ORGANIZATION | RALEIGH, NC | $73,500 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| HAPPY DOGGO US | AMES, IA | $73,500 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SOUTH FLORIDA WILDLIFE CENTER | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | $73,500 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CHARITY WATER | FRANKLIN, TN | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| TIM TEBOW FOUNDATION | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| PEACHTREE PRESBYTERIAN PRE-SCHOOL | ATLANTA, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SURFRIDER FOUNDATION | SAN CLEMENTE, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE WESTMINSTER SCHOOLS INC | ATLANTA, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE DREAM FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $45,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| LAGUNA BLANCA SCHOOL | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $45,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $44,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $37,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE COLONEL JF TONEY MEMORIAL LIBRARY | ERWIN, TN | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SANTA BARBARA POLICE FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| RM PYLES BOYS CAMP | VALENCIA, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE ART OF ELYSIUM | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| GLOBAL LYME ALLIANCE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| GEORGIA AQUARIUM INC | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| BREAST CANCER RESOURCE CENTER | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| GATEWAY EDUCATION CENTER PTA | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SANTA BARBARA REGION OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| HOAG HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | NEWPORT BEACH, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CHARLES RIVER ALLEYCATS INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ATLANTA-FULTON COUNTY ZOO INC | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CORAL RESTORATION FOUNDATION INC | TAVERNIER, FL | $24,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SANTA BARBARA SCHOOL OF SQUASH | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $22,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | OAKLAND, CA | $22,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS TENNESSEE INC | BRENTWOOD, TN | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CAMP HOPE OF EAST TENNESSEE | CHURCH HILL, TN | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| FERNBANK INC | ATLANTA, GA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SANTA BARBARA YOUTH PROJECT | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $18,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SANTA BARBARA REVELS INC | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| DIRECT RELIEF | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE LOBERO THEATER FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| YOUTH WITH A MISSION SAN DIEGOBAJA | CHULA VISTA, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SANTA BARBARA POLICE ACTIVITIES LEAGUE | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| UNITED WAY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES OF ORANGE COUNTY | ORANGE, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ST ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | NEWPORT BEACH, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| TEDDY BEAR CANCER FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ONE805 INC | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| NEWPORT HARBOR FOOTBALL BOOSTERS | NEWPORT BEACH, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
RIVER CITY INCLUSIVE GYMNASTICS INC
$80,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
RICHMOND WILDLIFE CENTER
$80,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
HAPPY DOGGO US
$73,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
PEACHTREE PRESBYTERIAN PRE-SCHOOL
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SURFRIDER FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE DREAM FOUNDATION
$45,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY
$40,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE COLONEL JF TONEY MEMORIAL LIBRARY
$35,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SANTA BARBARA POLICE FOUNDATION
$35,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
RM PYLES BOYS CAMP
$30,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE ART OF ELYSIUM
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GLOBAL LYME ALLIANCE INC
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
BREAST CANCER RESOURCE CENTER
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GATEWAY EDUCATION CENTER PTA
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SANTA BARBARA REGION OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CHARLES RIVER ALLEYCATS INC
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SANTA BARBARA SCHOOL OF SQUASH
$22,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
$22,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SPECIAL OLYMPICS TENNESSEE INC
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CAMP HOPE OF EAST TENNESSEE
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
FERNBANK INC
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SANTA BARBARA YOUTH PROJECT
$18,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SANTA BARBARA REVELS INC
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE LOBERO THEATER FOUNDATION
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
YOUTH WITH A MISSION SAN DIEGOBAJA
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ST ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
NEWPORT HARBOR FOOTBALL BOOSTERS
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES