The Michael and Catherine Podell Fund makes relatively few, high-dollar grants focused on practical, high-impact services and research. Their giving mixes Bay Area direct service organizations addressing homelessness and senior needs with major national institutions supporting Alzheimer’s research and the arts, indicating a dual local-and-national orientation. They show sustained commitment to Alzheimer’s clinical research and to addressing basic needs for vulnerable populations (housing and senior nutrition).
A defining pattern in the Michael and Catherine Podell Fund’s recent giving is repeated, high-dollar support for housing stability and services that meet immediate needs. Life Moves received $320,000 in 2024 and $35,000 in 2023 for local families and individuals working to overcome homelessness and achieve long-term stability, showing sustained attention to that issue. The fund also backs elder meal delivery in San Francisco, with Meals on Wheels of SF receiving $100,000 in 2025 and $60,000 in 2024 for meal delivery to elders. Alongside those local priorities, the fund makes major grants to national research and cultural institutions. The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation received $160,000 in 2023 and $150,000 in 2024 for Alzheimer’s research and the program to accelerate clinical trials. The Smithsonian Institution also received $145,000 in 2023 to support programs of the National Portrait Gallery. These gifts point to a portfolio that combines direct service, medical research, and cultural support through relatively few but substantial grants.
Housing stability is a clear priority. In 2024, the Michael and Catherine Podell Fund gave $320,000 to Life Moves for local families and individuals working to overcome homelessness and achieve long-term stability, and it also made a $15,000 grant to Samaritan House for emergency housing, food, and healthcare services. The fund supports elder nutrition as well: Meals on Wheels of SF received $100,000 in 2025 for general support and $60,000 in 2024 to support meal delivery to elders. Education and youth development appear as well, including $15,000 to Aspire Public School Foundation to support books and materials for Aspire Scholars taking college courses. Arts-related support includes $45,000 to California College of the Arts to establish the David Meckel endowed scholarship and support the Roselyne C. Swig Scholarship.
The fund’s typical grants cluster at a moderate-to-large scale, with a p25 of $4,500, median of $10,000, and p75 of $32,750. Recent giving includes repeated support to some recipients across multiple years, such as Life Moves, Meals on Wheels of SF, UCSF Foundation, and Sage Compassion for Animals, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and funds individuals. Its recent pattern also includes both general support and purpose-specific grants, with several grants tied to named programs, scholarships, or service lines.
$520K
$14.8M
$1.9M
$588K
Most grants fall between $5K and $33K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$33K
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Concentrated, high-value grants to a small number of recipients; combination of repeat funding for research (multiple grants to Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation) and one-off large gifts to local service providers and national cultural institutions.
Notable grantees: Life Moves, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, Smithsonian Institution (National Portrait Gallery), Meals on Wheels of San Francisco
Grant recipients are concentrated in California, which accounts for 70% of grants to recipients in the home state of CA. Bay Area locations appear often, including San Francisco, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Mountain View, San Mateo, Oakland, Berkeley, and Santa Clara. The fund also gives outside California, with recipients in New York, Washington, DC, South Carolina, and Iowa not appearing in the recent grant list, while the overall recipient-country distribution is entirely US-based.
Recent grants show a strong emphasis on homelessness services, elder nutrition, Alzheimer’s research, and arts support. Examples include Life Moves for homelessness stability, Meals on Wheels of SF for meal delivery to elders, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation for research and clinical trials, and the Smithsonian Institution for National Portrait Gallery programs.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Life Moves in 2023 and 2024, Meals on Wheels of SF in 2024 and 2025, UCSF Foundation in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Sage Compassion for Animals in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The fund’s grant-size distribution centers on a median of $10,000, with a 25th percentile of $4,500 and a 75th percentile of $32,750. Recent awards range from small support grants to six-figure gifts such as $320,000 to Life Moves and $160,000 to the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation.
California is the main recipient state, with 70% of grants going to recipients in CA. Recent California recipients include organizations in San Francisco, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Mountain View, San Mateo, Oakland, Berkeley, and Santa Clara.
Yes. Recent non-California grants include the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation and World Central Kitchen in Washington, DC, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, Ukranian Action in South Carolina, and the California College of the Arts grant was made to a San Francisco institution.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEALS ON WHEELS OF SF | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EPACENTER | EAST PALO ALTO, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UKRANIAN ACTION | DANIEL ISLAND, SC | $62,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UCSF FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $57,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GIFFORDS LAW CENTER | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SF SYMPHONY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAGE COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS | MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ACHIEVE FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $23,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOSTER LOVE | BREA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIFE MOVES | SANTA CLARA, CA | $11,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE | MIDDLEBURY, VT | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ASPIRE PUBLIC SCHOOL FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CREATIVE GROWTH ART CENTER | OAKLAND, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GIRLS INC OF ALAMEDA COUNTY | OAKLAND, CA | $3,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAN MATEO COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PENINSULA OPEN SPACE TRUST | PALO ALTO, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| POLLINATOR PARTNERSHIP | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Life Moves | Menlo Park, CA | $320,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT LOCAL FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WORKING TO OVERCOME HOMELESSNESS AND ACHIEVE LONG-TERM STABILITY. |
| ALZHEIMER'S DRUG DISCOVERY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH AND THE PROGRAM TO ACCELERATE CLINICAL TRIALS. |
| Meals on Wheels of SF | San Francisco, CA | $60,000 | 2024 | To support meal delivery to elders. |
| UCSF FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE UCSF CHANCELLOR'S CIRCLE FUND |
| World Central Kitchen | Washington, DC | $40,000 | 2024 | To provide food to communities affected by humanitarian and climate crises around the globe |
| The Achieve Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $32,000 | 2024 | To contribute to Alexander Robinson's scholarship |
| Sage Compassion for Animals | Mountain View, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT NEEDED TO ENSURE ACUTE MEDICAL CARE FOR COMPANION ANIMALS IN CRISIS. |
| Tipping Point | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | To fight poverty in the bay area |
| SAMARITAN HOUSE | SAN MATEO, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT EMERGENCY HOUSING, food, and healthcare SERVICES. |
| Aspire Public School Foundation | oakland, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | To support purchase of books and materials for Aspire Scholars taking college courses. |
| Compassion and Choices | POrtland, OR | $10,000 | 2024 | to improve end of life care |
| Girls Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | To provide resources to girls in underserved communities |
| Jewish Community Federation | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | To provide support to the jewish community |
| Second Harvest | San Jose, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | To provide people access to nutritious groceries |
| Creative Growth Art Center | oakland, CA | $5,500 | 2024 | To provide artists with disabilities a path to creative expression and professional advancement. |
| Central Park Conservancy | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | To support maintenance and restoration of Central Park |
| Maui Humane Society | Puunene, HI | $5,000 | 2024 | To provide aid to animals affected by the maui wildfires |
| American Red Cross | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 2024 | To support victims affected by the hawaii wildfires |
| Boys and Girls Club | Menlo Park, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | To support the students of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula. |
| peninsula humane society and SPCA | Burlingame, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | To support the adoption of animals. |
| The garden Conservancy | Garrison, NY | $1,500 | 2024 | To support the creation of an endowed fund focused on preserving the beauty and historical significance of virginian gardens |
| CORA | SAN Mateo, CA | $1,500 | 2024 | To support a hotline and other resources for vicitms of domestic abuse |
| ALZHEIMER'S DRUG DISCOVERY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $160,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH AND THE PROGRAM TO ACCELERATE CLINICAL TRIALS. |
| SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION | WASHINGTON, DC | $145,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS OF THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY. |
| UCSF FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $80,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE UCSF CHANCELLOR'S CIRCLE FUND, the Neuro Oncology Caregiver Program Endowment, and the carol franc buck breast care center. |
| California College of the Arts | San Francisco, CA | $45,000 | 2023 | To establish the david meckel endowed scholarship and support the roselyne C. Swig Scholarship. |
| Life Moves | Menlo Park, CA | $35,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT LOCAL FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WORKING TO OVERCOME HOMELESSNESS AND ACHIEVE LONG-TERM STABILITY. |
| EPACenter for the arts | East Palo Alto, CA | $30,000 | 2023 | To help youth in East Palo Alto develop their intrinsic voices, creative agency, critical thinking and socio-emotional skills in order to succeed. |
| Sage Compassion for Animals | Mountain View, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT NEEDED TO ENSURE ACUTE MEDICAL CARE FOR COMPANION ANIMALS IN CRISIS. |
| SAMARITAN HOUSE | SAN MATEO, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT EMERGENCY HOUSING SERVICES. |
UCSF FOUNDATION
$57,500GENERAL SUPPORT
GIFFORDS LAW CENTER
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAGE COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE ACHIEVE FOUNDATION
$23,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOSTER LOVE
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GIRLS INC OF ALAMEDA COUNTY
$3,500GENERAL SUPPORT
TO SUPPORT LOCAL FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WORKING TO OVERCOME HOMELESSNESS AND ACHIEVE LONG-TERM STABILITY.
TO SUPPORT ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH AND THE PROGRAM TO ACCELERATE CLINICAL TRIALS.
To provide food to communities affected by humanitarian and climate crises around the globe
The Achieve Foundation
$32,000To contribute to Alexander Robinson's scholarship
Sage Compassion for Animals
$25,000TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT NEEDED TO ENSURE ACUTE MEDICAL CARE FOR COMPANION ANIMALS IN CRISIS.
To support purchase of books and materials for Aspire Scholars taking college courses.
To provide artists with disabilities a path to creative expression and professional advancement.
To support maintenance and restoration of Central Park
Maui Humane Society
$5,000To provide aid to animals affected by the maui wildfires
American Red Cross
$5,000To support victims affected by the hawaii wildfires
To support the students of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula.
peninsula humane society and SPCA
$2,500To support the adoption of animals.
To support the creation of an endowed fund focused on preserving the beauty and historical significance of virginian gardens
CORA
$1,500To support a hotline and other resources for vicitms of domestic abuse
TO SUPPORT ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH AND THE PROGRAM TO ACCELERATE CLINICAL TRIALS.
TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS OF THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY.
TO SUPPORT THE UCSF CHANCELLOR'S CIRCLE FUND, the Neuro Oncology Caregiver Program Endowment, and the carol franc buck breast care center.
To establish the david meckel endowed scholarship and support the roselyne C. Swig Scholarship.
TO SUPPORT LOCAL FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WORKING TO OVERCOME HOMELESSNESS AND ACHIEVE LONG-TERM STABILITY.
To help youth in East Palo Alto develop their intrinsic voices, creative agency, critical thinking and socio-emotional skills in order to succeed.
Sage Compassion for Animals
$25,000TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT NEEDED TO ENSURE ACUTE MEDICAL CARE FOR COMPANION ANIMALS IN CRISIS.