The foundation concentrates its philanthropy on cultural heritage preservation with a strong emphasis on supporting historic art institutions, and makes occasional targeted gifts to medical research. Its giving is dominated by a single large commitment to museum/art preservation in Florence, with a smaller, specific grant to liver disease research at a U.S. university. The pattern suggests interest in international cultural philanthropy alongside selective health/medical causes.
A single seven-figure-scale style commitment anchors Peter Fogliano & Hal Lester Foundation Inc’s recent giving: $151,550 to Friends of Florence for support of San Marco Museum and preservation of the arts. That grant points to a clear interest in cultural heritage preservation, especially historic art institutions and restoration work. The foundation also pairs that priority with selective support for health research, including a $25,000 grant to Augusta University Foundation for university liver disease research, treatment, and prevention. Smaller repeat grants show a second layer of activity across conservation, community health, and education. Big Sur Health Center received support for uninsured and underinsured community members, Boys Republic received gifts for aftercare scholarships and life-skills support, and environmental organizations such as Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Big Life Foundation, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Point Lobos Foundation appeared in the grant list. The pattern is narrow rather than broad: one very large cultural preservation award, a smaller medical research grant, and a cluster of modest grants in community service and conservation. The foundation’s most recent grants suggest a mix of international cultural philanthropy and practical local support in California and beyond.
Cultural heritage preservation is the clearest theme in the recent record. The foundation gave $151,550 to Friends of Florence for San Marco Museum and preservation of the arts, placing museum and restoration work at the center of its giving. Medical research is another visible area: Augusta University Foundation received $25,000 for university liver disease research, treatment, and prevention. Community health appears in grants to Big Sur Health Center, including support for uninsured or underinsured Big Sur residents. Education and transition support also show up through Boys Republic, which received funding for education, scholarships, aftercare, at-risk youth, and skills for adulthood. Environmental giving is smaller in amount but steady, with support for gorilla conservation, wild lands, ocean health, and Point Lobos preservation.
Typical grants cluster at modest levels: p25 is $3,000, median is $5,000, and p75 is $5,000. That said, the distribution is highly skewed by one much larger cultural preservation grant. The recent list shows repeat support across years for several recipients, including Big Sur Health Center, Boys Republic, American Liver Foundation, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Big Life Foundation, and Monterey Bay Aquarium, indicating recurring rather than one-time relationships in parts of the portfolio. The foundation is a grantmaking entity, not an individual funder, and it does not make program-related investments. Its giving is regional, with most grants landing in California and a large share of total grants going to recipients in the state where it is headquartered.
$92K
$933K
$243K
$107K
Most grants fall between $3K and $5K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$5K
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Highly concentrated: very few grants, dominated by one large, place-specific cultural preservation grant with sporadic smaller, issue-specific grants to university medical research.
Notable grantees: Friends of Florence, Augusta University Foundation
Grant recipients are almost entirely in the United States, with 15 grants, or 100%, going to U.S. organizations. California receives the largest share of grants by count, and 53% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Recipient locations include Big Sur, Chino Hills, Monterey, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Augusta, West Orange, Ridgefield, and Washington, DC. The geography is therefore U.S.-only, with a California-heavy pattern and a small number of gifts reaching the East Coast and the Southeast.
The recent record is led by cultural heritage preservation, especially museum and arts preservation in Florence. It also includes university-based liver disease research, support for uninsured or underinsured community members in Big Sur, youth education and aftercare at Boys Republic, and conservation work for wildlife, oceans, and Point Lobos.
Typical grants are modest: the 25th percentile is $3,000, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $5,000. The recent grant list also includes one much larger award of $151,550, which makes the distribution highly uneven.
Yes. The recent grants list includes repeat awards to Big Sur Health Center, Boys Republic, American Liver Foundation, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Big Life Foundation, and Monterey Bay Aquarium across 2023 and 2024. That suggests some ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts only.
Its grants are U.S.-only in the recent data, with 15 grants going to U.S. recipients. California receives 53% of grants by count, and recipients also appear in Washington, DC; Georgia; New Jersey; Washington; and Massachusetts-linked national conservation and health organizations are not shown here, only the recipient locations listed.
Cultural heritage preservation is the most prominent theme. The largest recent grant went to Friends of Florence for San Marco Museum and preservation of the arts, and the existing summary says the foundation concentrates its philanthropy on historic art institutions and restoration projects, with additional selective support for medical research.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRIENDS OF FLORENCE | WASHINGTON, DC | $53,000 | 2026 | RESTORATION OF SYNAGOGUE OF FLORENCE LARGE AND SMALL ARK |
| BOYS REPUBLIC | CHINO HILLS, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AT-RISK YOUTH AND TEACH SKILLS FOR ADULTHOOD |
| AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION | WEST ORANGE, NJ | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AND RESEARCH FOR THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND CURE OF LIVER DISEASE |
| BIG SUR HEALTH CENTER | BIG SUR, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT BIG SUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED |
| RANCHO CIELO | SALINAS, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION |
| MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM | MONTEREY, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT, PROTECTION, AND RESTORATION OF OCEAN HEALTH |
| DIAN FOSSEY GORILLA FUND | ATLANTA, GA | $3,000 | 2026 | CONSERVATION OF WILD GORILLAS |
| MONTEREY FIREFIGHTERS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MONTEREY, CA | $3,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY EDUCATION FOR FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY |
| BIG LIFE FOUNDATION | RIDGEFIELD, WA | $3,000 | 2026 | PROTECT AND SUSTAIN WILDLIFE AND WILD LANDS |
| FRIENDS OF FLORENCE | WASHINGTON, DC | $151,550 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR SAN MARCO MUSEUM AND PRESERVATION OF THE ARTS |
| AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | AUGUSTA, GA | $25,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSITY LIVER DISEASE RESEARCH, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION FUND |
| BIG SUR HEALTH CENTER | BIG SUR, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT BIG SUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED |
| BOYS REPUBLIC | CHINO HILLS, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT AT-RISK YOUTH AND TEACH SKILLS FOR ADULTHOOD |
| AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION | WEST ORANGE, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT AND RESEARCH FOR THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND CURE OF LIVER DISEASE |
| BIG LIFE FOUNDATION | RIDGEFIELD, WA | $3,000 | 2024 | PROTECT AND SUSTAIN WILDLIFE AND WILD LANDS |
| DIAN FOSSEY GORILLA FUND | ATLANTA, GA | $3,000 | 2024 | CONSERVATION OF WILD GORILLAS |
| MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM | MONTEREY, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT, PROTECTION, AND RESTORATION OF OCEAN HEALTH |
| BOYS REPUBLIC | CHINO HILLS, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT EDUCATION AND SCHOLARSHIPS TO AFTERCARE PROGRAM |
| AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT AND RESEARCH FOR THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND CURE OF LIVER DISEASE |
| BIG SUR HEALTH CENTER | BIG SUR, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT BIG SUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED |
| DIAN FOSSEY GORILLA FUND | ATLANTA, GA | $3,000 | 2023 | CONSERVATION OF WILD GORILLAS |
| BIG LIFE FOUNDATION | RIDGEFIELD, WA | $3,000 | 2023 | PROTECT AND SUSTAIN WILDLIFE AND WILD LANDS |
| MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM | MONTEREY, CA | $2,500 | 2023 | CONSERVATION OF THE OCEAN |
| POINT LOBOS FOUNDATION | MONTEREY, CA | $1,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT PRESERVATION OF POINT LOBOS RESERVE |
RESTORATION OF SYNAGOGUE OF FLORENCE LARGE AND SMALL ARK
SUPPORT AND RESEARCH FOR THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND CURE OF LIVER DISEASE
SUPPORT BIG SUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED
RANCHO CIELO
$5,000VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM
$5,000SUPPORT, PROTECTION, AND RESTORATION OF OCEAN HEALTH
MONTEREY FIREFIGHTERS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$3,000COMMUNITY EDUCATION FOR FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY
BIG LIFE FOUNDATION
$3,000PROTECT AND SUSTAIN WILDLIFE AND WILD LANDS
SUPPORT FOR SAN MARCO MUSEUM AND PRESERVATION OF THE ARTS
SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSITY LIVER DISEASE RESEARCH, TREATMENT, AND PREVENTION FUND
SUPPORT BIG SUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED
SUPPORT AND RESEARCH FOR THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND CURE OF LIVER DISEASE
BIG LIFE FOUNDATION
$3,000PROTECT AND SUSTAIN WILDLIFE AND WILD LANDS
AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION
$5,000SUPPORT AND RESEARCH FOR THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND CURE OF LIVER DISEASE
SUPPORT BIG SUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED
BIG LIFE FOUNDATION
$3,000PROTECT AND SUSTAIN WILDLIFE AND WILD LANDS
POINT LOBOS FOUNDATION
$1,000SUPPORT PRESERVATION OF POINT LOBOS RESERVE