The Peter K Barker Foundation concentrates its giving on a small set of institutional beneficiaries, primarily faith-based parish support and higher‑education or civic institutions in California. A few large grants (often repeated) dominate their portfolio, suggesting targeted, relationship-driven philanthropy rather than broad grantmaking. The foundation favors established organizations—parish, corporate foundation, military graduate school foundation, and liberal‑arts college—over grassroots or newcomer groups.
Concentrated giving: a small number of large grants (several repeated to the same recipients), relationship-driven institutional support focused on faith, regional civic interests, and higher education rather than many small or geographically dispersed awards.
Peter K Barker Foundation’s recent giving is defined by a small circle of repeat beneficiaries, especially Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church in Santa Barbara, which received $85,000 in 2023, $70,000 in 2024, and $75,000 in 2025 for general support. That recurring pattern points to a foundation that favors long-term relationships over one-off awards. The same approach appears in its support for Pebble Beach Company Foundation, Naval Post Graduate School Foundation, and Claremont Mckenna College, each funded at meaningful levels and often more than once. Rather than spreading gifts broadly, the foundation concentrates on established institutions in California and uses unrestricted support to help them maintain core operations. Its portfolio includes parish support, civic and coastal initiatives, graduate education connected to defense and public service, and undergraduate liberal-arts education. Additional grants to organizations such as J Paul Getty Trust and Huntington Library show an interest in cultural and educational institutions as part of the same targeted pattern. Across the list, the grants are mostly sized in the five-figure range, with a few larger commitments anchoring the year-to-year giving profile.
A clear thread in the foundation’s grantmaking is faith-based parish support. Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church in Santa Barbara received multiple general-support grants, including $85,000 in 2023 and $70,000 in 2024. Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara also appears in the recent record with a $5,000 grant in 2025, reinforcing that Catholic institutions are part of the portfolio. The foundation also backs education and research institutions. Claremont Mckenna College received $45,000 in 2025 and $15,000 in 2024, while the Naval Post Graduate School Foundation received $50,000 in 2025 for general support. Cultural and civic institutions are another lane: J Paul Getty Trust received $25,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Huntington Library received $20,000 in 2024 and $12,000 in 2025.
Typical grants are modest to mid-sized: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $12,000. That said, the distribution includes repeated five-figure awards and a few larger commitments, which suggests a small set of anchored relationships alongside routine support gifts. The recent record also shows repetition across years for several recipients, including annual general-support grants to the same organizations rather than a one-time project style. The foundation funds institutions, not individuals, and no program-related investments are listed. Its grant profile fits a relationship-driven structure centered on flexible support.
$251K
$4.1M
$493K
$294K
Most grants fall between $1K and $12K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$12K
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Notable grantees: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Pebble Beach Company Foundation, Naval Postgraduate School Foundation, Claremont McKenna College
The foundation gives almost entirely in the United States, with 53 recent grants all going to U.S. recipients. California dominates the map: 76% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top state by grant count is also CA. Santa Barbara appears repeatedly through Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church, Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation, and Cancer Center of Santa Barbara. Other California recipient cities include Pebble Beach, Monterey, Claremont, Los Angeles, San Marino, and Montecito.
The recent record centers on established institutions: a Catholic parish, a corporate foundation tied to coastal and civic work, a graduate school foundation, a liberal-arts college, cultural institutions like J Paul Getty Trust and Huntington Library, and a few local community organizations in California.
The grant-size distribution is relatively compact: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $12,000. The recent file also includes several larger general-support grants in the $45,000 to $85,000 range.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church, Pebble Beach Company Foundation, J Paul Getty Trust, Huntington Library, and Claremont Mckenna College. The pattern is mostly annual general-support funding rather than one-off awards.
California is the main geography in the recent grants list. The top state by grant count is CA, and 76% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Santa Barbara, Pebble Beach, Monterey, Claremont, and Los Angeles all appear multiple times.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL CHURCH | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE | CLAREMONT, CA | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY FOUNDATION | PEBBLE BEACH, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| J PAUL GETTY TRUST | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUNTINGTON LIBRARY | SAN MARINO, CA | $12,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTER FOR THE ARTS | JACKSON, WY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF SANTA BARBARA | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTECITO RETIREMENT ASSOC | MONTECITO, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DEL MONTE FOREST CONSERVANCY | PEBBLE BEACH, CA | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY FOUNDATION | PEBBLE BEACH, CA | $1,470 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TOGETHER IN MISSION LOS ANGELES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST PATRICK'S SCHOOL CARIBAD CA | CARLSBAD, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTECITO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHP FOUNDATION CALIFORNIA | COSTA MESA, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SANTA BARBARA ART MUSEUM | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL CHURCH | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NAVAL POST GRADUATE SCHOOL FOUNDATION | MONTEREY, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY FOUNDATION | PEBBLE BEACH, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE | CLAREMONT, CA | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| J PAUL GETTY TRUST | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUNTINGTON LIBRARY | SAN MARINO, CA | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF SANTA BARBARA | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLGATE UNIVERSITY | HAMILTON, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST PATRICK'S SCHOOL CARIBAD CA | CARLSBAD, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SANTA BARBARA ART MUSEUM | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TOGETHER IN MISSION LOS ANGELES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTECITO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHP FOUNDATION CALIFORNIA | COSTA MESA, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL CHURCH | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $70,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY FOUNDATION | PEBBLE BEACH, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| J PAUL GETTY TRUST | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUNTINGTON LIBRARY | SAN MARINO, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE | CLAREMONT, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL CHURCH | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $12,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SANTA BARBARA COTTAGE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLGATE UNIVERSITY | HAMILTON, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST PATRICK'S SCHOOL CARIBAD CA | CARLSBAD, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTECITO RETIREMENT ASSOC | MONTECITO, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY FOUNDATION | PEBBLE BEACH, CA | $1,400 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CANCER CENTER OF SANTA BARBARA | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SANTA BARBARA ART MUSEUM | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTAGE HEALTH (CHOMP) | MONTEREY, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL CHURCH | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $85,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY FOUNDATION | PEBBLE BEACH, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| J PAUL GETTY TRUST | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COTTAGE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TOGETHER IN MISSION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOWARD UNIVERSITY | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLGATE UNIVERSITY | HAMILTON, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO BOOTH | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL CHURCH
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE
$60,000GENERAL SUPPORT
J PAUL GETTY TRUST
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HUNTINGTON LIBRARY
$12,500GENERAL SUPPORT
CENTER FOR THE ARTS
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF SANTA BARBARA
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DEL MONTE FOREST CONSERVANCY
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
TOGETHER IN MISSION LOS ANGELES
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST PATRICK'S SCHOOL CARIBAD CA
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MONTECITO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHP FOUNDATION CALIFORNIA
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SANTA BARBARA ART MUSEUM
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL CHURCH
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE
$45,000GENERAL SUPPORT
J PAUL GETTY TRUST
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HUNTINGTON LIBRARY
$12,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COLGATE UNIVERSITY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST PATRICK'S SCHOOL CARIBAD CA
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SANTA BARBARA ART MUSEUM
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TOGETHER IN MISSION LOS ANGELES
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MONTECITO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHP FOUNDATION CALIFORNIA
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL CHURCH
$70,000GENERAL SUPPORT
J PAUL GETTY TRUST
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL CHURCH
$12,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COLGATE UNIVERSITY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST PATRICK'S SCHOOL CARIBAD CA
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CANCER CENTER OF SANTA BARBARA
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SANTA BARBARA ART MUSEUM
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL CHURCH
$85,000GENERAL SUPPORT
J PAUL GETTY TRUST
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TOGETHER IN MISSION
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COLGATE UNIVERSITY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO BOOTH
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT