The Rice Family Foundation is a highly focused local funder that concentrates its resources on supporting student internships and experiential learning at a single community college in San Diego. All recorded grants fund the 'M. Rice Intern Program' at Cuyamaca Community College, indicating a preference for named, program-specific support that benefits local students and workforce development. The foundation appears to operate with a narrow, hands-on philanthropic strategy rather than broad geographic or issue diversification.
Rice Family Foundation’s grant history is built around one repeated program: the M. Rice Intern Program at Cuyamaca Community College. That program appears multiple times in the recent grants list, including three awards of $50,500 across 2023 and 2024, which makes the foundation’s support pattern unusually easy to trace. The foundation pairs that college-based internship support with a broader set of local education grants in San Diego County, including science centers, museums, a community college scholarship program, and youth-serving organizations. The recent record shows a funder that favors named, program-specific support rather than diffuse general giving. Beyond Cuyamaca Community College, the foundation backed the Reuben H Fleet Science Center, San Diego Natural History Museum, The Zoological Society of San Diego, and The New Children’s Museum, all in San Diego or nearby El Cajon. It also supported the Foundation for GrossmontCuyamaca Colleges’ Promise Plus Scholarship Program and Monarch School’s general program support. The pattern points to an emphasis on hands-on learning, access to educational institutions, and student pathways connected to local institutions.
A central theme in the foundation’s grantmaking is community college pathways. It gave $20,000 to the Foundation for GrossmontCuyamaca Colleges for the Promise Plus Scholarship Program, tying support to student aid and college access. Another recurring line of support goes to science and nature learning: the foundation awarded $30,000 to the Reuben H Fleet Science Center for Educational ProgramSupport and $15,000 to the San Diego Natural History Museum for its Nature Loan LibraryEd Program. Youth-focused STEM and enrichment also show up in the recent grants. The Zoological Society of San Diego received $18,000 for Girls in Science Program and $12,400 for Title 1 Bus Transportation, while Ocean Discovery Institute received $15,000 for Ocean ScienceExplorers Program. Arts education appears as well through a $12,500 grant to Classics 4 Kids for Education: Music Program and $15,000 to The New Children’s Museum for Educational Programs.
Typical grants cluster in the low five figures to mid-thousands: p25 is $3,125, median grant size is $6,032, and p75 is $10,000. The recent record also shows repeated awards to the same organizations and same programs across 2023 and 2024, especially the M. Rice Intern Program at Cuyamaca Community College and several education programs in San Diego County. The foundation appears to function as a family foundation, with no program-related investments listed. The data also indicates that it funds individuals, alongside institutional grantees.
$447K
$9.1M
$813K
$669K
Most grants fall between $3K and $10K, with a median of $6K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$6K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Highly concentrated giving: multiple repeat grants (3) to a single local grantee/program, program-specific support rather than general operating grants, modest total outlay focused on one initiative.
Notable grantees: Cuyamaca Community College (M. Rice Intern Program)
Giving is highly concentrated in California, which accounts for 89% of grants. The recent grants are centered in San Diego and El Cajon, with multiple awards to organizations in both cities. San Diego recipients include the Reuben H Fleet Science Center, San Diego Natural History Museum, The Zoological Society of San Diego, The New Children’s Museum, Ocean Discovery Institute, Monarch School, and Classics 4 Kids. El Cajon recipients include Cuyamaca Community College, The Water Conservation Garden, and the Foundation for GrossmontCuyamaca Colleges. All recorded grants in the data go to U.S. recipients.
The grant record centers on education and learning. Recent awards support a community college internship program, scholarship aid, science and nature education, museum access, girls-in-science programming, music education, and transportation tied to school access.
The typical grant size is modest to mid-sized: p25 is $3,125, the median is $6,032, and p75 is $10,000. Recent awards also include larger program grants in the $15,000 to $50,500 range.
Yes. The recent grant list shows repeated support across 2023 and 2024 for organizations such as Cuyamaca Community College, The Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego Natural History Museum, The Water Conservation Garden, The New Children’s Museum, and Ocean Discovery Institute.
Its giving is local and strongly centered in California. The data shows 89% of grants going to recipients in CA, with the most frequent recipient cities in the recent grants list being San Diego and El Cajon.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyamaca Community College | El Cajon, CA | $50,850 | 2026 | M. Rice Intern Program |
| Monarch School | San Diego, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | General program support |
| San Diego Natural History Museum | San Diego, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | Educational Programs |
| Reuben H Fleet Science Center | San Diego, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | Edcuational ProgramSupport |
| The Zoological Society of San Diego | San Diego, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | Educational programs |
| Reuben H Fleet Science Center | San Diego, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | Capital Campaign |
| Ocean Discovery Institute | San Diego, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | Ocean ScienceExplorers Program |
| Classics 4 Kids | San Diego, CA | $16,980 | 2026 | Education: Music Program |
| Words Alive | San Diego, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | Rolling ReadersEducational Program |
| The Water Conservation Garden | El Cajon, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | Educational Programs |
| ArtsBusXpress | San Diego, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | Transportation to the Arts |
| The New Children's Museum | San Diego, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | Educational Programs |
| ArtReach | San Diego, CA | $10,500 | 2026 | General Support |
| SD River Park Foundation | San Diego, CA | $10,160 | 2026 | Cool River EducationalProgram |
| Humane Society of the US | Chantilly, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | Support-Calif Wildfires |
| American Red Cross | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | Support Calif Widfires |
| SAY San Diego | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | Resource & ReferrelHub Program |
| San Diego Botanic Garden | Encinitas, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | Educational Programs |
| University of San Diego | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | Educational ProgramingSchool of Leadership |
| LA Fire Dept Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | Support Calif Wildfires |
| East County Youth Symphony | El Cajon, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | General SupportMusic Programs |
| Barrio Logan College Institute | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | General Operating Support |
| NTC Foundation | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | Liberty School ArtsEducational Program |
| Elementary Institute of Science | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | Educational Programs |
| Maritime Museum of SD | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | Education Program Support |
| Grossmont College | El Cajon, CA | $6,027 | 2026 | Theatre Arts DeptProgram Support |
| Francis Parker School | San Diego, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Educational Programs: Drama Dept |
| San Diego Botanic Garden | Encinitas, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Capital campaign |
| The Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges | El Cajon, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | College Schlorships |
| Feeding San Diego | San Diego, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Autism Tree Project Foundation | San Diego, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Educational Program Support |
| Heritage Of the Americas Museum | El Cajon, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Education Programs |
| Cuyamaca Community College | El Cajon, CA | $2,500 | 2026 | Student Scholarships |
| Nativity Prep | San Diego, CA | $1,745 | 2026 | General Supporteducation |
| Simon Youth Foundation | Indinanapolis, IN | $1,500 | 2026 | General Support |
| Guitars in the Classroom | San Diego, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Boulder Oaks elementary | lpine, CA | $300 | 2026 | General Suppoprt |
| Murdock Elementary | la Mesa, CA | $225 | 2026 | Generl Support |
| Fuerte Elementary | El Cajon, CA | $200 | 2026 | Program Support |
| Cuyamaca Community College | El Cjon, CA | $50,500 | 2025 | M. Rice Intern Program |
| Reuben H Fleet Science Center | San Diego, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | Edcuational ProgramSupport |
| ArtsBusXpress | San Diego, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | Transportation to the Arts |
| Ocean Discovery Institute | San Diego, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | Ocean ScienceExplorers Program |
| The Zoological Society of San Diego | San Diego, CA | $18,100 | 2025 | Girls in Science Program |
| Monarch School | San Diego, CA | $16,150 | 2025 | General program support |
| The Water Conservation Garden | El Cajon, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | Educational Programs |
| The New Children's Museum | San Diego, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | Educational Programs |
| San Diego Natural History Museum | San Diego, CA | $14,000 | 2025 | Nature Loan LibraryEd Program |
| Classics 4 Kids | San Diego, CA | $13,490 | 2025 | Education: Music Program |
| San Diego Natural History Museum | San Diego, CA | $11,000 | 2025 | Museum Access Fund |
Cuyamaca Community College
$50,850M. Rice Intern Program
Monarch School
$30,000General program support
San Diego Natural History Museum
$25,000Educational Programs
Capital Campaign
Classics 4 Kids
$16,980Education: Music Program
The Water Conservation Garden
$15,000Educational Programs
ArtsBusXpress
$15,000Transportation to the Arts
Humane Society of the US
$10,000Support-Calif Wildfires
SAY San Diego
$10,000Resource & ReferrelHub Program
San Diego Botanic Garden
$10,000Educational Programs
East County Youth Symphony
$10,000General SupportMusic Programs
Maritime Museum of SD
$10,000Education Program Support
Grossmont College
$6,027Theatre Arts DeptProgram Support
San Diego Botanic Garden
$5,000Capital campaign
Autism Tree Project Foundation
$5,000Educational Program Support
Heritage Of the Americas Museum
$5,000Education Programs
Cuyamaca Community College
$2,500Student Scholarships
Nativity Prep
$1,745General Supporteducation
Simon Youth Foundation
$1,500General Support
Guitars in the Classroom
$1,000General Support
Boulder Oaks elementary
$300General Suppoprt
Murdock Elementary
$225Generl Support
Fuerte Elementary
$200Program Support
Cuyamaca Community College
$50,500M. Rice Intern Program
ArtsBusXpress
$20,000Transportation to the Arts
The Zoological Society of San Diego
$18,100Girls in Science Program
Monarch School
$16,150General program support
The Water Conservation Garden
$15,000Educational Programs
San Diego Natural History Museum
$14,000Nature Loan LibraryEd Program
Classics 4 Kids
$13,490Education: Music Program
San Diego Natural History Museum
$11,000Museum Access Fund