The Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation concentrates its giving on high‑impact biomedical research—particularly infrastructure-building for Lp(a) and cardiovascular genetics—while also making targeted local investments in community food security. Grants are few and large, backing research registries/biobanks, trial coordination, translational science partnerships, and one multi‑grant capital campaign for a regional food bank. The portfolio blends national academic and research institutions with repeated support for select organizations.
The Riley & Susan Bechtel Foundation’s defining pattern is concentrated, large-scale support for biomedical research infrastructure, especially work on Lp(a) and cardiovascular genetics. Two 2025 grants of $2,000,000 each show that emphasis clearly: one to The Cleveland Clinic Foundation to study the relationship between Lp(a) and peripheral artery disease and the impact of elevated Lp(a) on aortic valves, and one to UC San Diego Foundation to launch and expand an Lp(a) registry and biobank and establish an Lp(a) clinical trial coordinating center. That research orientation is reinforced by a $500,000 grant to The Familial Hypercholesterolemia Foundation to improve public awareness of Lp(a), support people with elevated Lp(a), and build relationships with diverse communities. The portfolio also includes support for Parkinson’s research, neurobehavioral services, and a small set of community-focused grants. Grants are few and substantial, with repeated support to selected organizations over multiple years.
Biomedical research is the center of the foundation’s giving. In 2024, it gave $1,000,000 twice to Convergent Research Inc to support research activities, signaling interest in research capacity as well as individual projects. Cardiovascular genetics appears in several grants: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation received $2,000,000 in 2025 for work on Lp(a), peripheral artery disease, and aortic valves, while UC San Diego Foundation received $2,000,000 in 2025 to build an Lp(a) registry, biobank, and clinical trial coordinating center. The Familial Hypercholesterolemia Foundation received $500,000 in 2025 to raise public awareness of Lp(a), support people with elevated Lp(a), and engage diverse communities. The foundation also supported Parkinson’s research with a $1,250,000 general operating grant to Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
Typical grants are large: the 25th percentile is $100,000, the median is $185,693, and the 75th percentile is $600,000. The pattern is repeat support rather than one-off giving; Foodbank of Santa Barbara County appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and United Way of the Bay Area appears across 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation does not fund individuals and has a regional geographic scope. The recent grants also show a mix of project support, general operating support, and capital campaign funding.
$6.7M
$67.6M
$11M
$6.8M
Most grants fall between $100K and $600K, with a median of $186K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$186K
75th Percentile
$600K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of grantees; combination of national research institutions for biomedical infrastructure and a few repeat, multi‑year/multi‑grant commitments to select organizations (both research partners and a local food bank).
Notable grantees: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, UC San Diego Foundation, Convergent Research Inc., Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
Grantmaking is concentrated in California, which accounts for 64% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Recent California recipients include La Jolla, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco. Outside California, the foundation funded organizations in Cleveland, New York City, Cambridge, Englewood, and Fernandina Beach. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
The foundation concentrates on biomedical research, especially Lp(a) and cardiovascular genetics, including registries, biobanks, and clinical trial infrastructure. It also supports Parkinson’s research, neurobehavioral programming, and a smaller set of food security and poverty-alleviation grants.
The 25th percentile grant is $100,000, the median is $185,693, and the 75th percentile is $600,000. Recent awards also include several $2,000,000 grants, showing that the foundation sometimes makes very large project commitments.
Yes. Foodbank of Santa Barbara County received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and United Way of the Bay Area appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 as well. That pattern suggests ongoing support for selected organizations rather than isolated awards.
The recent record includes project-specific support, general operating support, and capital campaign funding. Examples include general operating support for Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, capital campaign support for Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, and research activities funding for Convergent Research Inc.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $2,000,000 | 2025 | TO CONDUCT A CLINICAL STUDY EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LP(A) AND PAD, AND RESEARCH THE IMPACT OF ELEVATED LP(A) ON AORTIC VALVES. |
| UC SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION | LA JOLLA, CA | $2,000,000 | 2025 | TO LAUNCH AND EXPAND A REGISTRY AND BIOBANK OF INDIVIDUALS TESTED FOR LP(A), ESTABLISH AN LP(A) CLINICAL TRIAL COORDINATING CENTER, AND INITIATE OPPORTUNITIES TO APPLY FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING. |
| MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION FOR PARKINSON'S RESEARCH | NEW YORK CITY, NY | $1,250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FOODBANK OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $600,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE BUILDING READINESS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. |
| THE FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA FOUNDATION | FERNANDINA BEACH, FL | $500,000 | 2025 | TO IMPROVE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF LP(A), PROVIDE SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED LP(A), AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. |
| UNITED WAY OF THE BAY AREA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT POVERTY-FIGHTING PROGRAMS TO HELP END THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY ENSURING ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS AND BUILDING SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS TO CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. |
| CRAIG HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | ENGLEWOOD, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE CRAIG HOSPITAL NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROGRAM. |
| CONVERGENT RESEARCH INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. |
| CONVERGENT RESEARCH INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. |
| FOODBANK OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $600,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE BUILDING READINESS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. |
| UNITED WAY OF THE BAY AREA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $202,861 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT POVERTY-FIGHTING PROGRAMS TO HELP END THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY ENSURING ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS AND BUILDING SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS TO CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. |
| CRAIG HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | ENGLEWOOD, CO | $84,495 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE CRAIG HOSPITAL NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROGRAM. |
| FOODBANK OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $600,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE BUILDING READINESS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. |
| UNITED WAY OF THE BAY AREA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $185,693 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT POVERTY-FIGHTING PROGRAMS TO HELP END THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY ENSURING ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS AND BUILDING SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS TO CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. |
| CRAIG HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | ENGLEWOOD, CO | $117,370 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE CRAIG HOSPITAL NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROGRAM. |
| COUNTERPULSE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. |
| SF-MARIN FOOD BANK | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE FOOD BANK'S GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FUND. |
| UNITED WAY OF THE BAY AREA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $8,377 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT POVERTY-FIGHTING PROGRAMS TO HELP END THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY ENSURING ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS AND BUILDING SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS TO CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. |
THE CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION
$2,000,000TO CONDUCT A CLINICAL STUDY EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LP(A) AND PAD, AND RESEARCH THE IMPACT OF ELEVATED LP(A) ON AORTIC VALVES.
TO LAUNCH AND EXPAND A REGISTRY AND BIOBANK OF INDIVIDUALS TESTED FOR LP(A), ESTABLISH AN LP(A) CLINICAL TRIAL COORDINATING CENTER, AND INITIATE OPPORTUNITIES TO APPLY FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
FOODBANK OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
$600,000TO SUPPORT THE BUILDING READINESS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.
THE FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA FOUNDATION
$500,000TO IMPROVE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF LP(A), PROVIDE SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED LP(A), AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH DIVERSE COMMUNITIES.
TO SUPPORT POVERTY-FIGHTING PROGRAMS TO HELP END THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY ENSURING ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS AND BUILDING SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS TO CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
TO SUPPORT THE CRAIG HOSPITAL NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROGRAM.
FOODBANK OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
$600,000TO SUPPORT THE BUILDING READINESS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.
TO SUPPORT POVERTY-FIGHTING PROGRAMS TO HELP END THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY ENSURING ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS AND BUILDING SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS TO CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
TO SUPPORT THE CRAIG HOSPITAL NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROGRAM.
FOODBANK OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
$600,000TO SUPPORT THE BUILDING READINESS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.
TO SUPPORT POVERTY-FIGHTING PROGRAMS TO HELP END THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY ENSURING ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS AND BUILDING SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS TO CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
TO SUPPORT THE CRAIG HOSPITAL NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROGRAM.
TO SUPPORT THE FOOD BANK'S GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FUND.
TO SUPPORT POVERTY-FIGHTING PROGRAMS TO HELP END THE CYCLE OF POVERTY BY ENSURING ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS AND BUILDING SYSTEMS AND PATHWAYS TO CAREER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.