The Robert & Shirley Harris Family Foundation concentrates on emergency relief in their region, directing large, targeted gifts to food-security and disaster-response organizations. Their recent funding prioritized COVID-related food distribution and broader disaster relief, with substantial, multi-grant support to a single local food bank and to the American Red Cross. The foundation appears to respond to acute community needs rather than funding a broad portfolio of program areas.
The Robert & Shirley Harris Family Foundation has recently concentrated its largest gifts on emergency food access and disaster response. In 2024, it gave $550,000 to Redwood Empire Food Bank for Holiday Meals and General Support and $550,000 to the American Red Cross for Disaster Relief, showing a pattern of large, targeted support for acute community needs. That same emphasis continued with another $375,000 gift to Redwood Empire Food Bank in 2025, plus major grants to World Central Kitchen, Americares, and Doctors Without Borders. The foundation’s recent portfolio also reaches beyond emergency response into local education, housing support, and regional civic institutions. Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation received $205,000 for Housing Endowment, Housing Stipends & Scholarships, while UC Berkeley Foundation, Sonoma Land Trust, and Santa Rosa East Rotary Foundation also appear among its larger grants. The mix suggests a funder that combines crisis-oriented philanthropy with support for local infrastructure and student aid. Most of its funding lands in California recipients, especially in Sonoma County, but the foundation also gives to national relief organizations based in Washington, DC, New York, Stamford, Boston, and Fairfield.
Emergency food relief is a central theme in the foundation’s giving. Redwood Empire Food Bank received $270,000 in 2023 for COVID Relief and $550,000 in 2024 for Holiday Meals and General Support, alongside a $375,000 grant in 2025 for General Support. Those awards point to sustained support for food distribution during both crisis and recovery periods. Disaster response is another clear focus. The American Red Cross received $550,000 in 2024 for Disaster Relief and $400,000 in 2023 for General Support, while World Central Kitchen received $200,000 in 2024 and $150,000 in 2025 for General Support. The foundation also funds housing and student support. Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation received $205,000 for Housing Endowment, Housing Stipends & Scholarships, and 10000 Degrees Sonoma County received $65,000 for Student Aid and $70,000 for Contribution to Northern California.
Recent gifts cluster around a typical middle range of $10,000 to $40,000, with a median grant size of $20,000 and a 75th percentile of $40,000. The grant list also includes repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, especially in emergency relief and local education, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off transactions. The foundation is classified as a Regular Funder and also funds individuals. Its recent grants are overwhelmingly structured as general support, though some awards are earmarked for specific purposes such as disaster relief, COVID relief, student aid, and housing stipends.
$2.5M
$17.2M
$2.7M
$2.9M
Most grants fall between $10K and $40K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$40K
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Highly concentrated: a small number of large grants to a few repeat grantees, focused on immediate relief efforts rather than diversified or long-term program portfolios.
Notable grantees: Redwood Empire Food Bank, American Red Cross, Other local/regional emergency response and community relief organizations
The foundation gives most often in New York by grant count, but most of its recipient organizations are in California, with 62% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state of California. Santa Rosa appears repeatedly through Redwood Empire Food Bank, Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation, Santa Rosa East Rotary Foundation, Sonoma Land Trust, and Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. Outside California, Washington, DC, New York, Stamford, Boston, and Fairfield show up as recipient cities, and all recorded grants go to U.S. organizations.
Its recent grants center on emergency food access, disaster response, and regional support in Northern California. Redwood Empire Food Bank, the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, and Americares all received sizable general-support or relief grants, while Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation and 10000 Degrees Sonoma County show added interest in housing and student aid.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Redwood Empire Food Bank, the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, Americares, Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam America, Save the Children, Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation, Sonoma Land Trust, and 10000 Degrees Sonoma County. That pattern suggests recurring relationships rather than isolated gifts.
The foundation’s typical grant size falls between $10,000 and $40,000, with a median of $20,000 and a 75th percentile of $40,000. Its recent portfolio also includes much larger awards, such as $550,000 grants in 2024 and $375,000 in 2025.
Most grants go to recipients in California, which accounts for 62% of grants to the HQ state. Santa Rosa appears often in the recipient list, and the foundation also gives to U.S.-based organizations in Washington, DC, New York, Stamford, Boston, and Fairfield.
The clearest focus areas are emergency food relief, disaster response, and regional Northern California support. Recent purpose tags include Holiday Meals and General Support, COVID Relief, Disaster Relief, Housing Endowment, Housing Stipends & Scholarships, Student Aid, and Contribution to Northern California.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood Empire Food Bank | Santa Rosa, CA | $375,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| American Red Cross | Washington, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Americares | Stamford, CT | $150,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| World Central Kitchen | Washington, DC | $150,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Doctors Without Borders | New York, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Santa Rosa East Rotary Foundation | Santa Rosa, CA | $125,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Oxfam America | Boston, MA | $85,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Luther Burbank Center for the Arts | Santa Rosa, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Sonoma Land Trust | Santa Rosa, CA | $70,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Save the Children | Fairfield, CT | $70,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| 10000 Degrees Sonoma County | Santa Rosa, CA | $70,000 | 2025 | Contribution to Northern California |
| Santa Rosa Junior College Foundatio | Santa Rosa, CA | $70,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Peer Health Exchange Inc | Oakland, CA | $65,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| UC Berkeley Foundation | Berkeley, CA | $61,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| California State Parks Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Habitat for Humanity of So Co | Santa Rosa, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| UC Berkeley Foundation | Berkeley, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | CAA Scholarship Program |
| Community Foundation Sonoma County | Santa Rosa, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | Resilience Fund |
| Fisher House Foundation | Rockville, MD | $50,000 | 2025 | Scholarships |
| Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation | Arcata, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| KQED | San Francisco, CA | $45,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Humane Society of Sonoma County | Santa Rosa, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| YMCA of Sonoma County | Santa Rosa, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Fistula Foundation | San Jose, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Nature Conservancy | Arlington, VA | $30,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| UC Berkeley Foundation | Berkeley, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | Human Rights Berkeley Law |
| United Policyholders | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Audubon Canyon Ranch | Stinson Beach, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Semper Fi Fund | Oceanside, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Ecology Action | Santa Cruz, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Wounded Warriors Family Support | Omaha, NE | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| National Park Foundation | Washington, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Environmental Defense Fund | Washington, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Ecology Action | Santa Cruz, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Exponent Philanthropy | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Yosemite Conservancy Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Innocence Project | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Green Beret Foundation | Montgomery, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| UC Berkeley Foundation | Berkeley, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Food Pantry |
| National Breast Coalition Fund | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Redwood Gospel Mission | Santa Rosa, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Siskiyou Opportunity Center | Mt Shasta, CA | $6,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Senior Advocacy Services | Petaluma, CA | $6,000 | 2025 | General Support & Flowers for Mothers' Day |
| Country Roads Foundation | Lincoln, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Play Marin | Sausalito, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Senior Advocacy Services | Petaluma, CA | $3,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Lime Foundation | Santa Rosa, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Redwood Empire Food Bank | Santa Rosa, CA | $550,000 | 2024 | Holiday Meals and General Support |
| American Red Cross | Washington, DC | $550,000 | 2024 | Disaster Relief |
| Santa Rosa Junior College Foundatio | Santa Rosa, CA | $205,000 | 2024 | Housing Endowment, Housing Stipends & Scholarships |
Americares
$150,000General Support
World Central Kitchen
$150,000General Support
Doctors Without Borders
$150,000General Support
Santa Rosa East Rotary Foundation
$125,000General Support
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
$75,000General Support
Save the Children
$70,000General Support
10000 Degrees Sonoma County
$70,000Contribution to Northern California
Santa Rosa Junior College Foundatio
$70,000General Support
UC Berkeley Foundation
$61,000General Support
Habitat for Humanity of So Co
$50,000General Support
UC Berkeley Foundation
$50,000CAA Scholarship Program
Community Foundation Sonoma County
$50,000Resilience Fund
YMCA of Sonoma County
$30,000General Support
UC Berkeley Foundation
$25,000Human Rights Berkeley Law
Semper Fi Fund
$20,000General Support
Ecology Action
$20,000General Support
Ecology Action
$15,000General Support
Exponent Philanthropy
$10,000General Support
UC Berkeley Foundation
$10,000Food Pantry
National Breast Coalition Fund
$10,000General Support
Siskiyou Opportunity Center
$6,000General Support
Senior Advocacy Services
$6,000General Support & Flowers for Mothers' Day
Country Roads Foundation
$5,000General Support
Play Marin
$5,000General Support
Senior Advocacy Services
$3,000General Support
Lime Foundation
$2,000General Support
Housing Endowment, Housing Stipends & Scholarships