The Susie and Gideon Yu Foundation concentrates its giving on marine animal conservation and public aquarium infrastructure, demonstrated by a multi-million dollar investment to renovate an African penguin habitat. Grants are targeted, program/capital-focused, and directed to established regional institutions that combine species conservation with public education and visitor experience.
Two $1.5 million grants to Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation, each earmarked for renovation of the African penguins habitat, define the Susie and Gideon Yu Foundation’s recent giving. That pattern points to a funder that backs large, project-specific investments rather than broad, diffuse support. The foundation’s grants also show repeated commitments to regional institutions that combine public-facing education with infrastructure or conservation work, including Stanford Health Care, Oakwood School, and the Council of Korean Americans. Across the recent record, the foundation appears to favor targeted awards for capital projects, planning, scholarships, and general support when the recipient fits a defined institutional need. Its grant list also includes support for marine animal conservation, school facilities, healthcare planning, and community-based programs. The presence of multi-year awards to the same organizations suggests continuity in relationships, especially where a project spans more than one year. The foundation funds both institutions tied to the Bay Area and organizations elsewhere in the United States, but the strongest pattern is concentrated, purpose-specific grantmaking to established groups with clear operating or capital priorities.
Marine conservation is the clearest theme in the Susie and Gideon Yu Foundation’s record. In 2025, it gave $1,500,000 to Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation for renovation of the African penguins habitat, repeating the same $1,500,000 grant made in 2024 for the same purpose. Beyond conservation, the foundation has supported education infrastructure: Oakwood School received $200,000 in 2025 for a Da Vinci lab and classroom complex, plus $150,000 in 2023 for fencing program/as needed and $30,000 in 2023 for the annual fund. It also supported student-focused aid through University School of Nashville, which received $50,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025 for the Vincent W Durnan Scholarship. Community and public-benefit grants appear as well, including $10,000 to Assistance League of Los Angeles for Operation School Bell.
The recent grant sizes cluster around a middle range of $25,000 to $125,000, with a median of $50,000, while the upper quartile reaches $125,000. The pattern includes a small number of large, project-specific awards alongside many mid-sized grants. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation, Stanford Health Care, Council of Korean Americans, Oakwood School, University School of Nashville, Phillips Brooks School, and Society for Science and the Public, which points to recurring relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is a private family foundation, and it also funds individuals. Its recent awards are largely unrestricted only when labeled as general support; otherwise they tend to be tied to capital, planning, scholarship, or campaign purposes.
$5.4M
$36.3M
$2.5M
$5.7M
Most grants fall between $25K and $125K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$125K
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Highly concentrated partner-focused giving: very large gifts to a single repeat grantee for capital/program work rather than many small or diversified awards.
Notable grantees: Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation
The foundation’s giving is regional and heavily concentrated in California, which accounts for 60% of grants. Monterey, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Menlo Park, and Santa Monica all appear in the recent record, showing a strong Bay Area and Southern California footprint. Outside California, grants also went to Washington, DC; Nashville, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon; and Studio City, California-based recipients in the broader Southern California network. All recent grants in the dataset were made to US recipients.
The clearest patterns are marine conservation and capital-focused institutional support. A $1,500,000 grant went to Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation for renovation of the African penguins habitat, while other awards supported school facilities, hospital planning, scholarships, and community programs.
Yes. Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation received the same $1,500,000 grant in both 2024 and 2025 for renovation of the African penguins habitat. Other repeat recipients include Stanford Health Care, Council of Korean Americans, Oakwood School, University School of Nashville, Phillips Brooks School, and Society for Science and the Public.
The grant-size distribution centers on a median of $50,000, with a lower quartile of $25,000 and an upper quartile of $125,000. That suggests many awards are mid-sized, even though the foundation also makes a small number of much larger grants.
California is the top giving state by grant count, accounting for 60% of grants. Recent recipient cities in California include Monterey, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Menlo Park, and Santa Monica.
Yes. University School of Nashville received $50,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for the Vincent W Durnan Scholarship. The foundation also supported the Oregon Community Leadership Scholarship with a $20,300 grant to Harrington Family Foundation in 2023.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM FOUNDATION | MONTEREY, CA | $1,500,000 | 2026 | RENOVATION OF THE AFRICAN PENGUINS HABITAT |
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | PASADENA, CA | $1,250,000 | 2026 | GIDEON AND SUSIE YU FELLOWSHIP FUND |
| BEL AIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | LOS ANGELES, CA | $200,000 | 2026 | MINISTRY FUND |
| OAKWOOD SCHOOL | NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA | $200,000 | 2026 | DA VINCI LAB AND CLASSROOM COMPLEX |
| LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES |
| BEL AIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | LOS ANGELES, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | LA FIRE RELIEF FUND |
| COUNCIL OF KOREAN AMERICANS | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2026 | VISION FUND |
| KOREAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN JOSE, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NASHVILLE | NASHVILLE, TN | $50,000 | 2026 | VINCENT W DURNAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM FOUNDATION | MONTEREY, CA | $1,500,000 | 2025 | RENOVATION OF THE AFRICAN PENGUINS HABITAT |
| BEL AIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | LOS ANGELES, CA | $225,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OAKWOOD SCHOOL | NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | DA VINCI LAB AND CLASSROOM COMPLEX |
| COUNCIL OF KOREAN AMERICANS | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | VISION FUND |
| OAKWOOD SCHOOL | NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA | $55,000 | 2025 | FENCING PROGRAM AND GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NASHVILLE | NASHVILLE, TN | $50,000 | 2025 | VINCENT W DURNAN SCHOLARSHIP |
| SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE AND THE PUBLIC | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF LOS ANGELES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | OPERATION SCHOOL BELL |
| MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM FOUNDATION | MONTEREY, CA | $1,500,000 | 2024 | RENOVATION OF THE AFRICAN PENGUINS HABITAT |
| STANFORD HEALTH CARE | PALO ALTO, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | PLANNING AND DESIGN OF NEW HOSPITAL |
| COUNCIL OF KOREAN AMERICANS INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2024 | VISION FUND |
| UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NASHVILLE | NASHVILLE, TN | $50,000 | 2024 | VINCENT W DURNAN SCHOLARSHIP |
| PHILLIPS BROOKS SCHOOL | MENLO PARK, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | SPARK CAMPAIGN |
| STANFORD HEALTH CARE | PALO ALTO, CA | $200,000 | 2023 | PLANNING AND DESIGN OF NEW HOSPITAL |
| OAKWOOD SCHOOL | NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA | $150,000 | 2023 | FENCING PROGRAM/AS NEEDED |
| COUNCIL OF KOREAN AMERICANS INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2023 | VISION FUND |
| JUSTIN TURNER FOUNDATION | STUDIO CITY, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NASHVILLE | NASHVILLE, TN | $50,000 | 2023 | VINCENT W DURNAN SCHOLARSHIP |
| OAKWOOD SCHOOL | NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA | $30,000 | 2023 | ANNUAL FUND |
| PHILLIPS BROOKS SCHOOL | MENLO PARK, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | SPARK CAMPAIGN |
| SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE AND THE PUBLIC | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HARRINGTON FAMILY FOUNDATION | PORTLAND, OR | $20,300 | 2023 | OREGON COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP |
| HEAL THE BAY | SANTA MONICA, CA | $4,650 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM FOUNDATION
$1,500,000RENOVATION OF THE AFRICAN PENGUINS HABITAT
BEL AIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$200,000MINISTRY FUND
BEL AIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$100,000LA FIRE RELIEF FUND
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM FOUNDATION
$1,500,000RENOVATION OF THE AFRICAN PENGUINS HABITAT
BEL AIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$225,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM FOUNDATION
$1,500,000RENOVATION OF THE AFRICAN PENGUINS HABITAT
JUSTIN TURNER FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HARRINGTON FAMILY FOUNDATION
$20,300OREGON COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP