The Burnham Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on a small number of sizable, local grants that support community peacemaking and regional cultural life in San Diego. Its giving is narrowly focused—funding conflict resolution/peacemaking programs and the preservation and education work of the San Diego Symphony—often through repeat, high-dollar awards. The foundation favors organizations that advance civic harmony and local arts institutions rather than broad national portfolios.
A defining feature of The Burnham Foundation’s recent giving is its repeated support for community peacemaking in San Diego, including a $150,000 grant in 2025 to the National Conflict Resolution Center to fund the partnership between the NCRC and the YMCA. That emphasis is paired with sustained backing for regional arts and civic education, especially the San Diego Symphony, which received $125,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for education and preservation of regional music and culture. The foundation also appears in adjacent civic and educational work, such as support for the University of San Diego’s Burnham Moores Center for Real Estate and the Institute of the Americas’ Cross Boarder STEAM Lab. Its grantmaking is local in scope and concentrated in San Diego County organizations, with several recipients appearing more than once across the recent-grants list. The pattern suggests a funder that favors direct, place-based institutions and recurring partnerships rather than a broad portfolio of distant grantees.
In peacemaking and civic harmony work, the foundation gave $115,000 in 2023 and $95,000 in 2024 to the National Conflict Resolution Center for the Peacemaker Honorary Committee, then added $75,000 in 2025 for the Campus Civility Project. In arts and cultural preservation, the San Diego Symphony received $125,000 in 2023 and another $125,000 in 2024 for education and preservation of regional music and culture. The foundation also funds education-linked projects: Teach for America received $50,000 in 2023, $50,000 in 2024, and $50,000 in 2025 to provide low-income schools with educational equity and excellence. Its grant list also includes a $75,000 award to the Institute of the Americas for the Cross Boarder STEAM Lab.
Typical grants are modest to mid-sized for the foundation’s portfolio: the p25 is $2,000, median grant size is $5,000, and p75 is $25,000. The recent-grants list shows a clear mix of one-off awards and repeat support, with several recipients funded across multiple years, including the National Conflict Resolution Center, the San Diego Symphony, Teach for America, the University of San Diego, and the Institute of the Americas. The foundation funds individuals as well as organizations, and it makes no program-related investments. Its active programs also accept unsolicited requests, with small local grants described for community, arts, sport, volunteering, and elderly-support projects.
$2.7M
$4.3M
$4.5M
$2.9M
Most grants fall between $2K and $25K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$25K
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Highly concentrated — very few grants, large-dollar awards, repeated support to the same local organizations rather than many small or one-off gifts.
Notable grantees: National Conflict Resolution Center, San Diego Symphony
Grantmaking is highly concentrated in California: 94% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top state by grant count is also CA. Recent recipients are clustered in San Diego and nearby cities, including La Jolla, Carlsbad, and Bakersfield. Specific examples from the list include National Conflict Resolution Center in San Diego, Institute of the Americas in La Jolla, Maggie Kay Foundation in Carlsbad, and Fred Grier in Bakersfield. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
The recent-grants list shows a narrow set of priorities: community conflict resolution and peacemaking, regional cultural preservation through the San Diego Symphony, educational equity through Teach for America, and local civic or research institutions such as the University of San Diego and the Institute of the Americas.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including the National Conflict Resolution Center, the San Diego Symphony, Teach for America, the University of San Diego, and the Institute of the Americas. The pattern includes repeated awards to the same organizations rather than only one-time gifts.
The foundation’s typical grant size is small to mid-sized: p25 is $2,000, median is $5,000, and p75 is $25,000. The recent-grants list includes both smaller awards and larger repeat grants, with some gifts reaching six figures.
It is local in scope. Ninety-four percent of grants go to recipients in California, and the recent-grants list is entirely U.S.-based. The recipients shown are concentrated in San Diego, La Jolla, Carlsbad, Bakersfield, Stanford, and Olympia.
Yes. The foundation funds individuals, and the recent-grants list includes awards to Fred Grier for student tuition and housing in 2023 and scholarship support in 2024.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Burnham Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Groups, organisations or individuals located in Burnham or the surrounding district whose project fits the Foundation's stated focus areas; applicants are asked to complete and submit the Grant Request Form and follow the Grant Application Guidelines.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAN DIEGO HISTORY CENTER | SAN DEIGO, CA | $700,000 | 2026 | HISTORY CENTER SUSTAINING COUNCIL. |
| J CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE | LA JOLLA, CA | $200,000 | 2026 | ADVANCING THE SCIENCE OF GENOMICS |
| NATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION CENTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $150,000 | 2026 | PEACEMAKER HONORARY COMMITTEE |
| FOREVER BALBOA PARK | SAN DEIGO, CA |
| $100,000 |
| 2026 |
| MATCHING GRANT TO PRESERVE, ENHANCE AND ACTIVATE BALBOA PARK. |
| NATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION CENTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $75,000 | 2026 | PEACEMAKER HONORARY COMMITTEE. |
| SAN DIEGO TIJUANA WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2024 | SAN DEIGO, CA | $54,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OF THE WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2024 EVENTS IN SAN DIEGO & TIJUANA. |
| INSTITUTE OF THE AMERICAS | LA JOLLA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | FUNDING FOR THE CROSS BOARDER STEAM LAB |
| SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS | LA JOLLA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | RESEARCH FOR THE CURE TO CANCER. |
| SAN DIEGO YACHT CLUB | SAN DEIGO, CA | $36,770 | 2026 | BURNHAM SAILING CENTER BUILDING. |
| PLHS-POINTER ASB | SAN DEIGO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | ACADEMICS, ARTS AND ATHLETICS. |
| SDYC SAILING FOUNDATION | SAN DEIGO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | BURNHAM SAILING CENTER BUILDING |
| SAN DIEGO JAZZ VENTURES | SAN DEIGO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE SAN DIEGO TIJUANA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL. |
| SAN DIEGO REGIONAL ECONOMIC CORPORATION | SAN DEIGO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | PROMOTE BUSINESS IN SAN DIEGO. |
| SAN DIEGO REGIONAL ECONOMIC CORPORATION | SAN DEIGO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | PROMOTE BUSINESS IN SAN DIEGO. |
| SAN YSIDRO HEALTH | SAN DEIGO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR FAMILIES |
| INSTALLATION GALLERY | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | BINATIONAL COLLABORATIVE ARTS PARTNERSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO | LA JOLLA, CA | $24,988 | 2026 | STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS |
| SAN DIEGO TIJUANA WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2024 | SAN DEIGO, CA | $22,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OF THE WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2024 EVENTS IN SAN DIEGO & TIJUANA |
| DIAMOND EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE PARTNERSHIP | SAN DEIGO, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | INCREASE READING LITERACY OF GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS. |
| IIAN-LAEL FOUNDATION | JULIAN, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT FOR ENDOWMENT FUND |
| JULIAN COMMUNITY HERITAGE FOUNDATION | JULIAN, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | PRESERVING THE HISTORY AND COMMUNITY OF JULIAN |
| LUCKY DUCK FOUNDATION | SAN DEIGO, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | PREVENT AND ALLEVIATE SUFFERING OF HOMELESS THROUGHOUT SAN DIEGO. |
| US-MEXICO BORDER PHILANTHROPY | SAN DEIGO, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OF THE SMART BORDER COALITION |
| VOICES OF OUR CITY CHOIR | SAN DEIGO, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | EMERGENCY HOUSING SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE CHOIR MEMBERS. |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT | SAN DEIGO, CA | $9,000 | 2026 | PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS |
| USS MIDWAY FOUNDATION | SAN DEIGO, CA | $6,750 | 2026 | PRESERVATION OF NAVAL AVIATION HISTORY. |
| MEALS ON WHEELS | SAN DIEGO, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | FEED ELDERLY SHUT-INS |
| ST THERESE OF CARMEL | SAN DIEGO, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | FUND CONSTRUCTION AT OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE. |
| RISE UP INDUSTRIES | SANTEE, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GANG PREVENTION, GANG INTERVENTION AND POST-DETENTION REENTRY PROGRAMS. |
| FOREVER BALBOA PARK | SAN DEIGO, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | 2025 SPARK AWARDS SPONSORSHIP |
| TRANS FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES | SAN DIEGO, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT FOR TRANSGENDERED AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES |
| SAN DIEGO LGBTQ COMMUNITY CENTER | SAN DEIGO, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | ENHANCE AND SUSTAIN THE WELLBEING OF QUEER AND TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE. |
| THE WEDNESDAY CLUB | SAN DEIGO, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | ARTS & LITERACY AWARENESS. |
| SAN DIEGO SCOUTING AMERICA | SAN DEIGO, CA | $3,500 | 2026 | 2025 CHAMPIONS OF SCOUTING EVENT. |
| LAS PATRONAS | LA JOLLA, CA | $3,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL |
| SCORE SAN DIEGO | SAN DEIGO, CA | $2,500 | 2026 | COUNSELING AND WORKSHOPS FOR BUSINESS. |
| SAN DIEGO AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM | SAN DEIGO, CA | $2,000 | 2026 | PROMOTE AIR AND SPACE PROGRAMS. |
| USS MIDWAY MUSEUM | SAN DIEGO, CA | $2,000 | 2026 | PRESERVATION OF NAVAL AVIATION HISTORY |
| KCSD-FM | SAN DEIGO, CA | $2,000 | 2026 | ONGOING PROGRAMMING SUPPORT OF JAZZ RADIO. |
| SHARP HOSPICE CARE | LA MESA, CA | $1,500 | 2026 | HOMES FOR HOSPICE |
| SAN DIEGO YACHT CLUB | SAN DEIGO, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | BURNHAM SAILING CENTER BUILDING. |
| LA JOLLA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | LA JOLLA, CA | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT CHURCH ACTIVITIES |
| NATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION CENTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | FUND THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE NCRC AND THE YMCA. |
| NATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION CENTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | FUND THE CAMPUS CIVILITY PROJECT. |
| CAMPANILE FOUNDATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | HAROLD K BROWN CAREER LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING BIASES PROGRAM FUND. |
| INSTITUTE OF THE AMERICAS | LA JOLLA, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | FUNDING FOR THE CROSS BOARDER STEAM LAB |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA | SAN DEIGO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO PROVIDE LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS WITH EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO | SAN DIEGO, CA | $27,743 | 2025 | BURNHAM MOORES CENTER FOR REAL ESTATE |
| TIMKEN MUSEUM OF ART | SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | PRESERVE ART FOR THE EDUCATION OF LOCAL CHILDREN |
| THE SAN DIEGO LGBTQ COMMUNITY CENTER | SAN DEIGO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | ENHANCE AND SUSTAIN THE WELLBEING OF QUEER AND TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE. |
SAN DIEGO HISTORY CENTER
$700,000HISTORY CENTER SUSTAINING COUNCIL.
MATCHING GRANT TO PRESERVE, ENHANCE AND ACTIVATE BALBOA PARK.
SUPPORT OF THE WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2024 EVENTS IN SAN DIEGO & TIJUANA.
SANFORD BURNHAM PREBYS
$50,000RESEARCH FOR THE CURE TO CANCER.
SAN DIEGO YACHT CLUB
$36,770BURNHAM SAILING CENTER BUILDING.
PLHS-POINTER ASB
$25,000ACADEMICS, ARTS AND ATHLETICS.
SDYC SAILING FOUNDATION
$25,000BURNHAM SAILING CENTER BUILDING
SAN DIEGO JAZZ VENTURES
$25,000SUPPORT THE SAN DIEGO TIJUANA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL.
SAN DIEGO REGIONAL ECONOMIC CORPORATION
$25,000PROMOTE BUSINESS IN SAN DIEGO.
SAN DIEGO REGIONAL ECONOMIC CORPORATION
$25,000PROMOTE BUSINESS IN SAN DIEGO.
INSTALLATION GALLERY
$25,000BINATIONAL COLLABORATIVE ARTS PARTNERSHIP
SUPPORT OF THE WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2024 EVENTS IN SAN DIEGO & TIJUANA
DIAMOND EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE PARTNERSHIP
$10,000INCREASE READING LITERACY OF GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
IIAN-LAEL FOUNDATION
$10,000SUPPORT FOR ENDOWMENT FUND
JULIAN COMMUNITY HERITAGE FOUNDATION
$10,000PRESERVING THE HISTORY AND COMMUNITY OF JULIAN
PREVENT AND ALLEVIATE SUFFERING OF HOMELESS THROUGHOUT SAN DIEGO.
EMERGENCY HOUSING SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE CHOIR MEMBERS.
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT
$9,000PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS
USS MIDWAY FOUNDATION
$6,750PRESERVATION OF NAVAL AVIATION HISTORY.
MEALS ON WHEELS
$5,000FEED ELDERLY SHUT-INS
ST THERESE OF CARMEL
$5,000FUND CONSTRUCTION AT OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE.
RISE UP INDUSTRIES
$5,000GANG PREVENTION, GANG INTERVENTION AND POST-DETENTION REENTRY PROGRAMS.
SUPPORT FOR TRANSGENDERED AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES
SAN DIEGO LGBTQ COMMUNITY CENTER
$5,000ENHANCE AND SUSTAIN THE WELLBEING OF QUEER AND TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE.
THE WEDNESDAY CLUB
$5,000ARTS & LITERACY AWARENESS.
SAN DIEGO SCOUTING AMERICA
$3,5002025 CHAMPIONS OF SCOUTING EVENT.
LAS PATRONAS
$3,000SUPPORT RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
SCORE SAN DIEGO
$2,500COUNSELING AND WORKSHOPS FOR BUSINESS.
SAN DIEGO AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM
$2,000PROMOTE AIR AND SPACE PROGRAMS.
KCSD-FM
$2,000ONGOING PROGRAMMING SUPPORT OF JAZZ RADIO.
SHARP HOSPICE CARE
$1,500HOMES FOR HOSPICE
SAN DIEGO YACHT CLUB
$1,000BURNHAM SAILING CENTER BUILDING.
LA JOLLA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$1,000SUPPORT CHURCH ACTIVITIES
FUND THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE NCRC AND THE YMCA.
HAROLD K BROWN CAREER LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING BIASES PROGRAM FUND.
TEACH FOR AMERICA
$50,000TO PROVIDE LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS WITH EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE
THE SAN DIEGO LGBTQ COMMUNITY CENTER
$5,000ENHANCE AND SUSTAIN THE WELLBEING OF QUEER AND TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE.