Caruso Family Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
About Caruso Family Foundation
The Caruso Family Foundation concentrates its giving on higher education and local Los Angeles–area children’s services, with the vast majority of dollars directed to Pepperdine University and smaller, targeted gifts to child-focused nonprofits. Grants are typically unrestricted/general operating support, suggesting trust in grantee leadership and a preference for flexible funding. The foundation favors a small number of sizable awards rather than many small grants and appears to prioritize local impact in the LA region.
Focus Areas
Higher education support for Pepperdine University (general operating)Emergency basic-needs assistance for children in LA (e.g., Baby2Baby)Local youth and family services in Los Angeles (e.g., Para Los Niños)
Who They Fund
underserved youth and childrenlow-income families (tuition assistance recipients)underrepresented/first-generation college applicantslocal community organizations and residents (city/neighborhood level)women (health/caring for women initiatives)
About Caruso Family Foundation
The Caruso Family Foundation’s recent giving is dominated by Pepperdine University, including a $2,204,845 grant in 2024 for general operations and a $1,224,410 grant in 2025 tied to the Caruso School of Law and the Philipps Endowed Chair. That relationship gives the foundation a clear institutional anchor, while its other major awards show a second pattern: sizable support for Los Angeles children’s and family services. In 2025, the foundation gave $350,000 to Baby2Baby for general operations and $308,199 to Para Los Ninos for general operations and an ice cream truck for an event. Those grants sit alongside repeated funding for youth-serving groups and Catholic schools, suggesting a portfolio that blends higher education, direct service for children, and community institutions. The foundation’s giving also reaches into health, religious, and public-benefit organizations through targeted gifts, but its largest checks are concentrated in a small set of recipients. Across the recent grants list, the pattern is less about broad dispersion and more about sustained, relationship-based support for organizations in Los Angeles and nearby communities.
What Caruso Family Foundation Funds
Higher education is the foundation’s clearest program area. Pepperdine University received $1,984,829 in 2023 for education and another $2,204,845 in 2024 for general operations, indicating sustained support for the university itself. In child and family services, The Caruso Family Foundation gave $350,000 to Baby2Baby in 2025 for general operations and $110,000 in 2024 for a Maui wildfire donation and general donations. Youth development also appears through Para Los Ninos, which received $251,500 in 2023 to foster pathways to success for children and youth, plus larger general-operating awards in later years. Education and student success extend to Loyola High School of Los Angeles, which received $250,000 grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
How Caruso Family Foundation Gives
Typical grants sit at $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $74,621 at the 75th percentile, which shows a wide spread between smaller awards and large institutional gifts. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF and has made grants across multiple years to the same organizations, including repeated support for Pepperdine University, Para Los Ninos, Loyola High School of Los Angeles, and Hoag Hospital Foundation. Many awards are unrestricted or general operating support, with some project-specific exceptions. The foundation also funds individuals, but the recent grants list here is focused on organizations.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.7M
Total Assets
$36K
Total Revenue
$3.5M
Total Expenses
$3.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5K and $75K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$75K
Geographic Reach
Local7 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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