Grace Helen Spearman Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
PALM SPRINGS, CAWebsite
About Grace Helen Spearman Foundation
Honors the legacy of Ms. Spearman by providing funds to organizations and individuals to help improve the lives of the needy and less fortunate in our community. The mandate of the foundation remains consistent with Ms. Spearman’s kind and loving vision, giving to the types of organizations she supported with special emphasis in the fields of education, medical research, cultural arts and assisting the impoverished and disabled.
Focus Areas
EducationMedical researchCultural artsPoverty alleviationDisability servicesCommunity services
Who They Fund
low-income individuals and indigent familiesseniors (adults 50+), including low-income seniorspeople living with HIV/AIDSLGBTQ community (including transgender/gender-diverse youth and LGBTQ teens in foster care)residents of Coachella Valley / local community members
About Grace Helen Spearman Foundation
The Grace Helen Spearman Foundation gives across a tightly local footprint while backing a broad mix of community needs, with recent awards ranging from healthcare and HIV/AIDS services to senior support, cultural programming, and help for people with disabilities. A 2025 grant of $64,000 to Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage stands out as the largest recent award on file and reflects the foundation’s continuing support for regional health needs. Other sizeable gifts show the same pattern of direct community investment: Dap Health in Palm Springs received $45,000 in 2025 for healthcare advocacy related to HIV and AIDS, while The Cathedral City Senior Center received $45,000 in 2023 to improve the quality of life for seniors. The foundation also funds individuals and organizations, and its public mandate emphasizes education, medical research, cultural arts, and assistance to the impoverished and disabled. That mix makes it a grantmaker oriented toward practical services as well as enrichment, with support reaching medical providers, senior centers, arts groups, and local nonprofits serving vulnerable residents.
What Grace Helen Spearman Foundation Funds
Health and human services are a major thread in the foundation’s giving. In 2024, it awarded $40,000 to Aids Assistance Program in Palm Springs to improve the quality of life of low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2025, Dap Health received $45,000 for healthcare for all, especially those affected by HIV and AIDS. Senior services are another visible priority: The Joslyn Center in Palm Desert received $35,100 in 2025 to enhance the well-being of adults 50+ through innovative programs and services, and Cathedral City Senior Center received $35,000 in 2025 to provide social services to seniors. The foundation also supports arts and culture, including $35,000 to Palm Springs Cultural Center in 2025 to promote arts and cultural programs and $30,100 to The Desert Symphony in 2025 to bring professional orchestral concerts to the desert cities.
How Grace Helen Spearman Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster in the low-thousands: the 25th percentile is $3,750, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $7,500. At the same time, recent awards show that the foundation also makes much larger community grants, including multiple $25,000-plus gifts. The pattern suggests a mix of many modest awards and a smaller number of sizable operating grants. It funds both organizations and individuals through a general grant program, accepts unsolicited requests, and uses an annual/quarterly application cycle. The latest 990 year on file is 2025, and the foundation reports program activity without making program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$956K
Total Assets
$14.1M
Total Revenue
$1.9M
Total Expenses
$1.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $4K and $8K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$8K
Geographic Reach
Local17 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Grace Helen Spearman Foundation?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime