The John C Mithun Foundation concentrates its giving on local performing arts, demonstrated by a single large grant to a historic community theater. Their support appears aimed at sustaining cultural institutions in Santa Barbara, likely for general operating or preservation needs. The foundation favors place-based arts philanthropy rather than a broad national portfolio.
Highly concentrated — a single, large grant focused on a local arts organization (general support) rather than multiple or distributed grants; suggests targeted, possibly one-off or occasional major investments in neighborhood cultural institutions.
The John C Mithun Foundation’s clearest signal is its $250,000 grant to Lobero Theatre for general support, a donation that sits at the center of a broader pattern of sustained backing for Santa Barbara cultural and community institutions. The foundation’s recent giving shows a strong local orientation, with support reaching arts organizations, education funds, health and human services groups, environmental nonprofits, and civic institutions across Santa Barbara. That mix suggests a place-based strategy rather than a single-issue portfolio. Recent gifts include $125,000 to Music Academy of the West, $100,000 to the Community Environmental Council, and $100,000 to the YMCA - Santa Barbara Family (channel Islands YMCA). The same year, the foundation also funded the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, UC Santa Barbara Foundation, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, United Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, and Santa Barbara City College Foundation. Alongside these larger awards, it made many $50,000 grants to organizations such as the Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, and Transition House of Santa Barbara.
A major theme in the foundation’s grantmaking is local arts and cultural preservation. It gave $250,000 to Lobero Theatre for general support and $125,000 to Music Academy of the West for general support, showing a clear commitment to performing arts institutions in Santa Barbara. Its 2024 portfolio also extends into education and youth-serving organizations. The foundation awarded $100,000 to the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara and another $100,000 to the UC Santa Barbara Foundation, both for general support. It gave $100,000 to the YMCA - Santa Barbara Family (channel Islands YMCA) and $85,000 to United Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, indicating support for community-based services for residents and young people. Health and basic-needs groups also appear in the recent record, including $50,000 to Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinic, $50,000 to Transition House of Santa Barbara, and $40,000 to Foodbank.
The John C Mithun Foundation’s recent gifts cluster around a median grant size of $20,000, with a first quartile of $10,000 and a third quartile of $50,000. In practice, the 2024 list includes several larger outliers, including a $250,000 grant and multiple six-figure awards, alongside many $25,000 to $75,000 grants. The pattern looks episodic and locally concentrated rather than widely dispersed. The available data shows one year on file, 2024, so recurring support across multiple years cannot be assessed from this record. The foundation funds organizations, not individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
$3.3M
$84M
$29M
$4.5M
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Notable grantees: Lobero Theatre
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly centered in Santa Barbara County and nearby California communities. Of the grants in the dataset, 95% go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state, California, and the top state by grant count is also California. Recipient cities in the recent list are heavily Santa Barbara-based, with additional awards in Goleta. The only non-California recipient in the list is Mid-pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 63 grants to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants point to a mix of performing arts, education, community services, health, environment, and civic institutions. Examples include Lobero Theatre, Music Academy of the West, Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, YMCA - Santa Barbara Family (channel Islands YMCA), Community Environmental Council, and Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinic.
Typical grants cluster around $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes larger awards such as $250,000, $125,000, and several $100,000 grants.
Yes. The foundation describes its geographic scope as local, and 95% of grants in the dataset go to recipients in California. Most recent recipients are in Santa Barbara, with additional grants in Goleta and one in Honolulu.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals; its grants go to organizations such as theaters, colleges, clinics, and community nonprofits.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOBERO THEATRE | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $505,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $225,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA SYMPHONY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| GIRLS INC - CARPINTERIA | CARPINTERIA, CA | $180,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CENTER FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE AT FAIRVIEW GARDENS (CUAFG) | GOLETA, CA | $160,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| LOTUSLAND | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $155,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UC SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $150,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| VISITING NURSE AND HOSPICE CARE OF SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $150,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| YMCA - SANTA BARBARA FAMILY (CHANNEL ISLANDS YMCA) | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $120,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| MISSION SCHOLARS | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $115,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ENSEMBLE THEATER | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $90,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA CHANNELKEEPERS | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $80,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| MUSIC ACADEMY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FOODBANK | GOLETA, CA | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| GOLETA EDUCATION FOUNDATION | GOLETA, CA | $70,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| STORYTELLER | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| GOOD SAMARITAN | SANTA MARIA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| LAND TRUST FOR SANTA BARBARA COUNTY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UC SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| TRANSITION HOUSE OF SANTA BARBARA | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FOOD FROM THE HEART | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UC SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| GIRLS INC OF GREATER SANTA BARBARA | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $45,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| WEV (WOMEN'S ECOMONIC VENTURE) | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UC SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HARLEM ACADEMY | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UCSB ARTS & LECTURE | GOLETA, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ROYAL PRIDE FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA EDUCATION FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FOUNDATION FOR SANTA BARBARA HIGH SCHOOL | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CALM | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ELINGS PARK | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANSUM CLINIC PHILANTHROPY | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION OF SANTA BARBARA | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| DOS PUEBLOS HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION | GOLETA, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $18,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| LOMPOC HIGH SCHOOL | LOMPOC, CA | $17,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA BOTANIC GARDEN | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| GRANADA THEATER | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CENTRAL COAST OCEAN ADVENTURES FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FREEDOM 4 YOUTH | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UC SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SEVENTH GENERATION | EUREKA, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANTA BARBARA YOUTH SAILING FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $3,422 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SANSUM DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SAN MARCOS HIGH SCHOOL BOOSTERS | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
$225,000GENERAL
LOTUSLAND
$155,000GENERAL
VISITING NURSE AND HOSPICE CARE OF SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION
$150,000GENERAL
YMCA - SANTA BARBARA FAMILY (CHANNEL ISLANDS YMCA)
$120,000GENERAL
MISSION SCHOLARS
$115,000GENERAL
MUSIC ACADEMY
$75,000GENERAL
GOLETA EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$70,000GENERAL
GOOD SAMARITAN
$50,000GENERAL
FOOD FROM THE HEART
$50,000GENERAL
WEV (WOMEN'S ECOMONIC VENTURE)
$40,000GENERAL
UCSB ARTS & LECTURE
$35,000GENERAL
ROYAL PRIDE FOUNDATION
$35,000GENERAL
SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
$30,000GENERAL
FOUNDATION FOR SANTA BARBARA HIGH SCHOOL
$25,000GENERAL
DOS PUEBLOS HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL
SANTA BARBARA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
$18,500GENERAL
LOMPOC HIGH SCHOOL
$17,000GENERAL
GRANADA THEATER
$15,000GENERAL
CENTRAL COAST OCEAN ADVENTURES FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL
SEVENTH GENERATION
$5,000GENERAL
SANTA BARBARA YOUTH SAILING FOUNDATION
$3,422GENERAL
SAN MARCOS HIGH SCHOOL BOOSTERS
$500GENERAL