The Rafael and Sharyl Mendez Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on health care—particularly medical research, hospital support, pediatric medicine and transplant-related assistance—while also making selective gifts to community-facing family support and occasional arts education. Grants are sizable and mission-focused, often directed to local hospitals, specialized medical institutes, and organizations that help families of patients. The portfolio is distinct for repeat support to a few core health institutions and targeted funding that enables capital, research, patient-care services, and family wraparound supports.
A defining feature of The Rafael and Sharyl Mendez Family Foundation is its repeated support for transplant medicine through the Mendez National Institute of Transp. That relationship appears across multiple years and at different grant levels, alongside major gifts to hospital systems and children’s care. The foundation’s recent grant history shows a health-centered portfolio built around medical research, patient care services, and family support tied to serious illness. In the health space, the foundation gave $250,000 in 2025 to Childrens Hospital Medical Center F for research and medical care of children, and $250,000 in 2024 to CA Hospital Medical Center Foundati for patient care services, equipment and building projects. It also backed Ava's Heart with grants for assistance to organ transplant patients, and Ronald McDonald House Charties for support of families in communities with medical conditions. Beyond health, the foundation has made targeted gifts to music education, aviation safety, performing arts, and education for underserved students in Los Angeles. The mix suggests a family foundation that combines concentrated medical philanthropy with selective community and cultural support.
Medical research and transplant care are the clearest throughline in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $260,000 in 2023 and $105,000 in 2024 to Mendez National Institute of Transp for medical research and education, then followed with another $150,000 in 2025. For transplant patients themselves, Ava's Heart received $105,000 in 2025 and $27,575 in 2024 for assistance to organ transplant patients. The foundation also supports pediatric and family-facing care. Childrens Hospital Medical Center F received $250,000 in 2025 for research and medical care of children. Ronald McDonald House Charties received $125,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for support of families in the communities with medical conditions. Outside health, the foundation has made targeted gifts to Summit Brass for music education and to The Aopa Foundation Inc for aviation safety.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-to-upper five figures: p25 is $46,878, median is $75,000, and p75 is $125,000. The pattern also includes larger awards of $250,000 and $260,000 for medical institutions, alongside a few very small grants such as $1,554 and $1,056. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Mendez National Institute of Transp, Ronald McDonald House Charties, Ava's Heart, Summit Brass, The Aopa Foundation Inc, Westwood Ward Church of Jesse Chris, and Kipp Socal Public Schools. The foundation is a family foundation, not an individual-giving vehicle, and it does not make program-related investments.
$789K
$8M
$777K
$854K
Most grants fall between $47K and $125K, with a median of $75K.
25th Percentile
$47K
Median
$75K
75th Percentile
$125K
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 FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small set of repeat grantees and local institutions; funding mixes capital/equipment, research and direct patient/family services rather than broad grassroots or many small grants.
Notable grantees: Mendez National Institute of Transplant, CA Hospital Medical Center Foundation, Children's Hospital Medical Center Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ava's Heart
Giving is regional and heavily concentrated in California: 74% of grants went to recipients in CA. Los Angeles is the most common recipient city in the recent grants list, with additional California recipients in Burbank, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Westwood. Outside California, the foundation’s recent grants also reached Chandler, Arizona, and Frederick, Maryland. By grant count, Arizona is the top state of recipient location, even though most grants still land in California.
Its grantmaking centers on health care, especially medical research, transplant-related assistance, pediatric care, and hospital support. Recent grants also include family support for hospitalized patients, plus smaller gifts for music education, aviation safety, performing arts, and underserved students.
Yes. It has made repeated grants to Mendez National Institute of Transp for medical research and education, including $260,000 in 2023, $105,000 in 2024, and $150,000 in 2025. It also funded Ava's Heart for assistance to organ transplant patients.
Typical grants are fairly substantial: the p25 grant size is $46,878, the median is $75,000, and the p75 is $125,000. The recent record also includes larger health grants of $250,000 and $260,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Mendez National Institute of Transp, Ronald McDonald House Charties, Ava's Heart, Summit Brass, The Aopa Foundation Inc, Westwood Ward Church of Jesse Chris, and Kipp Socal Public Schools.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHILDRENS HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER F | LOS ANGELES, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH AND MEDICAL CARE OF CHILDREN |
| MENDEZ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRANSP | BURBANK, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION |
| AVA'S HEART | BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $105,000 | 2025 | ASSISTANCE TO ORGAN TRANSPLANT PATIENTS |
| SUMMIT BRASS | CHANDLER, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | MUSIC EDUCATION |
| THE AOPA FOUNDATION INC | FREDERICK, MD | $75,000 | 2025 | AVIATION SAFETY |
| WESTWOOD WARD CHURCH OF JESSE CHRIS | WESTWOOD, CA | $74,400 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH |
| KIPP SOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $35,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATION FOR THE UNDERSERVED STUDENTS OF LOS ANGELES |
| CA HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATI | LOS ANGELES, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | PATIENT CARE SERVICES, EQUIPMENT AND BUILDING PROJECTS |
| RONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARTIES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $125,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITIES WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS. |
| MENDEZ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRANSP | BURBANK, CA | $105,000 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION |
| THE AOPA FOUNDATION INC | FREDERICK, MD | $75,000 | 2024 | AVIATION SAFETY |
| WESTWOOD WARD CHURCH OF JESSE CHRIS | WESTWOOD, CA | $74,400 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH |
| SUMMIT BRASS | CHANDLER, AZ | $50,000 | 2024 | MUSIC EDUCATION |
| AVA'S HEART | BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $27,575 | 2024 | ASSISTANCE TO ORGAN TRANSPLANT PATIENTS |
| ANGEL FLIGHT WEST | SANTA MONICA, CA | $1,554 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF AIR FLIGHTS FOR PEOPLE IN NEED OF TRAVEL ASSISTANCE. |
| KIPP SOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,056 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATION FOR THE UNDERSERVED STUDENTS OF LOS ANGELES |
| MENDEZ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRANSP | LOS ANGELES, CA | $260,000 | 2023 | MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION |
| CA HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATI | LOS ANGELES, CA | $250,000 | 2023 | PATIENT CARE SERVICES, EQUIPMENT AND BUILDING PROJECTS |
| RONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARTIES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $125,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITIES WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS. |
| THE AOPA FOUNDATION INC | FREDERICK, MD | $75,000 | 2023 | AVIATION SAFETY |
| WESTWOOD WARD CHURCH OF JESSE CHRIS | WESTWOOD, CA | $74,400 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH |
| SUMMIT BRASS | CHANDLER, AZ | $43,755 | 2023 | MUSIC EDUCATION |
| LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATIO | LOS ANGELES, CA | $29,870 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF THE PERFORMING ARTS |
CHILDRENS HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER F
$250,000RESEARCH AND MEDICAL CARE OF CHILDREN
MENDEZ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRANSP
$150,000MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
AVA'S HEART
$105,000ASSISTANCE TO ORGAN TRANSPLANT PATIENTS
SUMMIT BRASS
$100,000MUSIC EDUCATION
WESTWOOD WARD CHURCH OF JESSE CHRIS
$74,400SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH
SUPPORT OF EDUCATION FOR THE UNDERSERVED STUDENTS OF LOS ANGELES
PATIENT CARE SERVICES, EQUIPMENT AND BUILDING PROJECTS
RONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARTIES
$125,000SUPPORT OF FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITIES WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
MENDEZ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRANSP
$105,000MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
WESTWOOD WARD CHURCH OF JESSE CHRIS
$74,400SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH
SUMMIT BRASS
$50,000MUSIC EDUCATION
AVA'S HEART
$27,575ASSISTANCE TO ORGAN TRANSPLANT PATIENTS
SUPPORT OF AIR FLIGHTS FOR PEOPLE IN NEED OF TRAVEL ASSISTANCE.
SUPPORT OF EDUCATION FOR THE UNDERSERVED STUDENTS OF LOS ANGELES
MENDEZ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRANSP
$260,000MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
PATIENT CARE SERVICES, EQUIPMENT AND BUILDING PROJECTS
RONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARTIES
$125,000SUPPORT OF FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITIES WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
WESTWOOD WARD CHURCH OF JESSE CHRIS
$74,400SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH
SUMMIT BRASS
$43,755MUSIC EDUCATION