The Ralph & Emily Simon Family Foundation concentrates its giving on public and community benefit work, primarily by routing funds through philanthropic intermediaries rather than directly to service providers. Most dollars have gone to the California Community Foundation (local community investments/advocacy) and to the National Philanthropic Trust (national philanthropic vehicle), indicating a preference for supporting community-directed grantmaking and advocacy infrastructure in the Los Angeles area. The foundation makes a small number of relatively large, targeted grants rather than many small gifts.
Concentrated and intermediary-based: very few grants (3 total), two repeat grants to the same local community foundation, and use of a national philanthropic trust—indicating preference for channeling philanthropic capital through established grantmaking vehicles rather than many direct operating grants.
The Ralph & Emily Simon Family Foundation channels most of its giving through philanthropic intermediaries, with its largest recent awards going to National Philanthropic Trust and California Community Foundation for advocacy and community investments. That pattern points to a funder that supports community-directed grantmaking infrastructure as much as direct service work. Recent grants also show a smaller, more targeted stream of gifts to organizations tied to educator support and research, including Little Dolphins for the well-being of educators and Sclerderma Research Foundation for research. The foundation’s approach is narrow in number of awards but broad in purpose, combining larger intermediary grants with smaller program-specific gifts. Within that mix, the California Community Foundation appears as a repeated recipient, which suggests ongoing support for local community investment and advocacy efforts. The recent record also shows that the foundation gives across different grant sizes, from four-figure awards to mid-five-figure grants, rather than using one fixed grant level.
In advocacy and community investment, the foundation gave $43,200 to National Philanthropic Trust for advocacy and community investments, and $39,000 to California Community Foundation for the same purpose in the prior year. Those awards show a preference for institutions that move money into community-focused work rather than a single direct-service program. It also supported educator well-being with a $1,800 grant to Little Dolphins for the well-being of educators, linking its philanthropy to professional support services for educators. Research appears in the grant record as well: Sclerderma Research Foundation received $3,000 in 2023 and $1,000 in 2025 for research. Together, these grants show a foundation that funds community infrastructure, educator support, and research through a small set of targeted awards.
Typical grant size ranges from $2,100 at the 25th percentile to $15,500 at the median and $36,250 at the 75th percentile. The recent record is consistent with a small number of selective grants rather than a high-volume pattern. California Community Foundation appears in multiple years, which suggests some recurring support, while other recipients show one-off awards. The foundation operates as a private family foundation, not a program-related-investment vehicle, and it does not fund individuals. The pattern also leans toward organizational support and advocacy-related giving rather than unrestricted public-facing program expansion.
$116K
$950K
$183K
$54K
Most grants fall between $2K and $36K, with a median of $16K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$16K
75th Percentile
$36K
About 83% of grants go to recipients in PA.
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Notable grantees: California Community Foundation, National Philanthropic Trust, Community grantees supported through CCF (unspecified)
Grantmaking is local in scope and heavily concentrated in California, with 83% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Los Angeles appears as a repeated recipient city through California Community Foundation, while Santa Monica and San Francisco also show up in the recent grants list. Outside California, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, appears as a recipient location for National Philanthropic Trust. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 6 grants to U.S. organizations.
The recent record shows support for philanthropic intermediaries and community investment organizations, along with smaller grants tied to educator well-being and research. Examples include National Philanthropic Trust for advocacy and community investments, California Community Foundation for the same purpose, and Little Dolphins for the well-being of educators.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-thousands to mid-tens of thousands: the 25th percentile is $2,100, the median is $15,500, and the 75th percentile is $36,250. That spread fits a small number of targeted awards rather than many small gifts.
Yes. California Community Foundation appears in multiple years, with awards of $39,000 in 2024 and $28,000 in 2023. Other named recipients in the recent list appear as single awards.
It gives most often in California, with 83% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent California recipients include Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and San Francisco.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and the recent grants record shows organizational recipients only.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST | JENKINTOWN, PA | $43,200 | 2025 | ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS |
| LITTLE DOLPHINS | SANTA MONICA, CA | $1,800 | 2025 | SUPPORTS WELL-BEING OF EDUCATORS |
| SCLERDERMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $39,000 | 2024 | ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS |
| CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $28,000 | 2023 | ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS |
| SCLERDERMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $3,000 | 2023 | RESEARCH |
NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST
$43,200ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS
LITTLE DOLPHINS
$1,800SUPPORTS WELL-BEING OF EDUCATORS
SCLERDERMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
$1,000RESEARCH
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$39,000ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$28,000ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS
SCLERDERMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
$3,000RESEARCH