The Thomas and Michelle Wermers Family Foundation focuses its giving on a small number of high-impact recipients, with a strong emphasis on cancer-related work and San Diego–area institutions. The foundation makes large, targeted gifts (often repeat grants) to medical and youth-serving organizations, while also supporting faith-based mission work and local public education. Their grantmaking pattern suggests a preference for concentrated investments in a few organizations rather than broad, dispersed giving.
Concentrated giving with a few large grants, repeat funding to flagship grantee(s), geographically focused on San Diego-area institutions despite the foundation's Garden City address.
The Thomas and Michelle Wermers Family Foundation’s largest recent grant went to Curebound, with $140,000 in 2024 and another $100,000 in 2023 for general support. That repeated backing is a useful signal for this funder: it tends to concentrate dollars in a small set of recipients rather than spread them widely. Cancer-related work sits at the center of that pattern, alongside support for San Diego institutions that serve children, students, and community programs. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s giving shows up most visibly in San Diego-area organizations and in unrestricted or general-purpose awards. Rady Children’s Hospital received $40,000 in 2023 and $25,000 in 2024 for general purpose support, while Grossmont Union High School District and Youth With a Mission each appeared in consecutive years as well. Those repeat grants point to ongoing relationships, not one-off gifts. The foundation also made smaller awards to organizations such as Borrego Art Institute, Rancho Coastal Humane Society, and Maranatha Christian Schools, indicating that its grantmaking includes a mix of larger anchor grants and smaller community-level support.
Cancer research and patient support is the clearest focus area. Curebound received $140,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2023, both listed as general support, showing sustained backing for that organization. Pediatric healthcare is another recurring theme: Rady Children’s Hospital received $40,000 in 2023 and $25,000 in 2024, again as general-purpose support. The foundation also funds education and youth-serving institutions. Grossmont Union High School District received $30,000 in 2024 and $15,000 in 2023 for general purpose support, while Youth With a Mission received $30,000 in 2024 and $15,000 in 2023. Smaller grants extend into arts, animal welfare, and school-based support, including Borrego Art Institute, Rancho Coastal Humane Society, Maranatha Christian Schools, and La Jolla Country Day School.
Typical awards cluster in the mid-range, with a p25 of $5,000, a median of $15,000, and a p75 of $30,000. The recent record also shows a few much larger gifts, including $140,000 and $100,000 to the same recipient in separate years. Several grantees appear in more than one year, which suggests repeat support rather than isolated grants. The foundation is a family foundation, gives no program-related investments, and does not fund individuals. Available grant records show general support or general-purpose awards, indicating flexible operating-style funding rather than narrowly restricted project grants.
$235K
$6.4M
$509K
$261K
Most grants fall between $5K and $30K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$30K
About 7% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Notable grantees: Curebound, Rady Children’s Hospital, Youth With A Mission, Grossmont Union High School District
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly U.S.-based, with 15 grants to U.S. recipients in the recent list. California dominates the recipient geography, and the heaviest concentration is in San Diego and nearby communities such as El Cajon, Chula Vista, Encinitas, Borrego Springs, La Jolla, and Oceanside. New York appears as well through a grant to Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society Inc in New York, NY. The foundation’s top state by grant count is California, while 7% of grants went to recipients in New York, the headquarters state.
The recent grants point to cancer-related work, pediatric healthcare, education, and youth-serving institutions. Curebound, Rady Children’s Hospital, Grossmont Union High School District, and Youth With a Mission each received support, showing a mix of health, school, and youth-focused grantmaking.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Curebound in 2023 and 2024, Rady Children’s Hospital in 2023 and 2024, Grossmont Union High School District in 2023 and 2024, Youth With a Mission in 2023 and 2024, and Borrego Art Institute in 2023 and 2024.
The distribution centers on modest-to-mid-sized grants: p25 is $5,000, median grant size is $15,000, and p75 is $30,000. The recent record also includes larger outliers, including $140,000 and $100,000 awards.
California is the top state by grant count. Recent grants are concentrated in San Diego and nearby California cities, including El Cajon, Chula Vista, Encinitas, Borrego Springs, La Jolla, and Oceanside. New York also appears through a grant in New York, NY.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUREBOUND | SAN DIEGO, CA | $110,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUTH WITH A MISSION | CHULA VISTA, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT | EL CAJON, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | SAN DIEGO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL - SAN DIEGO | SAN DIEGO, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SCRIPPS HEALTH FOUNDATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | LA JOLLA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GREEK ORTHODOX LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MARANATHA CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS | SAN DIEGO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CUREBOUND | SAN DIEGO, CA | $140,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUTH WITH A MISSION | CHULA VISTA, CA | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT | EL CAJON, CA | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BORREGO ART INSTITUTE | BORREGO SPRINGS, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPSE |
| GREEK ORTHODOX LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | LA JOLLA, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MARANATHA CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS | SAN DIEGO, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| OCEANSIDE'S FINEST BASKETBALL CLUB | OCEANSIDE, CA | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CUREBOUND | SAN DIEGO, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | SAN DIEGO, CA | $40,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT | EL CAJON, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| YOUTH WITH A MISSION | CHULA VISTA, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BORREGO ART INSTITUTE | BORREGO SPRINGS, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPSE |
| RANCHO COASTAL HUMANE SOCIETY | ENCINITAS, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
YOUTH WITH A MISSION
$40,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
$30,000GENERAL PURPOSE
RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$15,000GENERAL PURPOSE
SCRIPPS HEALTH FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GREEK ORTHODOX LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY INC
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MARANATHA CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
YOUTH WITH A MISSION
$30,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
$30,000GENERAL PURPOSE
RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE
BORREGO ART INSTITUTE
$10,000GENERAL PURPSE
GREEK ORTHODOX LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY INC
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
LA JOLLA COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
$2,500GENERAL PURPOSE
MARANATHA CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
$2,500GENERAL PURPOSE
OCEANSIDE'S FINEST BASKETBALL CLUB
$1,500GENERAL PURPOSE
RADY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$40,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
$15,000GENERAL PURPOSE
YOUTH WITH A MISSION
$15,000GENERAL PURPOSE
BORREGO ART INSTITUTE
$10,000GENERAL PURPSE