The Warren & Katharine Schlinger Foundation concentrates its giving on education-focused, family-directed vehicles and higher education scholarship support. Most dollars flow to affiliated family foundations and to a major research university for general support and scholarship programs, indicating a preference for sustaining family philanthropy structures and funding postsecondary/scholarship initiatives. The foundation makes few, very large grants rather than many small gifts.
Highly concentrated, small number of very large grants; repeated, equal-size payments to affiliated family foundations and multi-year support to a prominent university for scholarships and general support.
The Warren & Katharine Schlinger Foundation’s clearest pattern is its repeated use of large general-support and scholarship grants to sustain affiliated family philanthropy vehicles and a small set of education-centered institutions. Across recent years, the foundation has returned to the Schlinger Family Foundation and the Schlinger Chrisman Foundation with multimillion-dollar awards, including $3,252,000 in 2023 and $3,000,000 in 2025 to each. That same approach appears in its support for California Institute of Technology, where the foundation paired general support with scholarship programming in 2023 and 2024. The result is a grantmaking profile built around continuation rather than one-off project funding. Scholarship support is a visible thread, but it sits alongside unrestricted support for family foundations and select nonprofits. The foundation also reaches a limited number of other organizations with substantial gifts, including university-affiliated and community-serving grantees in California and beyond. Its recent record shows a donor prioritizing core costs, scholarship funds, and long-term institutional support over broad, dispersed giving.
Education is a central theme in the foundation’s grantmaking. California Institute of Technology received $1,000,000 in 2023 and $950,000 in 2024 for general support and scholarship program work. At the undergraduate and graduate level, the foundation also backed scholarship-related activity through a $2,850,000 grant in 2024 to the Schlinger Family Foundation for a scholarship fund. Core support is another clear thread. Uc Regents-boost at Berkeley Haas (Uc Regents - Young Enterpreneur) received $750,000 in 2023 and $700,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for general support. Beyond education, the foundation has supported community and service organizations such as Tony Larussas Animal Rescue Foundation with $500,000 grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, showing a willingness to fund both institutional education partners and other nonprofit operations.
The typical grant size is $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $35,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent record also includes a cluster of multimillion-dollar awards. The foundation gives repeatedly to the same recipients across multiple years, especially family foundations and a small set of operating nonprofits, which points to a recurring rather than one-time approach. Its grants are overwhelmingly general support or scholarship-related, and it also funds individuals through scholarship activity. The foundation is a private family foundation, and the recent pattern suggests direct, relationship-based grantmaking rather than an open application process.
$9.3M
$99.6M
$12.9M
$9.7M
Most grants fall between $15K and $100K, with a median of $35K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$35K
75th Percentile
$100K
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Notable grantees: Schlinger Chrisman Foundation, Schlinger Family Foundation, California Institute of Technology
Giving is concentrated in California: 84% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and California is also the top state by grant count. Recent California recipients include Pasadena, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Kings Beach, Oakland, Homewood, Santa Barbara, Aliso Viejo, Corona, and Laguna Niguel. Outside California, the foundation’s recent grants also reached Midvale, Utah. The overall recipient distribution in the data is entirely U.S.-based, with no non-U.S. countries represented.
The foundation’s recent giving centers on family-operated donor/advised foundations, scholarship funds, and higher education. It also makes general-support grants to a small set of nonprofits, including universities and community organizations, with many awards tied to core operations or scholarship programming.
The grant-size distribution is $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $35,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include several awards in the hundreds of thousands and multiple multimillion-dollar gifts.
Yes. Scholarship support is a recurring theme in the recent record, including grants for scholarship program work at California Institute of Technology and a separate scholarship fund grant to the Schlinger Family Foundation.
Yes. California is the top state by grant count, and 84% of grants in the data go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent California recipients span several cities, including Pasadena, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Kings Beach, and Oakland.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including the Schlinger Family Foundation, the Schlinger Chrisman Foundation, California Institute of Technology, Uc Regents-boost at Berkeley Haas, Tony Larussas Animal Rescue Foundation, and Boys and Girls of North Lake Tahoe.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCHLINGER FAMILY FOUNDATION | ALISO VIEJO, CA | $3,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SCHLINGER CHRISMAN FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $3,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UC REGENTS-BOOST AT BERKELEY HAAS (UC REGENTS - YOUNG ENTERPRENEUR) | BERKELEY, CA | $700,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TONY LARUSSAS ANIMAL RESCUE FOUNDATION | WALNUT CREEK, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUMAN OUTREACH PROJECT | MIDVALE, UT | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS AND GIRLS OF NORTH LAKE TAHOE | KINGS BEACH, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHERN LIGHT SCHOOL | OAKLAND, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BEAR LEAGUE | HOMEWOOD, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHILDREN GIVING GIFTS INC | CORONA, CA | $155,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL OCD FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $155,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ELEPHANT SANCTUARY IN TENNESSEE | HOHENWALD, TN | $110,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY CONCERN FOR CATS | WALNUT CREEK, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LAKE TAHOE WILDLIFE CARE INC | SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LINDSAY WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE | WALNUT CREEK, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UC BERKELEY CHEMISTRY & CHEMICAL ENGINEER | BERKELEY, CA | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UC SANTA BARBARA CHEMICAL ENGINEERING | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SOROPTOMIST INTERNATIONAL OF THE AMERICAS | SAN DIMAS, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TOURETTES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA | BAYSIDE, NY | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOUSE EAR INSTITUTE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLEMAN CHAMBER MUSIC ASSOCIATION | PASADENA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CONTRA COSTA INTERFAITH HOUSING | PLEASANT HILL, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL | CARMEL, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALIVE & FREE - OMEGA BOYS CLUB | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL RIGHT TO WORK FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | PASADENA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PASADENA SYMPHONY | PASADENA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ONEONTA CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH | SOUTH PASADENA, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LOS ANGELES OPERA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VILLA ESPERANZA SERVICES | PASADENA, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLAREMONT INSTITUTE | UPLAND, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| J-SEI-INC | EMERYVILLE, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE | ARLINGTON, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUNTINGTON MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES | PASADENA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| METHODIST HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | ARCADIA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SCRIPPS COLLEGE | CLAREMONT, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| PILGRIM PLACE | CLAREMONT, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUNG AMERICAS FOUNDATION | RESTON, VA | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PASADENA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC | PASADENA, CA | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIVE ACRES-BOYS & GIRLS AID SOCIETY OF LA | ALTADENA, CA | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SCHLINGER CHRISMAN FOUNDATION | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $2,850,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SCHLINGER FAMILY FOUNDATION | ALISO VIEJO, CA | $2,850,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | PASADENA, CA | $950,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
| UC REGENTS-BOOST AT BERKELEY HAAS (UC REGENTS - YOUNG ENTERPRENEUR) | BERKELEY, CA | $700,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TONY LARUSSAS ANIMAL RESCUE FOUNDATION | WALNUT CREEK, CA | $500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HUMAN OUTREACH PROJECT | MIDVALE, UT | $300,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS AND GIRLS OF NORTH LAKE TAHOE | KINGS BEACH, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHERN LIGHT SCHOOL | OAKLAND, CA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
SCHLINGER FAMILY FOUNDATION
$3,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SCHLINGER CHRISMAN FOUNDATION
$3,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UC REGENTS-BOOST AT BERKELEY HAAS (UC REGENTS - YOUNG ENTERPRENEUR)
$700,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TONY LARUSSAS ANIMAL RESCUE FOUNDATION
$500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HUMAN OUTREACH PROJECT
$300,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BOYS AND GIRLS OF NORTH LAKE TAHOE
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTHERN LIGHT SCHOOL
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BEAR LEAGUE
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHILDREN GIVING GIFTS INC
$155,000GENERAL SUPPORT
INTERNATIONAL OCD FOUNDATION
$155,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE ELEPHANT SANCTUARY IN TENNESSEE
$110,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COMMUNITY CONCERN FOR CATS
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LAKE TAHOE WILDLIFE CARE INC
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LINDSAY WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UC BERKELEY CHEMISTRY & CHEMICAL ENGINEER
$45,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UC SANTA BARBARA CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
$45,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SOROPTOMIST INTERNATIONAL OF THE AMERICAS
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT SAN FRANCISCO
$35,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TOURETTES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
$35,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HOUSE EAR INSTITUTE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COLEMAN CHAMBER MUSIC ASSOCIATION
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CONTRA COSTA INTERFAITH HOUSING
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ALIVE & FREE - OMEGA BOYS CLUB
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL RIGHT TO WORK FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PASADENA SYMPHONY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ONEONTA CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
LOS ANGELES OPERA
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
VILLA ESPERANZA SERVICES
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
CLAREMONT INSTITUTE
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
J-SEI-INC
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HUNTINGTON MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
METHODIST HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SCRIPPS COLLEGE
$5,000SCHOLARSHIP FUND
PILGRIM PLACE
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
YOUNG AMERICAS FOUNDATION
$4,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PASADENA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
$3,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FIVE ACRES-BOYS & GIRLS AID SOCIETY OF LA
$3,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SCHLINGER CHRISMAN FOUNDATION
$2,850,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SCHLINGER FAMILY FOUNDATION
$2,850,000SCHOLARSHIP FUND
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$950,000GENERAL SUPPORT AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
UC REGENTS-BOOST AT BERKELEY HAAS (UC REGENTS - YOUNG ENTERPRENEUR)
$700,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TONY LARUSSAS ANIMAL RESCUE FOUNDATION
$500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HUMAN OUTREACH PROJECT
$300,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BOYS AND GIRLS OF NORTH LAKE TAHOE
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTHERN LIGHT SCHOOL
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT