
The Returning Home Foundation concentrates its giving on supporting vulnerable youth transitioning out of foster care and on criminal-justice reform/reentry policy. Most dollars go to Orangewood-related programs in Orange County (including a Young Adult Court), while a meaningful gift to Prison Policy Initiative shows an interest in systemic policy change around incarceration and reentry. Grants are described as general mission support, suggesting flexible unrestricted funding to trusted partners.
Concentrated giving: a small number of sizable grants account for most of the budget, with repeated, large support to a primary local partner (Orangewood) plus selective funding of national policy work; remaining funds are small discretionary mission-support grants.
Returning Home Foundation’s grantmaking centers on the transition from foster care and the criminal legal system, with large mission-support grants to Orange County organizations and a parallel line of support for reentry policy work. The largest recent grant in the file is $60,000 to Orangewood Foundation in Santa Ana for mission support, followed by a $50,000 grant in 2023 to Orangewood Young Adult Court, also in Santa Ana. Those gifts point to a sustained interest in young adults leaving foster care and the local service systems around them. The foundation also funds reentry-related infrastructure beyond direct services, including $20,000 to Prison Policy Initiative for mission support and $20,000 to the ACLU Foundation of So CA for mission purposes. Recent grants also include Project Kinship, Office of Restorative Justice, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and Family Safety Foundation, showing a pattern of support for organizations working with young people, justice-involved communities, and family stability. The grant descriptions are often mission support, which suggests flexible funding for partner organizations rather than restricted project-only awards.
A central focus is foster-youth transition work in Orange County. In 2024, Returning Home Foundation gave $60,000 to Orangewood Foundation for mission support, and in 2023 it gave $50,000 to Orangewood Young Adult Court for mission support. Those grants place young adults leaving foster care at the center of its local portfolio. The foundation also supports reentry and restorative-justice services. It awarded $20,000 to Project Kinship in both 2023 and 2024, and $2,500 each year to the Office of Restorative Justice in Garden Grove. Beyond direct service work, it funds criminal-justice policy and civic advocacy. Recent grants include $20,000 to Prison Policy Initiative and $10,000 to the ACLU Foundation of So CA, indicating interest in research, legal advocacy, and reform-oriented work. It also made smaller mission-purpose grants to CURB Social and Environmental Entre and Planned Parenthood.
Typical awards are modest but flexible: the grant-size distribution is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $9,373 at the median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. The file shows repeat support to several recipients across 2023 and 2024, including Project Kinship, the Office of Restorative Justice, Orangewood Foundation, Prison Policy Initiative, and Laguna Beach Food Pantry. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Many awards are labeled mission support or mission purpose, which points to unrestricted or broadly usable funding.
$194K
$1.1M
$466K
$203K
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $9K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$9K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Notable grantees: Orangewood Foundation, Orangewood Young Adult Court, Prison Policy Initiative (PPI), Various small local nonprofits receiving mission-support grants
Giving is strongly concentrated in California: 88% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and California is also the top state by grant count. Orange County locations appear repeatedly, especially Santa Ana, plus Laguna Beach and Garden Grove. Other California recipients include Los Angeles, Irvine, West Sacramento, Calabasas, Culver City, and Orange. The only non-California recipient in the recent list is Prison Policy Initiative in Easthampton, Massachusetts. All grants in the file go to U.S. organizations.
The foundation supports organizations working with vulnerable youth transitioning out of foster care and with criminal-justice reform or reentry policy. Recent grants went to Orangewood Foundation, Orangewood Young Adult Court, Project Kinship, the Office of Restorative Justice, Prison Policy Initiative, and the ACLU Foundation of So CA.
The grant-size distribution centers on mid-sized awards: $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $9,373 at the median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants range from $600 to $60,000, with several awards at $20,000 and $5,000.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeat awards across 2023 and 2024 to Project Kinship, the Office of Restorative Justice, Orangewood Foundation, Prison Policy Initiative, and Laguna Beach Food Pantry. That pattern indicates ongoing relationships with several partners.
Yes. The geographic scope is local, and 88% of grants go to recipients in California, which is also the top state by grant count. Many recipients are in Orange County, especially Santa Ana, Laguna Beach, and Garden Grove.
Yes. The active grant program listed for the foundation provides free Re-Entry Planner and Guide booklets for correctional facility classrooms and in-custody service providers, and the program notes that additional quantities can be requested.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Way OC | Irvine, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | Mission Purpose |
| Others Under 500 Each | Laguna Beach, CA | $28,193 | 2026 | Mission Support |
| ACLU Foundation of So CA | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | Mission Purpose |
| Orangewood Foundation | Santa Ana, CA | $11,000 | 2026 | Mission Support |
| Charitable Ventures CO Hire | Santa Ana, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | Mission Support |
| Prison Policy Initiative PPI | Easthampton, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | Mission Support |
| CSPC | Culver City, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Mission Purpose |
| Office of Restorative Justice | Garden Grove, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Mission Support |
| Laguna Beach Food Pantry | Laguna Beach, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Mission Purpose |
| Orangewood Foundation | Santa Ana, CA | $159,000 | 2025 | Mission Support |
| United Way OC | Irvine, CA | $20,300 | 2025 | Mission Purpose |
| ACLU Foundation of So CA | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | Mission Purpose |
| Court Appointed Special Advocates | Orange, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Mission Support |
| Family Safety Foundation | West Sacramento, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Mission Support |
| Prison Policy Initiative PPI | Easthampton, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | Mission Support |
| Charitable Ventures CO Hire | Santa Ana, CA | $5,500 | 2025 | Mission Support |
| Project Kinship | Santa Ana, CA | $5,031 | 2025 | Mission Support |
| CURB Social and Environmental Entre | Calabasas, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | Mission Purpose |
| Laguna Beach Food Pantry | Laguna Beach, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | Mission Purpose |
| CSPC | Culver City, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | Mission Purpose |
| Voice of OC | Santa Ana, CA | $4,600 | 2025 | Mission Purpose |
| Office of Restorative Justice | Garden Grove, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | Mission Support |
| FAMM | Washington, DC | $2,000 | 2025 | Mission Purpose |
| Others Under 500 Each | Laguna Beach, CA | $1,970 | 2025 | Mission Support |
| Friendship Shelter | Laguna Beach, CA | $1,500 | 2025 | Mission Purpose |
| UC Regents Co St Boniface Church | Anaheim, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | Mission Purpose |
| Goodwill of OC | Santa Ana, CA | $500 | 2025 | Mission Purpose |
| Orangewood Foundation | Santa Ana, CA | $60,000 | 2024 | Mission Support |
| Others Under 500 Each | Laguna Beach, CA | $21,638 | 2024 | Mission Support |
| Project Kinship | Santa Ana, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | Mission Support |
| Prison Policy Initiative PPI | Easthampton, MA | $20,000 | 2024 | Mission Support |
| ACLU Foundation of So CA | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | Mission Purpose |
| Family Safety Foundation | West Sacramento, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | Mission Support |
| CURB Social and Environmental Entre | Calabasas, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | Mission Purpose |
| Laguna Beach Food Pantry | Laguna Beach, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | Mission Purpose |
| Charitable Ventures CO Hire | Santa Ana, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | Mission Support |
| Office of Restorative Justice | Garden Grove, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | Mission Support |
| Court Appointed Special Advocates | Orange, CA | $1,050 | 2024 | Mission Support |
| Orangewood Yound Adult Court | Santa Ana, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | Mission Support |
| Project Kinship | Santa Ana, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | Mission Support |
| Prison Policy Initiative PPI | Easthampton, MA | $20,000 | 2023 | Mission Support |
| Orangewood Foundation | Santa Ana, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | Mission Support |
| Laguna Beach Food Pantry | Laguna Beach, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | Mission Purpose |
| United Way of OC | Irvine, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | Mission Purpose |
| ACLU Founation of So CA | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | Mission Purpose |
| Others Under 500 Each | Laguna Beach, CA | $8,746 | 2023 | Mission Support |
| Charitable Ventures CO Hire | Santa Ana, CA | $6,000 | 2023 | Mission Support |
| Voice of OC | Santa Ana, CA | $5,700 | 2023 | Mission Support |
| CURB Social and Environmental Entre | Calabasas, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | Mission Purpose |
| Center for Study Political Graphics | Culver City, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | Mission Support |
United Way OC
$100,000Mission Purpose
Others Under 500 Each
$28,193Mission Support
ACLU Foundation of So CA
$20,000Mission Purpose
Orangewood Foundation
$11,000Mission Support
Charitable Ventures CO Hire
$10,000Mission Support
Prison Policy Initiative PPI
$10,000Mission Support
CSPC
Mission Purpose
Office of Restorative Justice
$5,000Mission Support
Laguna Beach Food Pantry
$5,000Mission Purpose
Orangewood Foundation
$159,000Mission Support
United Way OC
$20,300Mission Purpose
ACLU Foundation of So CA
$20,000Mission Purpose
Court Appointed Special Advocates
$10,000Mission Support
Family Safety Foundation
$10,000Mission Support
Prison Policy Initiative PPI
$10,000Mission Support
Charitable Ventures CO Hire
$5,500Mission Support
Project Kinship
$5,031Mission Support
CURB Social and Environmental Entre
$5,000Mission Purpose
Laguna Beach Food Pantry
$5,000Mission Purpose
CSPC
$5,000Mission Purpose
Voice of OC
$4,600Mission Purpose
Office of Restorative Justice
$2,500Mission Support
FAMM
$2,000Mission Purpose
Others Under 500 Each
$1,970Mission Support
Friendship Shelter
$1,500Mission Purpose
UC Regents Co St Boniface Church
$1,000Mission Purpose
Goodwill of OC
$500Mission Purpose
Orangewood Foundation
$60,000Mission Support
Others Under 500 Each
$21,638Mission Support
Project Kinship
$20,000Mission Support
Prison Policy Initiative PPI
$20,000Mission Support
ACLU Foundation of So CA
$20,000Mission Purpose
Family Safety Foundation
$10,000Mission Support
CURB Social and Environmental Entre
$5,000Mission Purpose
Laguna Beach Food Pantry
$5,000Mission Purpose
Charitable Ventures CO Hire
$5,000Mission Support
Office of Restorative Justice
$2,500Mission Support
Court Appointed Special Advocates
$1,050Mission Support
Orangewood Yound Adult Court
$50,000Mission Support
Project Kinship
$20,000Mission Support
Prison Policy Initiative PPI
$20,000Mission Support
Orangewood Foundation
$20,000Mission Support
Laguna Beach Food Pantry
$10,000Mission Purpose
United Way of OC
$10,000Mission Purpose
ACLU Founation of So CA
$10,000Mission Purpose
Others Under 500 Each
$8,746Mission Support
Charitable Ventures CO Hire
$6,000Mission Support
Voice of OC
$5,700Mission Support
CURB Social and Environmental Entre
$5,000Mission Purpose
Center for Study Political Graphics
$5,000Mission Support