California · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Recreation & Sports in California

Imperigo has identified 826 funders that made 8,181 grants totaling $797.9M to 1,392 recreation & sports organizations in California, with a median grant of $15K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Recreation & Sports Funding in California

Total granted $797.9M
Funders 826
Grants 8,181
Organizations funded 1,392

Top Funders — page 1 of 4

1. National Collegiate Athletic Association
21 grants to 5 organizations · largest $27.8M · through 2023 · 4.1% of their giving
$122.3M
2. United States Tennis Association Incorporated
5 grants to 2 organizations · largest $4.0M · through 2023 · 5.0% of their giving
$16.3M
3. International Olympic Committee
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $24.2M · through 2024 · 2.8% of their giving
$24.3M
4. East Bay Community Foundation
86 grants to 27 organizations · largest $7.8M · through 2024 · 2.5% of their giving
$19.6M
5. San Antonio Bowl Association
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $4.0M · through 2019 · 8.3% of their giving
$4.0M
6. Los Angeles Tourism Marketing District Corporation
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $500K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.5M
7. Monterey Peninsula Foundation
19 grants to 9 organizations · largest $1.5M · through 2024 · 5.6% of their giving
$4.3M
8. Irving J Symons Foundation
3 grants to 2 organizations · largest $1.0M · through 2024 · 29.8% of their giving
$1.1M
9. Trojan Sig Foundation
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $693K · through 2021 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.1M
10. Sacramento Consolidated Charities
10 grants to 7 organizations · largest $371K · through 2020 · 59.4% of their giving
$911K
11. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc
4 grants to 4 organizations · largest $10.0M · through 2024 · 1.7% of their giving
$10.0M
12. National Orange Show Foundation
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $390K · through 2025 · 97.9% of their giving
$828K
13. Santa Barbara Showgrounds Foundation
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $229K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$750K
14. Frank Nigro Columbian Foundation Supporting People with Intellectual Disabi
12 grants to 4 organizations · largest $87K · through 2023 · 25.3% of their giving
$500K
15. Palm Springs Pathfinders Inc
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $145K · through 2024 · 51.5% of their giving
$441K
16. Carla and David Crane Foundation
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $300K · through 2021 · 15.5% of their giving
$525K
17. The San Diego Foundation
91 grants to 29 organizations · largest $700K · through 2024 · 1.1% of their giving
$6.9M
18. International Community Foundation
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $1.0M · through 2024 · 7.5% of their giving
$1.0M
19. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
43 grants to 20 organizations · largest $3.5M · through 2024
$9.4M
20. The Albertsons Companies Foundation
21 grants to 8 organizations · largest $1.0M · through 2024 · 1.6% of their giving
$4.4M
21. Shark Fund
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $115K · through 2024 · 27.9% of their giving
$348K
22. Las Vegas Events Inc
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $500K · through 2023 · 6.8% of their giving
$1.0M
23. Pacific Swimming Inc
25 grants to 7 organizations · largest $33K · through 2024 · 20.6% of their giving
$329K
24. Peter E Haas Jr Family Fund
5 grants to 2 organizations · largest $600K · through 2024 · 3.5% of their giving
$1.8M
25. Endaoment Inc
12 grants to 6 organizations · largest $537K · through 2024 · 2.6% of their giving
$2.4M

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to recreation & sports work in California, not by dollar totals alone — a foundation that concentrates its giving here is usually a better prospect than a larger one for which this is a rounding error. 16 of the funders counted here are donor-advised fund sponsors, which grant on behalf of individual donors and accept no applications; they are marked and ranked last.

Other Causes Funded in California

About This Data

A grant appears here when a funder reported it on its IRS Form 990 and the recipient organization is classified under the NTEE group covering recreation & sports work, with an address in California. Grants are counted from the 2025 filing year backward.

Some 990 grant schedules list a recipient by name and address without an EIN, and those grants cannot be matched to a classification — so the totals above represent identifiable recreation & sports funding in California, not every dollar that reached the sector. Figures are a floor, not a ceiling.

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Research California funders in depth

Full grant histories, recipient lists, officer compensation, multi-year financials, and exports for every foundation Imperigo tracks.