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California · Private foundation

Melvin Garb Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$1.6M
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
22
Grants FY2025
22
Organizations funded FY2024
32%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2025
$50,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$260,000
Organizations funded a year
15 to 22
FY2018 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
2
Total assets, FY2025
$5.6M
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 32% of the organizations Melvin Garb Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 28% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 72% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $520k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
Human ServicesInternationalCivil RightsArts & CulturePhilanthropyEducationOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2025still arriving22$1.6M23%
FY202422$1.9M32%
FY202317$1.5M12%
FY202222$1.8M36%
FY202117$1.1M41%
FY202015$938k13%
FY201917$657k29%
FY201820$846k40%
100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Religion$2.4MPhilanthropy$1.1MHuman Services$995kFood & Nutrition$948kInternational$930kHealth$848kCivil Rights$710kArts & Culture$669kOther$0

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc$960,00040%
Temple Solel of Northern San Diego County Inc$956,8937n/a
Impact Cubed$800,000323%
Leap to Success$630,000921%
Diabetes Research Connection$619,918813%
Seacrest Foundation$605,94274%
Hillel of San Diego$536,00065%
Kitchens for Good$345,00072%
World Central Kitchen Inc$265,00020%
Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank$225,00050%
Show all 40 grantees
All grantees of Melvin Garb Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc$960,00040%
Temple Solel of Northern San Diego County Inc$956,8937n/a
Impact Cubed$800,000323%
Leap to Success$630,000921%
Diabetes Research Connection$619,918813%
Seacrest Foundation$605,94274%
Hillel of San Diego$536,00065%
Kitchens for Good$345,00072%
World Central Kitchen Inc$265,00020%
Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank$225,00050%
Temple Israel of Hollywood$225,0002n/a
Vehicles for Change San Diego Inc$208,575316%
American Jewish Committee$207,00020%
San Diego Hebrew Homes$200,00020%
Hebrew Free Loan of San Diego$100,00028%
Turnout Activism Inc$100,00012%
Mama's Kitchen$90,00061%
The Butterfly Project$85,000420%
Community Resource Center$75,00021%
Burn Institute$70,00041%
The Arc of San Diego$60,00010%
Circle TLC Ranch Inc$56,000825%
Interfaith Community Services Inc$50,00010%
Aseltine School$50,00022%
Sunbird Initiative$50,00023%
Womens Resource Center$40,00021%
Oncology and Kids Inc$35,000111%
The Meeting Place Clubhouse Inc$32,77016%
Theatre Dybbuk$25,000111%
Monarch School Project$25,00011%
Empowered Endings Foundation$25,000112%
The Houston Food Bank$25,00010%
Survivor Mitzvah Project$20,00022%
San Diego Rescue Mission Inc$15,00010%
East County Youth Symphony$10,0001n/a
Thinc Foundation$10,00013%
Youth Assistance Coalition Inc$10,00011%
San Diego Oasis$7,50011%
San Diego Young Artist Music Academ$3,60014%
Community Campership Council Inc$2,50012%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 20 recipients with no EIN on record ($3.2M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Each grantee by its size and the share of its budget Melvin Garb Foundation supplied at peak.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetThe American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc: $960,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetImpact Cubed: $800,000 over 3y, 23% of budgetLeap to Success: $630,000 over 9y, 21% of budgetDiabetes Research Connection: $619,918 over 8y, 13% of budgetSeacrest Foundation: $605,942 over 7y, 3.6% of budgetHillel of San Diego: $536,000 over 6y, 5.0% of budgetKitchens for Good: $345,000 over 7y, 2.1% of budgetWorld Central Kitchen Inc: $265,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetJacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank: $225,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetVehicles for Change San Diego Inc: $208,575 over 3y, 16% of budgetAmerican Jewish Committee: $207,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetSan Diego Hebrew Homes: $200,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetHebrew Free Loan of San Diego: $100,000 over 2y, 8.2% of budgetTurnout Activism Inc: $100,000 over 1y, 1.9% of budgetMama's Kitchen: $90,000 over 6y, 0.7% of budgetThe Butterfly Project: $85,000 over 4y, 20% of budgetCommunity Resource Center: $75,000 over 2y, 0.7% of budgetBurn Institute: $70,000 over 4y, 1.5% of budgetThe Arc of San Diego: $60,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetCircle TLC Ranch Inc: $56,000 over 8y, 25% of budgetInterfaith Community Services Inc: $50,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetAseltine School: $50,000 over 2y, 1.5% of budgetSunbird Initiative: $50,000 over 2y, 3.2% of budgetWomens Resource Center: $40,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetOncology and Kids Inc: $35,000 over 1y, 11% of budgetThe Meeting Place Clubhouse Inc: $32,770 over 1y, 5.5% of budgetTheatre Dybbuk: $25,000 over 1y, 11% of budgetMonarch School Project: $25,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetEmpowered Endings Foundation: $25,000 over 1y, 12% of budgetThe Houston Food Bank: $25,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSurvivor Mitzvah Project: $20,000 over 2y, 1.5% of budgetSan Diego Rescue Mission Inc: $15,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetThinc Foundation: $10,000 over 1y, 3.4% of budgetYouth Assistance Coalition Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 1.4% of budgetSan Diego Oasis: $7,500 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetSan Diego Young Artist Music Academ: $3,600 over 1y, 3.6% of budgetCommunity Campership Council Inc: $2,500 over 1y, 1.8% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 37.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The San Diego Foundat…Jewish Community Foun…David C Copley Founda…Stern Leichter Founda…Leichtag FoundationThe Cushman FoundationSempra FoundationBoys and Girls Aid So…Rancho Santa Fe Found…The Country FriendsWalter J & Betty C Za…The Nordson Corporati…
The San Diego FoundationCA36.7× affinity17 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The San Diego Foundation · Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego · David C Copley Foundation · Stern Leichter Foundation · Leichtag Foundation · The Cushman Foundation · Sempra Foundation · Boys and Girls Aid Society of San Diego Ltd · Rancho Santa Fe Foundation · The Country Friends · Walter J & Betty C Zable Foundation · The Nordson Corporation Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Melvin Garb Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Melvin Garb Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Melvin Garb Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About Melvin Garb Foundation

How much does Melvin Garb Foundation give?
Melvin Garb Foundation reported 22 grants totaling $1,567,000 in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 15 and 22 organizations a year over FY2018 to FY2024.
What does Melvin Garb Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2025, its largest causes are Religion (25%), Philanthropy (11%), Human Services (10%).
Who are Melvin Garb Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2025: The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc ($960k), Temple Solel of Northern San Diego County Inc ($957k), Impact Cubed ($800k).
Does Melvin Garb Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 32% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Melvin Garb Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as Melvin Garb Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The San Diego Foundation, Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego, David C Copley Foundation.
Where is Melvin Garb Foundation based?
Melvin Garb Foundation is based in CA.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 61 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Melvin Garb’s filings →

More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home