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The Rafael and Sharyl Mendez Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Rafael and Sharyl Mendez Family Foundation

Its FY2024 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$789k
Granted FY2024still arriving
7
Grants FY2024still arriving
3
States reached
$250k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Health$3.3MReligion$570kArts & Culture$507kPublic Safety & Disaster$475kEducation$137kCrime & Legal$65kRecreation & Sports$49kHuman Services$20kOther$0
02FY2024 · 7 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • $10k–50k1 grant · $35k
  • $50k–250k5 grants · $504k
  • $250k+1 grant · $250k
$100,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$8.0M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
CHILDRENS HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER F$250,000
MENDEZ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRANSP$150,000
AVA'S HEART$105,000
SUMMIT BRASS$100,000
THE AOPA FOUNDATION INC$75,000
WESTWOOD WARD CHURCH OF JESSE CHRIS$74,400
KIPP SOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS$35,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY19–20, $20k) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%FOOTHILL FAMILY: $10k → 14%FOOTHILL FAMILY: $10k → 14%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

94%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$4.8M · 17 repeat orgs$285k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +28% since the first grant, against +5% for those funded once.

17 repeat relationships: 6 still active in FY2024, 11 since wound down; 1 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

17
11

Total granted

$4.8M
$35k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+28%
+5%

Still filing today

53%
45%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 68% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $250k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
PhilanthropyHealthArts & CulturePublic Safety & DisasterEducationHuman ServicesOther
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.

Backed again, and grew

  • TA
    THE AOPA FOUNDATION INC
    8× · 2017–2024 · $475k · revenue +85%
  • SB
    Summit Brass Inc
    8× · 2017–2024 · $357k · revenue +16% · 96% of their budget
  • LA
    LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION
    5× · 2017–2022 · $115k · revenue +28%

Funded once

  • SV
    ST VICENT MEALS OF WHEELS
    one grant, 2017 · $10k
  • UL
    USC LATINO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
    one grant, 2017 · $10k
  • CL
    CONOR LYNCH FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2017 · $5k · revenue -95%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Pih Health Whittier Hospital

Mission: we provide high quality healthcare without discrimination, and contribute to the health and well-being of our communities in an ethical, safe, and fiscally prudent manner in recognition of our charitable purpose.

Health
2
Ucsf Foundation Investment Company

The organization provides professional investment management services for endowed gifts and financial assets entrusted to the ucsf foundation.

Education
3
Barlow Respiratory Hospital

A not-for-profit, long-term acute care specialty healthcare organization is to improve the quality of life for patients with respiratory and other diseases that may require prolonged acute hospitalization of specialized treatment.

Health
4
Pih Health Downey Hospital

Mission: We provide high quality healthcare without discrimination and contribute to the health and well-being of our communities in an ethical, safe, and fiscally prudent manner in recognition of our charitable purpose.

Health
5
Kfhpw Holdings

Supporting kaiser permanente organizations which provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.

—
6
Altamed Health Services Corporation

To eliminate disparities in health care access and outcomes by providing superior quality health and human services through an integrated world-class delivery system for latino, multi-ethnic underserved communities in southern california.

Health
7
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group

To be the preeminent pediatric, multispecialty medical group in the nation, dedicated to providing the highest quality medical care to infants, children and adolescents; and supporting the finest teaching and research endeavors of our…

—
8
Ucla Foundation

The ucla foundation is the giving, receiving, and investing arm of the ucla campus. the foundation enables private donors to help build, sustain and advance one of the world's finest academic and research institutions. private philanthropy…

Education
9
Renown Health

Renown Health makes a genuine difference in the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve.

Health
10
The American Institute of Architects California

The AIA California, in collaboration with local components, is the voice of the architectural profession.

—
11
America's Health Insurance Plans Inc

Ahip is the national trade association representing the health insurance industry. ahip's members provide health care coverage, services and solutions to more than 200 million americans. we are committed to market-based solutions and…

Membership Benefit
12
South Central Family Health Center

To improve the quality of life for the diverse communities we serve providing affordable and comprehensive healthcare and education in a welcoming multi-cultural environment.

Health
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Children's Hospital Los Angeles; the most unlike its peers is Conor Lynch Foundation. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

14 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2026.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2026, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 14 of the 29 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

2
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
1
Early backer (in before they grew)
14/14
Grantees still filing
11/14
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

MENDEZ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRANSP: $1,815,000 · OtherMENDEZ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRANSPCA HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATI: $765,000 · OtherCA HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATIWESTWOOD WARD CHURCH OF JESSE CHRIS: $570,440 · OtherWESTWOOD WARD CHURCH OF JESSE CHRISRONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARTIES: $250,000 · OtherRONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARTIESCHILDRENS HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER F: $250,000 · OtherCHILDRENS HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER F+13 more: $236,826 · Other+13 moreTHE AOPA FOUNDATION INC: $475,000 · Public Safety & DisasterTHE AOPA F…Summit Brass Inc: $357,355 · Arts & CultureSummit Bra…LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION: $115,431 · Arts & CultureLOS ANGELE…Ava's Heart: $132,575 · PhilanthropyGRAND VISION FOUNDATION: $30,000 · Philanthropy+1 more: $5,000 · PhilanthropyKIPP SOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS: $36,056 · EducationChildren's Hospital Los Angeles: $20,000 · HealthPIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital: $12,000 · HealthANGEL FLIGHT WEST INC: $1,554 · HealthFoothill Family Service: $20,000 · Human Services
Other$3,887,266Public Safety & Disaster$475,000Arts & Culture$472,786Philanthropy$167,575Education$36,056Health$33,554Human Services$20,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetTHE AOPA FOUNDATION INC: $475,000 over 8y, 0.6% of budgetSummit Brass Inc: $357,355 over 8y, 96% of budgetAva's Heart: $132,575 over 2y, 26% of budgetLOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION: $115,431 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetKIPP SOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS: $36,056 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetGRAND VISION FOUNDATION: $30,000 over 4y, 1.8% of budgetFoothill Family Service: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetChildren's Hospital Los Angeles: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital: $12,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCONOR LYNCH FOUNDATION: $5,000 over 1y, 5.9% of budgetANGEL FLIGHT WEST INC: $1,554 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: $1,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPIH Health Foundation: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE HEROES PROJECT: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

  • Who funds THE AOPA FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds Summit Brass Inc ↗
  • Who funds Ava's Heart ↗
  • Who funds LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds KIPP SOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ↗
  • Who funds GRAND VISION FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds Foothill Family Service ↗
  • Who funds Children's Hospital Los Angeles ↗
  • Who funds PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital ↗
  • Who funds CONOR LYNCH FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds ANGEL FLIGHT WEST INC ↗
  • Who funds COMMUNITY PARTNERS ↗
  • Who funds PIH Health Foundation ↗
  • Who funds THE HEROES PROJECT ↗

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.

California Community …The Ahmanson Foundati…American Endowment Fo…Morgan Stanley Global…National Philanthropi…Vanguard Charitable E…American Online Givin…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
California Community FoundationCA14.3× affinity5 shared granteesties to 9 of 9Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: California Community Foundation · The Ahmanson Foundation · American Endowment Foundation · Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc · National Philanthropic Trust · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile 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.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization The Rafael and Sharyl Mendez Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Rafael and Sharyl Mendez Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%6%25%56%100%funder's share of their income ↑0%10%20%30%40%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    3report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–40%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

    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 29 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 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Rafael and Sharyl Mendez Family’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