Balay Ko Foundation
Balay Ko Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Barbara, California. It supports California nonprofits working to address housing and food insecurity among people experiencing homelessness or hunger.
Balay Ko Foundation at a glance
In short: Balay Ko Foundation gave $11.0M across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $578K), mostly in California. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $10,988,108
- +44.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +18.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $578,321
- +21.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500,000
- Total assets
- $129,334,109
- -4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (8 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Balay Ko Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It says it identifies recipients through its own research and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 525 San Ysidro Rd D-174, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Phone: (805) 464-7148
Website: https://balayko.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Balay Ko Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Santa Barbara Rescue Mission ($1.8M). Together the top 10 received $9.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
62 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 20 grants of 62 (32%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it supports nonprofits in California. All grant dollars in its 2025 filing went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Balay Ko Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 19 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $464K; repeat grants $662K. How we count
Medians: $275K first-time, $500K repeat.
- 53% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 48% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 152% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $6.7M (2023) to $11.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $11.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara Rescue Mission Santa Barbara, CA | General Support | $1,783,000 |
| San Luis Obispo Non-Profit Housing Corp San Luis Obispo, CA | General Support | $1,741,285 |
| Food Bank of Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara, CA | General Support | $1,735,965 |
| Echo Shelter Atascadero, CA | General Support | $1,044,159 |
| CASA Pacifica Camarillo, CA | General Support | $626,518 |
| 5CITIES Homeless Coalition Grover Beach, CA | General Support | $501,519 |
| Good Samaritan Shelter Santa Maria, CA | General Support | $500,000 |
| Mesa Ojai, CA | General Support | $500,000 |
| My Friend's Place Hollywood, CA | General Support | $500,000 |
| Salt Light Works Visalia, CA | General Support | $500,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Balay Ko Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $129,334,109 | $5,255,658 | $11,869,091 | $10,988,108 | 19 | $11,068,618 | $5,003,927 | $7,259,206 |
| 2024 | $135,947,542 | $4,543,956 | $8,013,576 | $7,599,902 | 16 | $9,400,284 | $4,310,566 | $6,668,859 |
| 2023 | $139,417,162 | $3,074,896 | $7,128,404 | $6,698,280 | 15 | $6,877,049 | $3,663,149 | $6,584,656 |
| 2022 | $143,470,670 | $151,165,674 | $7,695,004 | $7,442,213 | 12 | $7,581,385 | $2,052,054 | $7,175,158 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Balay Ko Foundation reported a distributable amount of $7.3M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation describes its focus as supporting nonprofits in California that work toward solving housing and food insecurity for people experiencing homelessness and/or hunger.
Its 2025 grantees include organizations addressing homelessness and affordable housing. For example, San Luis Obispo Non-Profit Housing says it develops and manages affordable housing for low- and moderate-income people in San Luis Obispo County. Santa Barbara Rescue Mission describes its work as bringing physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual resources to people struggling with homelessness and addiction. Food-related grantees include food banks; SLO Food Bank’s name identifies it as a food bank.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 19 grants totaling $10,988,108 in 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $87,000 to $1,783,000, with a median of $500,000. The largest grants listed were $1,783,000 to Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, $1,741,285 to San Luis Obispo Non-Profit Housing Corp, $1,735,965 to Food Bank of Santa Barbara County, and $1,044,159 to ECHO Shelter. Each was designated for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Amie Godfrey as president, Scott M. Godfrey as secretary, Karen Obert as treasurer, and Ethan Godfrey as vice president.
Balay Ko Foundation is led by Amie Godfrey, President on every filing since 2022; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Amie Godfrey
President
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Karen Obert
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
8 hrs/week
$8K (2022) → $12K (2025)
Scott M. Godfrey
Secretary
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Ethan Godfrey
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $12K, to Karen Obert (Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Balay Ko Foundation
How much does Balay Ko Foundation give each year?
Balay Ko Foundation gave $11.0M across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $7.6M across 16 grants.
What is Balay Ko Foundation's typical grant size?
Balay Ko Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $500,000, and its average grant was $578,321, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Balay Ko Foundation that year got $464K on average.
Where does Balay Ko Foundation give grants?
Balay Ko Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Luis Obispo, CA (4 grants), Santa Barbara, CA (3 grants) and Hollywood, CA (2 grants).
Does Balay Ko Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Balay Ko Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Balay Ko Foundation's largest grantees?
Balay Ko Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Santa Barbara Rescue Mission ($1,783,000), San Luis Obispo Non-Profit Housing Corp ($1,741,285) and Food Bank of Santa Barbara County ($1,735,965), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Balay Ko Foundation?
Balay Ko Foundation reported $129.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $11.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Balay Ko Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its focus as supporting nonprofits in California that work toward solving housing and food insecurity for people experiencing homelessness and/or hunger. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Balay Ko Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Balay Ko Foundation's EIN?
Balay Ko Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3998943. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does Balay Ko Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Balay Ko Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Balay Ko Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/balay-ko-foundation-morg_79c9a6dcb1a14f64bab7462a7a0ca3a8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_873998943_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Balay Ko Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/balay-ko-foundation-morg_79c9a6dcb1a14f64bab7462a7a0ca3a8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Balay Ko Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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