Clarence E Heller Charitable Foundation
The Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Established in 1982, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status since July 1982. The foundation maintains its headquarters in San Francisco and accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry throughout the year.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$71.8M
+2.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.6M
-12.3% YoY
Grant Count
42
-33.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$63K
+31.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to protect and improve the quality of life through support of programs in the following areas:
- Environment
- Human health
- Education
- The arts
The foundation gives priority to California-based organizations and groups.
Grantmaking
Recent grantees have included The San Francisco Foundation (Donor Advised Fund), As You Sow (Food Should Be Safe Project), and Carbon Cycle Institute (General Support).
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports initiatives across multiple U.S. states, with particular emphasis on California. Geographic areas of support include California, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Virginia, and Vermont.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023–2024):
- Total assets: $69.9–$71.8 million
- Total revenue: $41,067–$1,478 (2023–2024)
- Total expenses: $4.1–$5.4 million
- Total liabilities: $162,000 (2023)
Distributions:
- Annual giving: $2.9–$3.8 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $71,750,249 | $69,930,688 | $66,936,613 |
| Revenue | $1,478 | $41,067 | $21,009 |
| Expenses | $5,389,238 | $4,131,035 | $4,204,786 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,901,345 | $3,825,088 | $3,718,032 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,230,167 | $1,592,955 | $2,571,486 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,508,523 | $3,303,132 | $3,570,632 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
242 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board & Staff:
- Janet H. Harckman – Chair
- Anne Heller Anderson – Secretary-Treasurer
- Rolf Lygren – Vice-Chair
- Bruce A. Hirsch – Executive Director (compensated, $323,000–$362,623 annually)
- Emily Dirks – Program Officer (compensated, $161,000 annually)
- Lourdes Mauricio – Office Manager (compensated, $163,991 annually)
- Katherine Heller – Director
- Emilie Lygren – Director
- Haley Tone – Director
- Nathan Tone – Director
- Mark Salkind – Director
- Kendall Anderson – Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANNE HELLER ANDERSON | SECRETARY-TREASURER | 1 | — |
| JANET H HARCKHAM | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| ROLF LYGREN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BRUCE A HIRSCH | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (END 12/31/24) | 38 | $362,623 |
| KATHERINE HELLER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| EMILIE LYGREN | VICE-CHAIR | 1 | — |
| HALEY TONE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| NATHAN TONE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARK SALKIND | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KENDALL ANDERSON | DIRECTOR (END 5/14/24) | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has supported initiatives including:
California Tribes advancing Native food sovereignty and local food systems
California Tribes to Advance Native Food Sovereignty and Local ...Recruitment and retention of underrepresented agroecology students (University of California, Santa Cruz)
Heller Foundation award of $100,000 will support recruitment and retentionFood safety projects and environmental conservation efforts
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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