Johnny Carson Foundation

ENCINO, CA EIN: 20-5885752

The Johnny Carson Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Encino, California. Founded by the late television host and comedian Johnny Carson, the foundation was established in 1981 as the John W. Carson Foundation and was restructured in 2006 as a successor foundation. The foundation is financed by Carson's estate and operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$120.5M

-2.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$13.3M

-14.0% YoY

Grant Count

252

+0.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$53K

-14.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Johnny Carson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $7.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's grant-making focuses on:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Science and STEM Education
Dental Health

Nearly all of the foundation's grants go to Los Angeles-area charities and nonprofits, as well as to Carson's alma mater.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

s:** Typical awards range from $1,000 to $5,020,000.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

California (particularly the Los Angeles area)
Nebraska
New York

Grant Distribution by State

California $6.8M (88%)

Nebraska $665K (9%)

New York $205K (3%)

District of Columbia $20K (0%)

Illinois $20K (0%)

+11 more states

States

Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Florida Iowa Illinois Massachusetts Maryland Minnesota Nebraska New Jersey New York Ohio Oklahoma Texas Utah Virginia Washington

Cities

Albert LeaAlhambraAltadenaAnaheimBeverly HillsBostonBrooklynBuena ParkBurbankCamarilloCambridgeCanoga ParkCarsonCerritosChicagoCorningCovinaCrystal LakeCulver CityDallas

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year Ending June 2024:

Total Assets: $120,469,895
Total Revenue: $13,128,284
Total Expenses: $16,317,304
Total Giving: $13,302,700

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$120,469,895	$123,658,915	$131,959,998
Revenue	$13,128,284	$10,509,086	$12,550,122
Expenses	$16,317,304	$18,820,169	$16,466,077
Qualifying Distributions	$13,964,881	$16,075,717	$13,828,024
Net Investment Income	$11,914,560	$8,167,315	$10,531,682
Distributable Amount	$7,690,449	$8,025,607	$8,912,588

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

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Alliance for College Ready Public Schools ($205,000), Chrysalis Foundation ($105,000), A Thousand Joys ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
A PLACE CALLED HOME LOS ANGELES, CA	UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT	$25,000
A THOUSAND JOYS LOS ANGELES, CA	UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT	$100,000
A WORLD FIT FOR KIDS LOS ANGELES, CA	UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT	$30,000
ACADEMY OF TV ARTS & SCIENCES LOS ANGELES, CA	UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT	$50,000
AFRICAN AMERICAN BOARD LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE LOS ANGELES, CA	UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT	$30,000
AFRICAN AMERICAN EMPOWEREMENT NETWORK OMAHA, NE	EMPOWER OMAHA	$10,000
AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES, CA	UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT	$35,000
ALEPH INSTITUTE LOS ANGELES, CA	UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT	$10,000
ALLIANCE FOR COLLEGE READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS LOS ANGELES, CA	SCHOLARSHIPS - $135,000BLACK, PROUD AND COLLEGE BOUND INITIATIVE - $50,000UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT-$20,000	$205,000
ALLIES FOR EVERY CHILD CULVER CITY, CA	UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
LAWRENCE L WITZER	COO/CFO/SEC/DIRECTOR	20	$242,000
ALLAN L ALEXANDER	CEO/PRES/GEN COUNSEL/DIREC	20	$242,000
STEVEN SOTZING	DIRECTOR	3	$52,000
LAWRENCE HELLER	DIRECTOR	3	$50,200
JEFFREY SOTZING	CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER/DIRE	16	$85,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The Johnny Carson Foundation awarded a $2 million gift to California State University, Fullerton's Jazz Program, recognizing the importance of music education and the arts.

Johnny Carson Foundation Gives $2 Million To CSUF's Jazz Program

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Johnny Carson Foundation fund?

The foundation's grant-making focuses on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Science and STEM Education • Dental Health Nearly all of the foundation's grants go to Los Angeles-area charities and nonprofits, as well as to Carson's alma mater.

How do I apply for a grant from Johnny Carson Foundation?

**Grant Sizes:** Typical awards range from $1,000 to $5,020,000. **Recent Activity:** The foundation awarded a $2 million grant to California State University, Fullerton's Jazz Program.

Where does Johnny Carson Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • California (particularly the Los Angeles area) • Nebraska • New York

What size grants does Johnny Carson Foundation award?

In 2024, Johnny Carson Foundation awarded 252 grants totaling $13.3M — an average of about $53K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Johnny Carson Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Johnny Carson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $7.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.