Lafetra Foundation

BERKELEY, CA EIN: 95-4380652

The Lafetra Foundation is a private foundation established in 1992 and based in Berkeley, California. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it operates as a family foundation with a focus on grantmaking across multiple sectors including education, philanthropy, human services, and environmental conservation.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$64.0M

+1.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.8M

+6.0% YoY

Grant Count

-2.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$84K

+9.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lafetra Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.5M 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 has not publicly provided a formal mission statement. However, based on its grantmaking patterns, the Lafetra Foundation supports:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Historic preservation and historic buildings preservation
Arts
Science education
Environmental conservation and water resources

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Grantmaking is by invitation only.

Grant Range

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How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.

Grant Distribution by State

California $6.1M (58%)

District of Columbia $835K (8%)

Arizona $800K (8%)

New York $769K (7%)

Montana $650K (6%)

Hawaii $436K (4%)

Washington $275K (3%)

Virginia $235K (2%)

+4 more states

States

Arizona California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Hawaii Massachusetts Maryland Montana New York Virginia Washington

Cities

AlexandriaArcadiaArlingtonBaltimoreBasaltBerkeleyBerkelyBostonBozemanBrooklinBrooklynCastro ValleyDenverEmeryvilleEncinoGlendoraJennerKihelLa VerneLos Angeles

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (2024):

Total assets: $63,955,435
Total revenues: $3,953,525
Total expenses: $3,125,239
Investment income and dividends: $1,812,141
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $2,121,028

Assets & Revenue (2023):

Total assets: $63.1 million
Total revenues: $6.88 million
Total expenses: $2.87 million
Total liabilities: $0

Giving Rate: Approximately 4.2% of assets annually

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$63,955,435	$63,127,149	$59,225,984
Revenue	$3,953,525	$6,881,386	$7,428,185
Expenses	$3,125,239	$2,873,317	$2,536,504
Qualifying Distributions	$2,919,292	$2,726,090	$2,241,950
Net Investment Income	$3,727,222	$1,456,849	$2,995,856
Distributable Amount	$3,537,518	$2,881,853	$2,711,779

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

165 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Lafd Foundation ($713,142), Center for Biological Diversity ($300,000), Polar Bears International ($200,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OAKLAND, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$75,000
BERKELEY REPERTORY THEATRE BERKELEY, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY SACRAMENTO, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
CAUSE JUSTA JUST CAUSE SAN FRANCISCO, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$4,500
CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY TUSCON, AZ	GENERAL SUPPORT	$300,000
CHICKEN AND EGG PICTURES INC SAN FRANCISCO, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$100,000
CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY EQUITY FUND WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$100,000
COMMUNITY OF WRITERS NEVADA CITY, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$100,000
DOC SOCIETY BROOKLYN, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$125,000
FOR THE FISHES KIHEL, HI	GENERAL SUPPORT	$100,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Trustees include:

Suzanne La Fetra Collier
Anthony La Fetra
Michael W La Fetra

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
SUZANNE LAFETRA	PRESIDENT/CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD	1	—
MICHAEL W LAFETRA	TREASURER/SECRETARY	—	—

Contact Information

Address: 1600 Euclid Ave Berkeley, CA 94709

Telephone: 626-633-6541

EIN: 95-4380652

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Lafetra Foundation fund?

The foundation has not publicly provided a formal mission statement. However, based on its grantmaking patterns, the Lafetra Foundation supports: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Historic preservation and historic buildings preservation • Arts • Science education • Environmental conservation and water resources

How do I apply for a grant from Lafetra Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving in 2024: $2,778,142 • Total giving in 2023: $2,622,000 • Number of grants (2024): 33 grants • Number of grants (2023): 34 grants **Grant Sizes:** • Typical award range: $2,500–$713,142 • Median grant amount: $63,000 • Grant range: $5,000–$350,000 **Recent Grantees (2024):** • LAFD Fire Hogs Foundation: $713,142 (General Support) • Center for Biological Diversity: $300,000 (General Support) • Polar Bears International: $200,000 (General Support) • The Universit…

Where does Lafetra Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in California, New York, and the District of Columbia.

What size grants does Lafetra Foundation award?

In 2024, Lafetra Foundation awarded 33 grants totaling $2.8M — an average of about $84K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Lafetra Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Lafetra Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.