Carolands Foundation

Critical Context: This Is an Operating Foundation, Not a Grantmaking Foundation

Before investing effort in any outreach strategy, grant seekers must understand a fundamental fact: the Carolands Foundation (EIN 46-1631709) is a private operating foundation. It does not award grants to outside organizations. The ~$1.5 million in annual 'giving' reflected in IRS filings refers entirely to expenses associated with maintaining and preserving the Carolands Château — a historic 68,000-square-foot French-style mansion at 565 Remillard Drive, Hillsborough, CA, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The foundation was established in 2013 when Charles B. Johnson and Ann L. Johnson — co-founders of Franklin Templeton Investments — donated the château to nonprofit stewardship. The Johnson family (Charles B. Johnson and Ann L. Johnson as Co-Presidents; Greg Johnson and Jennifer M. Johnson as trustees) leads the foundation without compensation. The operational day-to-day is managed by Executive Director Mavie Mendelson.

For organizations in historic preservation, architectural education, or cultural heritage, the appropriate engagement model is partnership and co-programming, not grant application. The foundation has a demonstrable interest in public education about the château's French Beaux-Arts architecture and its place in California history. It hosts public tours (lottery-based, Wednesdays only) and has opened its grounds to community organizations such as Leadership Council SMC.

First-time outreach should go directly to Mavie Mendelson (mavie.mendelson@carolands.org) with a concise proposal explaining how your organization's programs align with the educational mission around architectural heritage. Proposals tied to school groups, docent training, or architectural history curricula are most likely to resonate. Avoid framing outreach as a grant request — position it as a collaborative program or venue partnership.

The Johnson family's wealth stems from Franklin Templeton; those seeking philanthropic investment from family members personally should look to separate Johnson family charitable vehicles, not this operating foundation.

The Carolands Foundation Does Not Fund External Grantees

All financial activity at the Carolands Foundation supports a single program: maintaining and preserving the Carolands Château. From IRS 990-PF filings spanning 2012–2024, the pattern is strikingly consistent — annual expenditures of $1.08M–$1.6M, essentially 100% directed at property upkeep, restoration, and programming.

Annual 'Giving' (Operating Expenditures), FY2012–FY2024: - FY2024: $1,082,081 (program expenses; total expenses $1,419,396) - FY2023: $1,535,353 - FY2022: $1,535,353 - FY2021: $1,536,985 - FY2020: $1,282,438 - FY2019: $1,599,369 - FY2018: $1,543,025 - FY2015: $1,081,024 - FY2013: $1,519,183 - FY2012: $1,096,684

The median annual expenditure is approximately $1.5 million, with a low of $1.08M (FY2024) and a high of $1.6M (FY2019). There are no grants to external recipients. There is no breakdown by program area beyond the single stated purpose.

Revenue Sources (FY2024): Total revenue $1,625,037 — contributions $700,000 (43%), other income $700,374 (43%), interest $171,635 (10.5%), dividends $53,028 (3.3%). The $700,000 contribution came from the Carolands Preservation Foundation (Palm Beach, FL), a parallel entity that appears to serve as the primary philanthropic feeder.

Asset Base: Total assets have been remarkably stable at $130.4M–$131.2M across all reported years (FY2012–FY2024). Cash and liquid investments are modest at $648,612 (FY2024). The $130M+ asset figure almost certainly reflects the appraised value of the château and its grounds rather than a liquid endowment, which explains the foundation's conservative annual expenditure profile.

The following table compares the Carolands Foundation to similarly sized foundations in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE category (T) based on asset size:

The Carolands Foundation is a significant outlier among its asset-size peers. While most foundations with ~$130M in assets distribute $5M–$12M annually to external grantees, Carolands expends only ~$1.5M per year — all internally — because its 'assets' are predominantly the non-liquid historic property itself, not a traditional investment endowment. Grant seekers who identify Carolands through asset-size filters should immediately pivot: the foundation is not a funding source. Organizations in historic preservation education would be better served approaching the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the California Preservation Foundation, or the Getty Foundation's Campus Heritage grants program.

No External Grants Announced; Operations Stable as of Early 2026

Web research through April 2026 found no press releases, grant announcements, or strategic pivots from the Carolands Foundation. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile consistent with its operating mission.

Documented Recent Activity: - March 2026: Yelp listing confirms tours remain active; Wednesday lottery-only tours continue drawing community interest. - April 2024: The foundation hosted a Leadership Council San Mateo County community event ('Celebrating Our Community') for 100+ attendees at the château grounds, demonstrating willingness to open the estate for community engagement. - FY2024 (ending November 2024): Revenue rose 54.4% year-over-year to $1,625,037, driven by a $700,000 grant from the Carolands Preservation Foundation. Total expenses declined 7.6% to $1,419,396. Assets held steady at $130.7M. - Leadership: No leadership changes noted. Charles B. Johnson and Ann L. Johnson continue as Co-Presidents; Mavie Mendelson remains Executive Director. All trustee roles remain within the Johnson family.

The absence of public announcements is itself informative: this foundation operates with extreme discretion, in keeping with the Johnson family's broader philanthropic style at Franklin Templeton.

There Is No Grant Application Process — But Here Is How to Engage

The Carolands Foundation explicitly lists no application instructions and maintains no external grant program. The IRS classifies it as an operating foundation (foundation code 03), meaning its charitable activity IS the property preservation, not grantmaking. The following tips address how organizations might still build a productive relationship:

1. Lead with educational mission alignment. The foundation's stated charitable purpose is educating the public about 'cultural legacy, architectural heritage, and historic preservation of Carolands Château.' Any pitch to the foundation must be framed around public education, not fundraising need.

2. Request a partnership or co-programming arrangement. Historic preservation nonprofits, architectural schools (e.g., UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design), and K-12 educational programs focused on California history are the most natural collaborators. Frame your outreach as offering something of value to their mission.

3. Contact Executive Director Mavie Mendelson directly. Email mavie.mendelson@carolands.org or call (650) 343-0613. Keep your initial inquiry to one page. Reference your organization's work in historic preservation, architectural education, or cultural heritage.

4. Do not cold-apply via any grant portal. There is no grants portal, no LOI form, no deadline cycle. Any application submitted to a grant database linking to this foundation reflects a data error.

5. Explore event venue partnerships. The April 2024 Leadership Council event demonstrates the château is available for curated community events. An organizational partner that brings prestige and mission alignment could negotiate access.

6. For Johnson family philanthropy directly, research Franklin Templeton's corporate giving or separate Johnson family foundations rather than approaching Carolands Foundation as a funding vehicle.