Mozart Foundation

The Mozart Foundation is a closely-held family operating foundation headquartered at 1068 E Meadow Circle, Palo Alto, CA 94303, with $123.3 million in total assets as of 2023. The board is composed almost entirely of Mozart family members — John Mozart, Heather Mozart (Secretary/Treasurer), Justin Mozart, John Forrest Mozart, and Ashley Fey — along with Raymond E. Scheaffer as President. All officers receive $0 compensation, characteristic of a private family vehicle rather than a professionally staffed grantmaking institution.

Critically, this foundation is classified by the IRS as an operating foundation (foundation code 03), which means it primarily conducts its own charitable activities rather than distributing competitive grants to external organizations. Public 990 filings confirm that "grants paid" has been $0 in every year on record, from 2011 through 2023. The modest "total giving" figures ($5,000–$91,000 annually) almost certainly represent internal operational costs, not disbursements to outside grantees.

For grant seekers, this means the traditional proposal pipeline — LOI, full application, site visit — almost certainly does not apply. No grants portal, application form, RFP, or deadline has ever been published. The foundation's own guidance is simply: "PLEASE CALL FOR INFORMATION." The direct phone number on file is (650) 493-9000.

Any realistic path to funding begins with personal relationship cultivation with the Mozart family. Organizations in the Bay Area arts and culture ecosystem — particularly those with connections to museum programming, classical music, or cultural preservation — are best positioned to open a dialogue. First-time outreach should be a brief, relationship-oriented phone call or letter, not a formal proposal. Ask explicitly whether the foundation is accepting external applications before committing any development resources. The foundation's NTEE code (A50 — Museum, Museum Activities) and the family name suggest an orientation toward classical or fine arts culture, though no programmatic statements have been published.

The Mozart Foundation's public financial record, spanning 2011–2023, reveals a striking and unusual pattern: despite $123.3 million in total assets, the foundation's annual charitable giving has never exceeded $91,027 in a single year, and "grants paid" — the IRS line item for disbursements to external grantees — is $0 across all years on record.

Annual total giving by year: - 2023: $37,769 (on $40,000 revenue) - 2022: $5,212 (on $7,750,000 revenue) - 2021: $31,894 (on $30,000 revenue) - 2020: $5,179 (on $10,010,000 revenue) - 2019: $5,241 (on $1 revenue) - 2015: $28,964 (on $4,532,500 revenue) - 2014: $6,624 (on $23,005,000 revenue) - 2013: $23,780 (on $20,000 revenue) - 2012: $91,027 (on $14,095,000 revenue) - 2011: $36,994 (on $35,000 revenue)

10-year average annual giving: ~$27,268. Range: $5,179–$91,027. Giving as a percentage of assets: 0.02%–0.07% — far below the 5% minimum distribution required of grant-making private foundations. As an operating foundation, Mozart Foundation is exempt from this requirement.

Revenue has been highly erratic, suggesting episodic capital infusions from the Mozart family rather than steady investment income: $23M in 2014, $14.1M in 2012, $10M in 2020, $7.75M in 2022. Assets have grown tenfold in 12 years — from $14.1M in 2011 to $123.3M in 2023 — reflecting asset accumulation rather than philanthropic deployment.

No geographic focus, programmatic breakdown, or median grant size can be derived from public records, as no individual grantee disbursements have been documented.

The following peer foundations were identified based on comparable total asset size (~$120–128M) within the Arts & Culture NTEE category:

All five peer organizations are similarly sized Arts & Culture entities with assets in the $120–124M range, reflecting a natural peer cohort based on financial scale. However, Mozart Foundation stands out within this group for its operating foundation structure and the extreme gap between its asset base and annual disbursements. The Sonnabend Collection Foundation (New York) maintains a website and is associated with the estate of art dealer Ileana Sonnabend, suggesting a fine arts/visual arts mandate; it is perhaps the closest conceptual peer. The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum (Alabama) operates as a working museum, similar to how Mozart Foundation may function as a programmatic entity rather than a grantmaker. Across this peer set, publicly available application processes are largely absent — consistent with the family-controlled, invitation-only or call-first culture common at foundations of this type and size.

Web research conducted in April 2026 returned no news articles, press releases, grant award announcements, or leadership change notices specific to the Mozart Foundation of Palo Alto, CA for 2025 or 2026. The foundation has no documented social media presence and its website (mozartfoundation.com), while active, does not render accessible text content through standard scraping — consistent with a minimal-disclosure operating posture.

The most recent IRS filings (fiscal year 2023) show total assets of $123,327,590 — essentially flat from $123,325,359 in 2022 — with revenue of $40,000 and total giving of $37,769. The 2022 year saw a large capital contribution of $7,750,000, continuing a pattern of periodic large infusions (2020: $10,010,000; 2014: $23,005,000; 2012: $14,095,000). Board composition has been stable across multiple filing years: Raymond E. Scheaffer (President), Heather Mozart (Secretary/Treasurer/Director), and directors John Mozart, Justin Mozart, John Forrest Mozart, and Ashley Fey. No new board members, leadership changes, or program announcements are documented in public records. The foundation's last-known significant external "giving" year by dollar amount was 2012, when $91,027 in total giving was recorded.

Given the Mozart Foundation's structure as a family operating foundation with no published application process, grant seekers must fundamentally reframe their approach compared to standard foundation outreach.

1. Verify openness to external grants first. Before any proposal investment, call (650) 493-9000 and ask directly: "Does the Mozart Foundation currently accept applications from external nonprofit organizations?" The answer may be no — and getting it early saves significant time.

2. Lead with relationship, not paperwork. The Mozart family is the decision-making body. Any outreach should feel like a genuine introduction, not a cold solicitation. If you have a mutual connection in Palo Alto arts circles, a Stanford or Bay Area university affiliation, or a link to classical music or museum programming, surface it immediately.

3. Align explicitly with the NTEE classification. The foundation's code — A50, Museum, Museum Activities — suggests the family's giving interests center on museums, cultural preservation, or performing arts (potentially classical music, given the name). Tailor all messaging to this intersection. Avoid broad social service language.

4. Keep initial outreach brief. A one-page letter of inquiry addressed to John Mozart (% 1068 E Meadow Circle, Palo Alto, CA 94303) is the appropriate first step if phone contact does not yield clarity. Do not send a full proposal unsolicited.

5. Don't anchor on assets. The $123.3M asset figure is misleading. With average annual giving under $28K and $0 in documented external grants, the foundation does not behave like a $123M grantmaker. Calibrate expectations accordingly.

6. Explore operating program partnerships. Since Mozart Foundation is an operating foundation, it may be more receptive to structured program partnerships — co-presenting a cultural event, providing in-kind support, or affiliating with a museum project — than writing a check to an outside organization.

7. Timing is unknown. No fiscal year deadline or board meeting calendar is public. If you establish contact, ask explicitly about review cycles before assuming any timeline.