Rancho Foundation

Rancho Foundation is not a traditional grant-making foundation that accepts external applications. It operates exclusively as a supporting organization for Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center (Rancho), a major Los Angeles County public rehabilitation hospital. The Foundation raises funds through events, individual donations, and corporate partnerships, then channels those resources internally to hospital programs.

For organizations seeking a funding partnership or collaboration, the most viable approach is a direct relationship with the Foundation's development staff:

1. Corporate and Community Partnership: The Foundation actively seeks organizational partners. Companies, nonprofits, and community groups can become sponsors of signature events (Amistad Gala, Rancho Golf Classic, Rancho Art Show) or make unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund.

2. In-Kind and Program Collaboration: Organizations with complementary services — adaptive sports equipment suppliers, art therapy providers, wellness technology companies — may find partnership opportunities supporting the Foundation's 30 funded programs.

3. Healthcare and Research Alignment: Academic medical centers, rehabilitation researchers, and health technology companies can connect through the Foundation's affiliation with Rancho, which serves ~2,500 inpatients and 75,000 outpatient visits annually.

4. No External Grant Applications: The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals from outside organizations. Internal funding decisions are made through an annual staff-request process in which Rancho frontline staff submit program funding requests each year.

Rancho Foundation distributes approximately $50,000–$56,000 annually in direct program support, channeled entirely to Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center. Key financial patterns based on IRS 990 data (2019-2023):

• FY2023: Revenue $119,117 | Expenses $55,199 | Assets $1,072,556
• FY2022: Revenue $160,393 | Expenses $50,260 | Assets $1,008,638
• FY2021: Revenue $266,178 | Expenses $37,535 | Assets $898,505
• FY2020: Revenue $104,614 | Expenses $21,940 | Assets $669,862
• FY2019: Revenue $195,871 | Expenses $6,153 | Assets $587,188

The Foundation's asset base has grown substantially over five years (from $587K in 2019 to $1.07M in 2023), driven primarily by investment returns and consistent charitable gift receipts. Revenue is volatile year-to-year, ranging from $104K to $266K, reflecting the event-dependent nature of fundraising. Distributions to programs range from $6K to $56K annually — the steep increase from FY2020 to FY2023 reflects the expansion from a small supporting operation to a more active program-funding role under new leadership. No external grants are made. The Foundation does not operate a formal endowment payout program; the growing asset base suggests accumulation toward a larger future program expansion.

Rancho Foundation operates in a niche as a dedicated hospital-supporting foundation, making direct peer comparison with general grant-making foundations limited. Comparable organizations include:

• Friends of Rancho (defunct): Earlier iterations of hospital support groups at Rancho Los Amigos; the current Foundation represents the consolidated successor.
• Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Foundation (Los Angeles): Larger hospital foundation with similar mission of funding programs beyond insurance coverage, but at a much larger scale ($100M+).
• UCLA Health Foundation: Similar model of community fundraising for public-benefit hospital programs; also LA County-based.
• Kessler Foundation (NJ): National rehabilitation-focused foundation that funds both internal programs and external grants to disability-serving organizations nationwide — a larger and more externally-focused version of Rancho Foundation's model.
• Craig H. Neilsen Foundation: Spinal cord injury-focused foundation (Encino, CA) that does make external grants, unlike Rancho Foundation.

Rancho Foundation's $1.07M asset base and ~$55K annual giving is modest compared to major hospital foundations, but appropriate for its focused, single-institution mandate. Its strength lies in direct program impact at one of the nation's most recognized rehabilitation centers.

Recent activity and developments at Rancho Foundation (2024–2025):

• Leadership transition (January 2025): Andrea Salazar became Executive Director, bringing new energy and announcing a growth-oriented strategic direction.
• Full rebranding (2025): Launched a new website and updated visual identity to better reflect the Foundation's mission and modernize donor engagement.
• FY2025-2026 Program Expansion: The Foundation now supports 30 unique programs, up from prior years, reflecting increased engagement with Rancho clinical staff and broader program funding categories.
• New program areas: Added Driver Training Scholarships, Acquired Brain Injury Day Rehab Center support, Aromatherapy, and Accelerate My Wellness (fitness center memberships), among others.
• FY24-25 Form 990 published on website, indicating a commitment to transparency and accessibility for donors.
• Annual fundraising events continue: Amistad Gala, Rancho Golf Classic, and Rancho Art Show remain the core fundraising calendar, with community partnership expansion underway.
• Staff growth: Foundation now has 4 staff members (Executive Director, Senior Director of Patient Programs & Events, Advancement Associate, Accounting Specialist), suggesting operational maturation.

For organizations or individuals seeking to engage with Rancho Foundation:

1. Do not submit an unsolicited grant application — the Foundation does not accept external proposals. Program funding decisions are made exclusively by internal Rancho staff submitting annual funding requests.

2. Corporate and event sponsorship is the primary engagement path: Contact Senior Director Zachary Deere (ZDeere@ranchofoundation.org) for event sponsorship (Amistad Gala, Golf Classic, Art Show) or partnership opportunities.

3. General inquiries: Use contact@ranchofoundation.org or (562) 385-7053. Mailing address: 7601 E. Imperial Hwy. HB2011, Downey, CA 90242.

4. If you are a Rancho Los Amigos staff member: Annual funding request cycles are open to frontline clinical staff. Contact the Foundation to learn about submission timelines for the next fiscal year cycle (July 1 start).

5. Transparency: The Foundation publishes its Form 990 on its website (FY24-25 available). Review it to understand current program spending priorities before initiating a partnership conversation.

6. Donor giving: Online donations accepted at ranchofoundation.org/donate. Major gift discussions with Executive Director Andrea Salazar (ASalazar@ranchofoundation.org). Legacy giving available.