Garcia Family Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Garcia Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education and youth, health, and human services.
IP TAKE: The Garcia Family Foundation does not maintain a website, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. It appears to be a low-profile funder that nevertheless makes fairly substantial grants in a broad range areas. While a significant amount of grantmaking is by invitation only and driven by the interests of the family and board, its tax filings suggest that it accepts unsolicited applications and awards a certain amount of grants to new grantees each year. Nonprofits working to improve education, health, and economic outcomes for adults and youth certainly have a shot at grants worth up to $100,000. Since the foundation does not have a website to provide detailed information on the application process or priorities, and conducts the majority of its giving proactively anyway, it can’t hurt to reach out through the contact information provided below and inquire about any potential grant opportunities the foundation may have.
PROFILE: Established in 1996, the Garcia Family Foundation was founded by billionaire Ernie Garcia II and family. Garcia operates DriveTime Automotive, one of the largest car retailers in the country. He is also the biggest shareholder of Carvana, a used car e-commerce company, which his son Ernest Garcia III founded. The foundation does not maintain a website, which limits further information regarding its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. According to tax filings, the Garcia Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education and youth, health, and human services.
Grants for Education and Youth
The Garcia Family Foundation supports schools, universities, and nonprofits relating to education and youth development. Ernie Garcia supports his alma mater, the University of Arizona. The family recently directed a large grant to the University of Arizona Foundation, supporting PANDA, which deals with “discovery processes to improve treatments and cures for devastating childhood diseases” and the Arizona Assurance Program, which provides academic, financial and social support for low-income Arizona students. The foundation also makes regular donations to secondary schools with which the family has a personal connection, such as Brophy College Prep and Xavier College Prep. Other past education-related grantees include Earn to Learn, Center for the Future of Arizona, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, Empower College Prep, Be a Leader Foundation, and Education Design Lab.
Grants for Public Health and Economic Opportunity
The Garcia Family Foundation broadly funds organizations working to improve the health, well-being, and economic situation for residents of Arizona. It commonly funds basic needs and human services organizations addressing issues such as homelessness, hunger, and economic opportunityA. It is also a major donor to hospitals, clinics, and public health-related nonprofits in the area. One important grantee is Human Services Campus (HSC), a “collaborative force composed of many partner organizations working together to end homelessness in our community.” HSC is home to the Brian Garcia Welcome Center, which bears the name of Ernie’s late son who volunteered at the organization. Past grantees have included Barrow Neurological Foundation, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Ability 360, Valleywise Health Foundation, Saving Amy, Circle the City, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Umom New Day Centers, and St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.
IMPORTANT GRANT DETAILS:
Grants typically range from $25,000 to $250,000, but may exceed $1 million for select grantees. The Garcia Family Foundation does not maintain a website, but grantseekers may review its tax filings for more information on its past activity.
The Garcia Foundation’s grantmaking is primarily restricted to the state of Arizona. It may on occasion fund groups outside of Arizona on an invitation-only basis depending on the wishes of the board.
According to tax filings, the foundation accepts applications year-round. Application should include organization name, address, contact person, requested amount; specific project or program name; current operating budget; summary of project budget; as well as an IRS determination letter, list of board of directors, latest annual report, and audited financial statement for most recent fiscal year.
An address and phone number are provided below.
PEOPLE:
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CONTACT:
Garcia Family Foundation
1720 W. Rio Salado Pkwy, Suite A
Tempe, AZ 85281
(602) 778-5011
