John and Maria Laffin Trust

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OVERVIEW: The John and Maria Laffin Trust supports education, medical research, animal welfare and human services. Some of its grantmaking focuses on Los Angels County.

IP TAKE: The John and Maria Laffin Foundation limits some of its grantmaking to Los Angeles County, while other areas are national in scope. Small organizations are well represented here, so if you feel your organization is a good fit, apply by July 31 for consideration at the trust’s September grants meeting. All giving is conducted through Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services.

PROFILE: The John and Maria Laffin Trust is a private foundation managed by Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services. Valentina Laffin, who passed away in 1985, created this trust to honor her parents. The foundation aims to "provide grants to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations supporting education, animal welfare, medical research and human services.” Grantmaking for education and animals is limited to Los Angeles County. All other grantmaking is national in scope.

Grants for Higher Education

The Laffin Trust’s education grantmaking goes to “educational institutions at the college and university level” in Los Angels County. Education typically accounts for about 20% of this funder’s annual giving. Grantees include California State University at Fresno, Azusa Pacific University and the California Institute of the Arts.

Grants for Animals and Wildlife

This funder’s grants for animal welfare remain in Los Angeles County, account for about 30% of this funder’s giving and appear to prioritize animal rescue and adoption efforts. Grantees include Kitten Rescue of Los Angeles, Cat Assistance of Palmdale and Leave No Paws Behind of Sun Valley.

Grants for Public Health and Diseases

Laffin’s health giving is national in scope and accounts for about 25% of this funder’s annual grantmaking. The focus of this giving is medical research, with grants targeting “medical research organizations that do not exclude from consideration any alternative or seemingly radical and/or controversial treatment that the American Medical Association may currently oppose.” Cancer is a primary area of interest. Grantees include the National Brain Tumor Society, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer and the Progeria Research Foundation.

Grants for Mental Health, Housing, Homelessness, Work and Opportunity

The Laffin Trust commits about 25% of its annual giving to “humanitarian organizations to alleviate human misery, suffering, and starvation in any part of the world.” In actuality, however, recent giving has focused on poverty, hunger, homelessness and mental health in Los Angeles and a few other places in the U.S. Grantees include Feed the Streets of Dallas, New Jersey’s Family Promise of Sussex County, the Shelter Partnership of Los Angeles and Laura’s House, a women’s shelter located in Orange County, California.

Important Grant Details:

Laffin’s grants range form $2,000 to $40,000, but most grants stay at or below the $25,000 mark.

  • This funder tends to provide ongoing support to a corps of grantees with which it maintains ongoing relationships.

  • About half of Laffin’s grants stay in Southern California.

  • This funder accepts applications via the Wells Fargo grant application portal. Applications are due on July 31, and the foundation’s “grant meeting” takes place in September.

  • For additional information about past giving, see the trust’s recent tax filings.

Direct general questions to the staff at grantadministration@wellsfargo.com or 888-235-4351.

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