JHM Charitable Foundation

JHM Charitable Foundation

JHM Charitable Foundation was established in 2012 in Manhattan Beach, California, by John and Hasmik Mgrdichian. The couple built their wealth through a combination of gaming assets — including licensed ownership ties to Commerce Casino through the California Gambling Control Commission — and waste-industry interests. The foundation now operates under the day-to-day leadership of their granddaughter, Lysa Grigorian, who serves as President and Trustee. The foundation occupies a hybrid posture unusual among private foundations: it functions simultaneously as a traditional grantmaker and a direct early-stage venture investor. Asset-class exposure spans US government securities, a corporate bond portfolio, and commercial real estate — notably 1300 Highland Avenue in Manhattan Beach and a parcel at 1712 The Strand. The venture allocation concentrates on early-stage deals, with the foundation deploying capital directly rather than through fund-of-funds or intermediary vehicles. Geographic focus centers on the United States, with professional-network ties extending to Armenia through Grigorian's board role at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies. Trustee and Secretary Gary W. Hampar serves as legal advisor to the founding family, reinforcing an insider governance structure. The foundation's real estate holdings supply a steady income floor, while the securities and venture portfolios pursue growth. Grigorian's TUMO board seat connects the foundation to a technology-education initiative operating in multiple countries, though the foundation's investment footprint remains domestic. The structural differentiator lies in the foundation's dual identity. Most private foundations outsource investment management or allocate passively. JHM sources early-stage deals directly from a position of owner-operator wealth, bridging the gap between a family office and a charitable entity without establishing a separate investment vehicle. This architecture concentrates all capital deployment — grants, direct startup checks, and real asset management — under a single 501(c)(3) roof.