Chapman Estate Foundation

The Mission of the Chapman Estate Foundation is to preserve, maintain and operate for community access and charitable uses, the Chapman Estate, an amazing oceanfront historic property in Pismo Beach, bequeathed to the community by philanthropist Clifford Chapman. Mr. Chapman's interests included beautiful gardens, cooking, opera and the symphony, travel and collectables and he hosted many opera, symphony, and charitable fundraisers at the Estate during his lifetime. Our Foundation goal is to carry on his philanthropy and his wish to make this beautiful property available to the public.

The Chapman Estate Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation that has been 100% volunteer run for almost 10 years. Over these years we have hosted an annual fundraiser and conducted property improvement projects at the Estate, which is held by the City of Pismo Beach. In 2025, the Foundation took over all operations of public access at the Estate. Our programs include a garden group that maintains the property gardens, a begonia expert who leads a team that produces a greenhouse full of blooming tuberous begonias, one of the best displays of the colorful blooms in the State. Our Open Gates season includes garden access and docent-led garden-history tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11-2, and on Fridays we host Music with a View in the Garden from 5-7:30 pm. We have hosted the successful Swingin' by the Sea fundraiser annually, including live and silent auctions, exquisite dinners in the Estate Refectory, and our "Glimpse of the Chapman House" tours have been very popular.

The Foundation is currently working with the City to transition even more responsibility to the Foundation for the future operations, maintenance, and public access and charitable uses of the Estate by the community. Our growing activities list, a result of our successful campaign to "open the gates" to the community, leads us to the important transition from a 100% volunteer-run organization to a professionally led and managed organization with a leadership team that can carry us through expanded growth for the full utilization of the Estate by the community, and the sharing of this hidden gem with all visitors to the Central Coast. It is an exquisite coastal property with so much to share with visitors, from the amazing blooming begonias, the serene ocean view gardens and koi pond, the natural views of the Central Coast that span the full San Luis Bay from Point Sal to the Avila Lighthouse, an area breaming with sea birds- seagulls, pelicans, night herons, cormorants- where whales and dolphins, sea otters and seals can be spotted off the coast, the historic and eclectic architecture that includes a Tudor mansion built in 1930, out buildings that include a windmill, a lighthouse, a Japanese pergola, and a turn of the century cottage on the bluff, and a fully furnished turn of the century home with statuary and art collections. This is our opportunity to preserve this amazing place for public access and community use, and we are looking for a key, passionate person to embrace our mission of preserving and maintaining the Estate for public access and charitable uses, to bring leadership to guide the Foundation through future growth that opens the gates of the Estate to the community and brings access and recognition of this Central Coast historical landmark, preserving it for future generations. Fundraising, donor relations, program development, volunteer management, facility management, public relations, community involvement, administrative systems, and Board leadership, we are looking for a leader with vision, energy, and creativity to further the Foundation's achievement of these lofty goals.