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Missouri · Private foundation

James S McDonnell Foundation

Its FY2024 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$30M
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
82
Grants FY2024
1
Organizations funded FY2023
100%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2024
$120,000
Largest grant, FY2024
$5,120,000
Organizations funded a year
1 to 58
FY2020 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
10
Total assets, FY2024
$457M
Applications
Takes unsolicited applications
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 100% of the organizations James S McDonnell Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 100% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 0% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $953 went to new ones.

50%100%’21’22’23
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’21’22’23
EducationScience & TechOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2024still arriving43$30M91%
FY20231$953100%
FY202253$23M21%
FY202154$21M28%
FY202058$20Mn/a
99% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2024.

Education$41MPhilanthropy$20MScience & Tech$11MRecreation & Sports$6.6MHealth$5.8MCommunity Improvement$3.6MHuman Services$2.8MCivil Rights$2.0MOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

ME
NH
WA
IL
WI
MI
NY
MA
OR
IA
IN
PA
NJ
CT
CA
CO
MO
WV
VA
DE
AZ
NM
SC
DC
LA
GA
TX

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2020 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
The Jsm Charitable Trust$19,545,8793100%
Forest Park Forever Inc$5,120,000112%
Temple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education$2,469,78840%
Federation of American Scientists$2,250,00018%
University of California- Davis$2,206,2793n/a
Biostl$2,160,564112%
University of Washington$1,992,1854n/a
Indiana University School of Medicine$1,933,4253n/a
Carnegie Mellon University$1,766,45430%
University of Pittsburgh$1,726,25430%
Show all 69 grantees
All grantees of James S McDonnell Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
The Jsm Charitable Trust$19,545,8793100%
Forest Park Forever Inc$5,120,000112%
Temple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education$2,469,78840%
Federation of American Scientists$2,250,00018%
University of California- Davis$2,206,2793n/a
Biostl$2,160,564112%
University of Washington$1,992,1854n/a
Indiana University School of Medicine$1,933,4253n/a
Carnegie Mellon University$1,766,45430%
University of Pittsburgh$1,726,25430%
University of Delaware$1,593,09730%
Northwestern University$1,444,03730%
Washington University$1,440,92740%
Santa Fe Institute$1,226,86122%
Neighborhood Solidarity Fund$1,185,500126%
Davis & Elkins College$1,160,00013%
Small Business Empowerment Center$1,000,000132%
Habitat for Humanity - St Louis$900,000113%
Wepower$662,539120%
Regents of the University of Michigan$595,6192n/a
St Louis Science Center Foundation$575,00017%
Goalsetter Foundation Inc$454,000115%
The Trustees of Princeton University$450,00020%
University of Arizona$449,5691n/a
Yale University$350,0003n/a
Entrepreneur Startup Business Development Corporation$350,000110%
New York University$305,00030%
Missouri Historical Society$303,50011%
Regents of the University of Colorado$300,0261n/a
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai$291,10220%
International Institute of Metropolitan St Louis$275,00011%
St Louis University$255,89710%
Rochester Institute of Technology$250,00020%
University of Michigan$250,000247%
The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund$250,00020%
University of Texas at El Paso$250,0002n/a
St Louis Life Sciences Project$225,00014%
Most Policy Initiative$202,5511n/a
California Institute of Technology$200,00010%
Yale University$200,0001n/a
Pomona College$200,00010%
Cornell University$200,00020%
National Academy of Sciences$200,00010%
Nus America Foundation Inc$200,00023%
Cortex$200,00012%
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri Inc$157,26411%
Skidmore College$150,00010%
Trustees of Boston College$116,26810%
The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital$110,00010%
The Trustees of Mount Holyoke College$100,00010%
University of Richmond$100,00010%
The Broad Institute Inc$100,00010%
The President and Trustees of Colby College$100,00010%
University of Chicago$100,00010%
Occidental College$100,00010%
Colgate University$100,00010%
Wellesley College$100,00010%
The Clark-Fox Family Foundation$75,000125%
Harris-Stowe Foundation Inc$72,00014%
Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships Incorporated$67,00012%
Paraquad Inc$41,43910%
A Red Circle$40,00012%
Love the Lou$40,00014%
Council on Foundations Inc$38,00020%
Healthcare Anchor Network Inc$35,00011%
The Jayson Tatum Foundation$25,00013%
St Louis American Foundation$15,00013%
St Louis Integrated Health Network$13,81310%
Ivy Foundation of St Louis$3,00011%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 55 recipients with no EIN on record ($32M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

James S McDonnell Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 5 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 59 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetThe Jsm Charitable Trust: $19,545,879 over 3y, 100% of budgetForest Park Forever Inc: $5,120,000 over 1y, 12% of budgetTemple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education: $2,469,788 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetFederation of American Scientists: $2,250,000 over 1y, 7.6% of budgetBiostl: $2,160,564 over 1y, 12% of budgetCarnegie Mellon University: $1,766,454 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetUniversity of Pittsburgh: $1,726,254 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetUniversity of Delaware: $1,593,097 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNorthwestern University: $1,444,037 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetWashington University: $1,440,927 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetSanta Fe Institute: $1,226,861 over 2y, 2.1% of budgetNeighborhood Solidarity Fund: $1,185,500 over 1y, 26% of budgetDavis & Elkins College: $1,160,000 over 1y, 3.1% of budgetSmall Business Empowerment Center: $1,000,000 over 1y, 32% of budgetHabitat for Humanity - St Louis: $900,000 over 1y, 13% of budgetWepower: $662,539 over 1y, 20% of budgetSt Louis Science Center Foundation: $575,000 over 1y, 7.1% of budgetGoalsetter Foundation Inc: $454,000 over 1y, 15% of budgetThe Trustees of Princeton University: $450,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetEntrepreneur Startup Business Development Corporation: $350,000 over 1y, 10% of budgetNew York University: $305,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetMissouri Historical Society: $303,500 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: $291,102 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetInternational Institute of Metropolitan St Louis: $275,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetSt Louis University: $255,897 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetRochester Institute of Technology: $250,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetUniversity of Michigan: $250,000 over 2y, 47% of budgetThe Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund: $250,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSt Louis Life Sciences Project: $225,000 over 1y, 3.7% of budgetCalifornia Institute of Technology: $200,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPomona College: $200,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCornell University: $200,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetNational Academy of Sciences: $200,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNus America Foundation Inc: $200,000 over 2y, 3.1% of budgetCortex: $200,000 over 1y, 1.6% of budgetLegal Services of Eastern Missouri Inc: $157,264 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetSkidmore College: $150,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTrustees of Boston College: $116,268 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital: $110,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetThe Trustees of Mount Holyoke College: $100,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetUniversity of Richmond: $100,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Broad Institute Inc: $100,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe President and Trustees of Colby College: $100,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUniversity of Chicago: $100,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetOccidental College: $100,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetColgate University: $100,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWellesley College: $100,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Clark-Fox Family Foundation: $75,000 over 1y, 25% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 59.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

St Louis Community Foundation IncMO41.8× affinity19 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: St Louis Community Foundation Inc · United Way of Greater St Louis Inc · Washington University · Wells Fargo Foundation · Bjc Health System Dba Bjc Healthcare · St Louis Community Foundation · Commerce Bancshares Foundation · Enterprise Holdings Foundation · Regional Business Council · Trio Foundation of St Louis · Centene Foundation · Mac Five Foundation Inc

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare James S McDonnell Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to James S McDonnell Foundation?

Find your warmest path to James S McDonnell Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About James S McDonnell Foundation

How much does James S McDonnell Foundation give?
James S McDonnell Foundation reported 82 grants totaling $30,094,150 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 1 and 58 organizations a year over FY2020 to FY2023.
What does James S McDonnell Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2020 to FY2024, its largest causes are Education (33%), Philanthropy (16%), Science & Tech (9%).
Who are James S McDonnell Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2020 to FY2024: The Jsm Charitable Trust ($20M), Forest Park Forever Inc ($5.1M), Temple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education ($2.5M).
Does James S McDonnell Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 100% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does James S McDonnell Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it accepts unsolicited grant applications.
Which funders back the same organizations as James S McDonnell Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include St Louis Community Foundation Inc, United Way of Greater St Louis Inc, Washington University.
Where is James S McDonnell Foundation based?
James S McDonnell Foundation is based in MO.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 130 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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