American University
American University is a Washington, DC-based university and a public charity. Founded in 1893, it carries out its educational mission through instruction, research, scholarships and fellowships, and public-service activities.
American University at a glance
In short: American University gave $7.5M across 53 grants in 2025 (avg $141K), top state District of Columbia. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $7,488,865
- +50.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 53
- -7.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $141,299
- +62.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $72,238
- Total assets
- $2,593,159,529
- +4.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (16 of 53, 2025)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (25% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to American University
- Contact
Mailing address: 4400 Massachusetts Ave Nw, Washington, DC 20016-8020
Phone: (202) 885-2822
Website: https://american.edu
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who American University funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The General Hospital Corporation ($927K). Together the top 10 received $4.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
224 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 224 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in DC (25%), Maryland (13%), North Carolina (13%), Colorado (10%), and Texas (8%). These are the leading recipient-state shares reported in the filing, not stated geographic eligibility priorities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 53 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is American University open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 53 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $62K; repeat grants $176K. How we count
Medians: $26K first-time, $106K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.0M (2021) to $7.5M (2025). In 2025 it made 53 grants totaling $7.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The General Hospital Corporation Chapel Hill, NC | Subaward | $927,176 |
| Georgetown University Baltimore, MD | Subaward | $618,551 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology Denver, CO | Subaward | $571,856 |
| MD Institute College of Art Fort Lauderdale, FL | Subaward | $512,657 |
| Johns Hopkins University Washington, DC | Subaward | $450,075 |
| The Ohio State University Washington, DC | Subaward | $396,025 |
| The George Washington University Houston, TX | Subaward | $353,426 |
| Morgan State University Washington, DC | Subaward | $336,163 |
| The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois Lexington, KY | Subaward | $260,638 |
| Regents of the University of California Davis Providence, RI | Subaward | $248,342 |
Ready to take the next step with American University?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,593,159,529 | $929,602,491 | $942,997,702 | $7,488,865 | 53 | $88,190,479 |
| 2024 | $2,475,986,197 | $937,058,878 | $918,431,551 | $4,962,652 | 57 | $89,582,136 |
| 2023 | $2,414,730,149 | $933,862,010 | $912,489,179 | $4,247,231 | 47 | $83,318,648 |
| 2022 | $2,349,689,128 | $997,808,443 | $864,229,056 | $2,027,180 | 35 | $128,304,859 |
| 2021 | $2,420,807,502 | $777,986,841 | $729,092,455 | $1,950,539 | 32 | $89,055,647 |
| 2020 | $2,059,436,434 | $862,369,744 | $794,127,433 | $2,376,515 | 25 | $61,438,604 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The university states that its mission is “to advance knowledge, foster intellectual curiosity, build community, and empower lives of purpose, service, and leadership.” Its filing describes work in instruction, research and technical assistance, student financial aid, and public service.
The filing characterizes AU as a private university with a public responsibility and describes community-based learning and research, local partnerships, and service activities. Among the outside organizations it supported in 2025 was FRESHFARM MARKETS, which received $92,201. FRESHFARM describes its own mission as building a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient Mid-Atlantic food system through community partnerships, food-access programs, farmers markets, and hands-on education.
The Eagle Endowment offers AU students and student groups grants of $100 to $1,000, along with a year of mentorship, for social-action projects. The university says students across its undergraduate, graduate, and Washington College of Law programs may apply. The website describes applications as accepted year-round and reviewed three times annually. This program is for AU participants, not outside applicants.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, AU reported 53 grants totaling $7,488,865. Grants ranged from $6,155 to $927,176, with a median of $72,238. The largest listed grants were described as subawards:
The filing lists additional subawards to universities and other institutions. The website’s student financial-aid programs, including AU Grants, are described as support for enrolled students rather than grants for outside applicants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists CHARLES H LYDECKER as chair as of May 2025 and vice chair through May 2025, and GAURDIE BANISTER JR as vice chair as of May 2025. It also lists JANICE M ABRAHAM, SALLY AMORUSO, STEPHANIE M BENNETT-SMITH, JACK C CASSELL, DEBRA K DECKER, and PAMELA M DEESE as trustees. GINA F ADAMS is listed as chair and trustee through May 2025; WESLEY G BUSH is listed as trustee through May 2025.
American University is led by Jonathan R. Alger, President on the 2025 filing; 22 of 51 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jonathan R. Alger
President
New on the 2025 filing
50 hrs/week
$515K (2025)
Charles H. Lydecker
Chair
Trustee - → Vice Chair, 2024
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gina F. Adams
Chair & Trustee
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
Chair → Chair & Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alan L. Meltzer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Betsy A. Mangone
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fernando Lewis Navarro
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gerald Bruce Lee
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hani Ms Farsi
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jack C. Cassell
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janice M. Abraham
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey A. Sine
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marc N. Duber
Trustee
Chair → Chair -, 2023
Chair - → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margery Kraus
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mehdi Heravi
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael W. Kempner
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pamela M. Deese
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie M. Bennett-Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Korey Neal Sr.
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew S. Pittinsky
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wesley G. Bush
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sally Amoruso
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy V. Kothari
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Reverend Latrelle Easterling
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Victoria C. Harker
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debra K. Decker
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert W. Johnson
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roland Fernandes
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven G. Poskanzer
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Courtney Surls
Former Vice President Development & Alum Rel.
Vice President Development & Alumni Rel → Vice President Development & Alum Rel., 2024
Vice President Development & Alum Rel. → Former Vice President Development & Alum Rel., 2025
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$419K (2020) → $458K (2025)
Matthew Bennett
Vice President & Chief Communications
Vice President & Chief Communications Officer → Vice President & Chief Communications, 2024
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$138K (2020) → $558K (2025)
Seth Grossman
Lecturer, Former Vice President, Ppl & Ext. Affairs
Vice President of People & External Affairs → Vice President Ppl. & Ext. Affairs, 2024
Vice President Ppl. & Ext. Affairs → Lecturer, Former Vice President, Ppl & Ext. Affairs, 2025
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$332K (2020) → $521K (2025)
Steve Munson
Vice President & CIO
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$244K (2021) → $397K (2025)
Sylvia M. Burwell
Dist. Fellow & Former President
President → Dist. Fellow & Former President, 2025
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$1M (2020) → $1.5M (2025)
Traevena L. Byrd
Vice President, Uni. Counsel & Bot Secretary
Vice President, Uni. Counsel & Bot Secretary → Vice President, General Counsel & Bot Secretary, 2022
Vice President, General Counsel & Bot Secretary → Vice President, Uni. Counsel & Bot Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$361K (2020) → $599K (2025)
Claudio Grossman
Professor
On filings since 2021
50 hrs/week
$446K (2021) → $503K (2025)
Erdal Tekin
Professor
On filings since 2021
50 hrs/week
$359K (2021) → $430K (2025)
Peter Starr
Prof., Former Provost & CAO
Provost & Chief Academic Officer → Prof. & Former Chief Academic Officer, 2024
Prof. & Former Chief Academic Officer → Prof., Former Provost & CAO, 2025
On filings since 2021
50 hrs/week
$347K (2021) → $228K (2025)
Bronte Burleigh-Jones
CFO, Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2022
50 hrs/week
$132K (2022) → $598K (2025)
Roger A. Fairfax Jr.
Former Dean & Professor
Dean & Professor → Former Dean & Professor, 2025
On filings since 2022
50 hrs/week
$280K (2022) → $259K (2025)
Parthiban David
Professor
Senior Associate Dean & Ksb → Professor, 2025
On filings since 2023
50 hrs/week
$380K (2023) → $402K (2025)
Sarah Baldassaro
Chief of Staff
Int. Vice President & Sa → Chief of Staff & Counselor, 2024
Chief of Staff & Counselor → Chief of Staff, 2025
On filings since 2023
50 hrs/week
$295K (2023) → $363K (2025)
David Marchick
Dean & Professor
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$507K (2024) → $545K (2025)
Evelyn Thimba
Vice President & Ug Enroll. Management
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$228K (2024) → $443K (2025)
Nkenge Friday
Vice President Inclusive Excel.
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$278K (2025)
Raymond Lu Ming Ou
Vice President & Student Affairs
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$185K (2024) → $376K (2025)
Vicky Wilkins
Prof. & CAO
Acting Provost & CAO → Prof. & CAO, 2025
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$445K (2024) → $627K (2025)
Daniel Luperchio
Int.vp & Uni Advisor
New on the 2025 filing
50 hrs/week
$310K (2025)
Duane Simpkins
Head Basketball Coach
New on the 2025 filing
50 hrs/week
$442K (2025)
Heather Hughes
Int. Dean Wcl
New on the 2025 filing
50 hrs/week
$340K (2025)
Gaurdie Banister Jr.
Vice Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Eynon
Vice President & Uni Advisor
New on the 2025 filing
50 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (31)
- Former: David Trone (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Robert Dinerstein (2021–2024) — Professor & Former Dean
- Former: Maria Otero (2022–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Michael Balmuth (2022–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Wendy Boland (2022–2024) — Dean Grad & Profess. Studies
- Former: Andrea Felder (2023–2024) — Int. Vice President & Ug. Enroll.
- Former: Reverend Greg Bergquist (2024) — Trustee
- Former: Sam Fulwood (2024) — Dean of Soc
- Former: Cornelius M. Kerwin (2020–2023) — Prof & President Emeritus
- Former: Douglas Kudravetz (2020–2023) — Former CFO, Vice President & Treasurer
- Former: Fanta Aw (2020–2023) — Vice President Ug Enrollment
- Former: Maril Gagen Macdonald (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Scott A. Bass (2020–2023) — Prof. & Former Provost
- Former: Heng Xu (2021–2023) — Professor
- Former: Greg Bergquist (2022–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Latrelle Easterling (2022–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy (2023) — Dean & Soe
- Former: Daniel J. Myers (2020–2022) — Former Provost & CAO
- Former: David G. Swartz (2020–2022) — Former Vice President & CIO
- Former: Gary M. Abramson (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: John Delaney (2020–2022) — Dean
- Former: Peter L. Scher (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Thomas A. Gottschalk (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Andrew Popper (2022) — Professor
- Former: James Dinegar (2022) — Special Assistant Director
- Former: Arthur J. Rothkopf (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Camille Nelson (2020–2021) — Dean & Professor
- Former: Patrick Malone (2021) — Director & Executive in Residence
- Former: Billie Jo Kaufman (2020) — Retired Law Librarian
- Former: Herman Schwartz (2020) — Retired Professor
- Former: Teresa Flannery (2020) — Former Vice President of Communications
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $1.5M, to Sylvia M Burwell (Dist. Fellow & Former President). 22 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about American University
How much does American University give each year?
American University gave $7.5M across 53 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $5.0M across 57 grants.
What is American University's typical grant size?
American University's median grant in 2025 was $72,238, and its average grant was $141,299, across 53 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from American University that year got $62K on average.
Where does American University give grants?
American University's top state is District of Columbia, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Maryland (13%) and North Carolina (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (12 grants), Baltimore, MD (3 grants), Denver, CO (2 grants) and Providence, RI (2 grants).
Does American University give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 53 grants with a stated purpose on American University's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Subaward" (53 grants).
Who are American University's largest grantees?
American University's largest 2025 grantees include The General Hospital Corporation ($927,176), Georgetown University ($618,551) and Rochester Institute of Technology ($571,856), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is American University?
American University reported $2.6B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $929.6M.
What does American University fund?
The university states that its mission is “to advance knowledge, foster intellectual curiosity, build community, and empower lives of purpose, service, and leadership.” Its filing describes work in instruction, research and technical assistance, student financial aid, and public service. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from American University?
American University has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check american.edu for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is American University's EIN?
American University's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 53-0196549. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work American University funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in American University's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). American University funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/american-university-morg_74c56beb27cf41df8bb199d2c32358eb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_530196549_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{American University funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/american-university-morg_74c56beb27cf41df8bb199d2c32358eb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from American University's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
American University down — hundreds of funders to go?