BP Lester & Regina John Foundation
The BP Lester & Regina John Foundation is a private foundation based in Portland, Oregon. Its 2025 grants went primarily to Oregon organizations, including Catholic schools, social-service providers, and other charitable organizations.
BP Lester & Regina John Foundation at a glance
In short: BP Lester & Regina John Foundation gave $2.0M across 79 grants in 2025 (avg $25K), mostly in Oregon. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,000,625
- +17.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 79
- -2.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $25,324
- +20.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $39,216,885
- +9.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (5 of 79, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (92% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to BP Lester & Regina John Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3439 Ne Sandy Blvd 258, Portland, OR 97232
Phone: (503) 223-4590
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who BP Lester & Regina John Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Mary's Academy ($140K). Together the top 10 received $882K.
Grant Size Distribution
427 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 370 grants of 427 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oregon, 5% to California, 1% to New York, 1% to Washington, and less than 1% to Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 79 itemized grants.
Cities
Is BP Lester & Regina John Foundation open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 79 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $24K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2020) to $2.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 79 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Academy Portland, OR | General Operating Support | $140,000 |
| Blanchet House of Hospitality Portland, OR | General Operating Support | $125,000 |
| La Salle Catholic College Preparatory Milwaukie, OR | General Operating Support | $122,600 |
| Central Catholic High School Portland, OR | General Operating Support | $110,000 |
| Society of St Vincent De Paul - Portland Council Portland, OR | General Operating Support | $100,000 |
| Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA | General Operating Support | $75,000 |
| Project Lemonade Portland, OR | General Operating Support | $57,000 |
| De La Salle North Catholic High School Portland, OR | General Operating Support | $51,000 |
| St Andrew Nativity School Portland, OR | General Operating Support | $51,000 |
| American Red Cross Portland, OR | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $39,216,885 | $7,495,029 | $2,640,928 | $2,000,625 | 79 | $2,245,710 | $6,758,341 | $2,474,440 |
| 2024 | $35,968,417 | $3,648,213 | $2,203,022 | $1,706,165 | 81 | $1,774,432 | $2,778,947 | $2,151,782 |
| 2023 | $34,448,528 | $933,576 | $2,273,620 | $1,804,135 | 80 | $1,949,589 | $414,311 | $1,843,696 |
| 2022 | $35,777,446 | $1,299,746 | $2,400,387 | $1,932,793 | 90 | $2,084,851 | $1,302,018 | $1,906,381 |
| 2021 | $36,917,772 | $3,830,649 | $2,097,040 | $1,687,750 | 97 | $1,800,147 | $3,594,202 | $2,066,107 |
| 2020 | $35,277,310 | $1,948,657 | $1,978,802 | $1,623,250 | 103 | — | $1,314,996 | $1,870,375 |
| 2019 | $35,176,241 | $2,205,938 | $2,209,453 | $1,849,319 | 108 | — | $1,846,981 | $1,861,230 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, BP Lester & Regina John Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.5M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations working in education, hunger relief, homelessness services, and youth programs. For example, Blanchet House of Hospitality describes its mission as offering food, shelter, and aid to people in need; Oregon Food Bank says it works to eliminate hunger and its causes; and Project Lemonade describes supporting youth aging out of care through outreach, resources, and basic-needs funding. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 79 grants totaling $2,000,625. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $140,000, with a median grant of $15,000. The largest awards included $140,000 to St. Mary’s Academy, $125,000 to Blanchet House of Hospitality, $122,600 to La Salle Catholic College Preparatory, and $110,000 to Central Catholic High School. Each was listed for general operating support.
Other notable 2025 grants included $100,000 to Society of St Vincent de Paul - Portland Council; $75,000 to Santa Clara University; $57,000 to Project Lemonade; and $50,000 each to American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, and Oregon Food Bank.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary E Graves and Suzann Baricevic Murphy as directors, and Melissa Hartnell as president/secretary.
BP Lester & Regina John Foundation is led by Melissa Hartnell, President & Secretary on every filing since 2019; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Melissa Hartnell
President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$120K (2019) → $203K (2025)
Mary E. Graves
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzann Baricevic Murphy
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Sr Joan Hansen Snjm (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Susan Baricevic Murphy (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Mary Amstad (2019–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $203K, to Melissa Hartnell (President/Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about BP Lester & Regina John Foundation
How much does BP Lester & Regina John Foundation give each year?
BP Lester & Regina John Foundation gave $2.0M across 79 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 81 grants.
What is BP Lester & Regina John Foundation's typical grant size?
BP Lester & Regina John Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $25,324, across 79 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from BP Lester & Regina John Foundation that year got $23K on average.
Where does BP Lester & Regina John Foundation give grants?
BP Lester & Regina John Foundation gives mostly in Oregon: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, OR (54 grants), Lake Oswego, OR (4 grants), Milwaukie, OR (2 grants) and Vancouver, WA (2 grants).
Does BP Lester & Regina John Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of BP Lester & Regina John Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (79 of 79) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are BP Lester & Regina John Foundation's largest grantees?
BP Lester & Regina John Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Mary's Academy ($140,000), Blanchet House of Hospitality ($125,000) and La Salle Catholic College Preparatory ($122,600), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is BP Lester & Regina John Foundation?
BP Lester & Regina John Foundation reported $39.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does BP Lester & Regina John Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations working in education, hunger relief, homelessness services, and youth programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from BP Lester & Regina John Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is BP Lester & Regina John Foundation's EIN?
BP Lester & Regina John Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7110263. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does BP Lester & Regina John Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 28, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
Live grants for the work BP Lester & Regina John Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). BP Lester & Regina John Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bp-lester-and-regina-john-foundation-morg_8a8ecf81948d4f1c98974b4a21d3365d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237110263_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{BP Lester \& Regina John Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bp-lester-and-regina-john-foundation-morg_8a8ecf81948d4f1c98974b4a21d3365d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 BP Lester & Regina John Foundation'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.
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