Brooks and Joan Fortune Family logo

Brooks and Joan Fortune Family

NAPLES, FL EIN: 31-1225136 Website

The Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) charitable organization established in 1987 in Indiana and now headquartered in Naples, Florida. The foundation was created to expand the philanthropic legacy of Brooks and Joan Fortune, who met in 1939 when Brooks was a young research scientist and Joan was a medical laboratory technician. Together, they contributed to the development of novel products that enabled diabetic patients to monitor glucose levels at home, laying the groundwork for modern bedside medical testing. Brooks rose through the leadership ranks at the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company to become an Executive Vice-President and Board member before his retirement in 1971. The couple was married for 49 years and had three children. While both Brooks and Joan have passed away, the foundation continues under the leadership of their family members and remains active in grantmaking across multiple states.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$12.2M

+24.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$775K

+10.2% YoY

Grant Count

86

+30.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$9K

-15.4% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary mission is to support education-related programs, with emphasis on secondary education, classroom grants, scholarship funds, and special projects. The foundation also supports programs in the arts and has demonstrated giving in human services and voluntarism.

Grantmaking

The foundation makes project-specific and program-specific grants that deliver immediate, tangible results. Recent grant activity shows typical award sizes ranging from $500 to $120,000. In fiscal year 2024, the foundation made 40 grants totaling approximately $605,100 in documented giving. Recent grants have included:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation has granted funds to organizations across multiple states, including Florida, New York, Indiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Colorado. Recent giving shows particular concentration in Florida.

Grant Distribution by State

25states
+17 more states

Cities

AikenAndoverArlingtonArvadaAthensAtlantaBartlesvilleBelfryBloomingtonBoca RatonBonita SpringsBostonBoynton BeachBradentonBrattleboroBurlingtonCambridgeCarmelCharlestonChittenden

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (as of March 2025):

  • Total Assets: $12,241,188
  • Total Revenue: $3,529,090
  • Total Expenses: $1,108,988
  • Total Giving: $775,400

Previous Year (as of March 2024):

  • Total Assets: $9,821,086
  • Total Revenues: $1,131,272
  • Total Expenses: $918,727

The foundation maintains a staff of 2 employees and is classified as a private foundation (NTEE code T20).

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$970K$2M$3M$4M202020212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$12,241,188$9,821,086$9,608,541
Revenue$3,529,090$1,131,272$1,029,918
Expenses$1,108,988$918,727$1,064,637
Qualifying Distributions$839,816$750,460$901,235
Net Investment Income$400,215$991,321$888,097
Distributable Amount$1,080,445$829,942$769,411

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$208K$417K$625K$834K21 grants202040 grants202149 grants202277 grants202366 grants202486 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

CONSERVANCY OF SOUTHWEST…$95KTHE NAPLES PLAYERS INC$50KDAVIDS TABLE INC$40KINTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR…$40KCROWN HILL HERITAGE FOUN…$26KTHE WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP …$26KJOHN KNOX PRESBYTERIAN C…$25KTHE SHELTER FOR ABUSED W…$25KWILLSBORO CENTRAL SCHOOL$23KNATIONAL CERT ASSOCIATIO…$15K

Grant Size Distribution

239 grants across all recorded years

228<$50K11$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from Brooks and Joan Fortune Family

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is led by Dr. John Fortune, with his wife Jan serving as Vice President. The board comprises the couple's grandchildren. Tina Killoran serves as Executive Director and is the only non-family member involved in the foundation's operations. Killoran oversees all aspects of grant administration, from initial applications through final board decisions.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
JOHN B FORTUNE MDPRESIDENT4
JANELLEN FORTUNEVICE PRESIDENT4
JENNIFER FLANIGANDIRECTOR2
STEPHANIE ZAISERSECRETARY/TREASURER2
LENOIR EDWARD ZAISER IVDIRECTOR2
ERIN HUDGINSDIRECTOR2
CORIE CULPDIRECTOR2
NEELY FORTUNEDIRECTOR2
BROOKS FORTUNEDIRECTOR2
TINA KILLORANEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR15

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has been recognized for its approach to precision philanthropy, focusing on program-specific grants that deliver measurable impact. The foundation has supported educational initiatives including scholarships for food service students and fellowships for policy research. The foundation maintains an active grantmaking program with one live grant opportunity listed as of recent reporting.

Brooks And Joan Fortune Family Foundation Inc - Full Filing

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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