Brown Family Foundation Inc
Brown Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Butler, Maryland. Its 2025 filing reports 24 grants totaling $358,000 to charitable organizations, including schools, food-access organizations, and environmental and community groups.
Key facts about Brown Family Foundation Inc
In short: Brown Family Foundation Inc gave $358K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in Maryland. 4% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 52-2156982
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $358,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- Average grant
- $14,917
- Median grant
- $9,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (1 of 24, 2025)
- Total assets
- $723,807
- Primary geography
- Maryland (92% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$724K
-34.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$358K
-2.2% YoY
Grant Count
24
+4.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
-6.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Brown Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $339K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Brown Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 24 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 37% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including education, food access, environmental conservation, community health, economic independence, and animal rescue. These are grantees’ activities, not stated priorities of the foundation.
For example, First Fruits Farm says it raises and distributes fresh produce to shelters, soup kitchens, and food banks. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation describes its mission as saving the Bay. KIPP Baltimore says it operates public schools intended to help students from low socioeconomic backgrounds attend and succeed in four-year colleges. Healthy Peninsula says it works with community partners to improve health in towns on the Blue Hill Peninsula, Deer Isle, and Stonington.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 24 grants totaling $358,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $60,000, with a median of $9,000. Among the largest reported grants were $60,000 each to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and First Fruits Farm; $40,000 to Chesapeake Bay Foundation; and $30,000 to KIPP Baltimore. The filing lists these grants as unrestricted. Other listed grants included $20,000 to Valleys Planning Council and $15,000 each to Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust and Saint Ignatius Loyola Academy.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland, 7% to recipients in Maine, and 2% to recipients in Connecticut. These reported shares total 101%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $221K (2020) to $366K (2024). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $358K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cristo Ray Jesuit High School ($60K). Together the top 10 received $274K.
Grant Size Distribution
127 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 123 grants of 127 (97%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cristo Ray Jesuit High School Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $60,000 |
| First Fruits Farm Inc Freeland, MD | Unrestricted | $60,000 |
| Chesapeake Bay Foundation Annapolis, MD | Unrestricted | $40,000 |
| Kipp Baltimore Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $30,000 |
| Valleys Planning Council Inc Towson, MD | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust Inc Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Saint Ignatius Loyola Academy Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Healthy Peninsula Blue Hill, ME | Unrestricted | $14,000 |
| Green Spring Valley Garden Club Owings Mills, MD | Johnston Square | $10,000 |
| Irvine Nature Center Inc Owings Mills, MD | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $723,807 | $71,370 | $362,614 | $358,000 |
| 2024 | $1,096,500 | $110,269 | $372,442 | $366,000 |
| 2023 | $1,643,499 | $107,190 | $263,432 | $257,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $723,807 | $1,096,500 | $1,643,499 |
| Revenue | $71,370 | $110,269 | $107,190 |
| Expenses | $362,614 | $372,442 | $263,432 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $360,370 | $368,350 | $259,300 |
| Net Investment Income | $104,677 | $108,119 | $105,168 |
| Distributable Amount | $339,078 | $315,962 | $266,406 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 1, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 5, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists J Dorsey Brown III as Director/President/Treasurer and J Dorsey Brown IV as Director/Vice President/Secretary.
Brown Family Foundation Inc is led by J. Dorsey Brown III, Director, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
J. Dorsey Brown III
Director, President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J. Dorsey Brown IV
Director, Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 19, Butler, MD 21023
Phone: (410) 370-5266
Frequently asked questions about Brown Family Foundation Inc
How much does Brown Family Foundation Inc give each year?
Brown Family Foundation Inc gave $358K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $366K across 23 grants.
What is Brown Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Brown Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $9,000, and its average grant was $14,917, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Brown Family Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.
Where does Brown Family Foundation Inc give grants?
Brown Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in Maryland: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Maine (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baltimore, MD (7 grants), Owings Mills, MD (3 grants), Blue Hill, ME (2 grants) and Reisterstown, MD (2 grants).
Does Brown Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 83% of Brown Family Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Brown Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Brown Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Cristo Ray Jesuit High School ($60,000), First Fruits Farm Inc ($60,000) and Chesapeake Bay Foundation ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Brown Family Foundation Inc?
Brown Family Foundation Inc reported $724K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $360K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $339K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Brown Family Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including education, food access, environmental conservation, community health, economic independence, and animal rescue. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Brown Family Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Brown Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
Brown Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2156982. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Brown Family Foundation Inc 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.
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