Carnahan-Jackson Foundation
The Carnahan-Jackson Foundation is a private foundation based in Erie, Pennsylvania. It supports charitable and educational organizations, including eligible 501(c)(3) and religious organizations, with a stated geographic emphasis on Chautauqua County and organizations located in or serving the Jamestown, New York area.
Carnahan-Jackson Foundation at a glance
In short: Carnahan-Jackson Foundation gave $754K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), mostly in New York. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $754,023
- +35.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- -13.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $29,001
- +56.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $8,811,774
- -4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (6 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Carnahan-Jackson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s program information says applicants should request grant guidelines and submit a written paper application. Its 2024 filing requests a letter outlining the need for the grant and a copy of the applicant’s tax-exempt status letter. The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. The filing limits awards to educational institutions and charitable organizations located in and/or serving the Jamestown, New York area.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing says applications are considered in June and September. Both periods have passed for 2026.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing says applications are considered in June and September.
- Contact
Application contact: Carnahan-Jackson Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 3326, Jamestown, NY 14701-5045
Phone: (716) 483-1015
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Carnahan-Jackson Foundation
Who Carnahan-Jackson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was New Directions Youth & Family Service Chautauqua Region Inc ($75K). Together the top 10 received $499K.
Grant Size Distribution
135 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 115 grants of 135 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The grant program identifies Chautauqua County as its geographic area. The foundation’s 2024 filing specifies eligible organizations located in and/or serving the Jamestown, New York area. In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 6% to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Carnahan-Jackson Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 26 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $33K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 120% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $551K (2021) to $766K (2023). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $754K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Directions Youth & Family Service Chautauqua Region Inc Jamestown, NY | Unrestricted- General | $75,000 |
| YWCA of Jamestown Jamestown, NY | General Fund | $70,500 |
| United Way of Southern Chautauqua Cnty Jamestown, NY | Unrestricted- General | $60,000 |
| Reg Lenna Center For The Arts Inc Jamestown, NY | Charitable Purpose | $52,500 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Jamestown Inc (WDC) Jamestown, NY | After School Programs | $50,000 |
| Feedmore Foundation of WNY Buffalo, NY | To Advance Charity's | $50,000 |
| UCAN (Uhlich Childrens Advantage Network) Chicago, IL | Charitable Purpose | $42,500 |
| Chautauqua Striders Inc Jamestown, NY | Unrestricted- General | $38,000 |
| YMCA of Jamestown Jamestown, NY | Unrestricted- General | $30,700 |
| James Prendergast Library Association Jamestown, NY | Unrestricted- General | $30,000 |
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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 | $8,811,774 | $447,637 | $901,703 | $754,023 | 26 | $768,434 | $318,542 | $640,601 |
| 2024 | $9,265,626 | $422,801 | $726,303 | $556,778 | 30 | $589,486 | $303,767 | $612,514 |
| 2023 | $9,569,904 | $563,990 | $934,801 | $766,150 | 31 | $793,004 | $509,670 | $595,692 |
| 2022 | $9,932,645 | $997,570 | $827,465 | $666,425 | 27 | $774,726 | $950,041 | $661,825 |
| 2021 | $9,783,354 | $971,550 | $696,925 | $551,290 | 21 | — | $922,005 | $611,821 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carnahan-Jackson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $641K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purposes span religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and educational work, testing for public safety, and preventing cruelty to children or animals. Its grant program identifies scholarships, libraries, basic human needs, and educational institutions as primary funding focuses.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of work. Reg Lenna Center for the Arts describes itself as presenting arts and cultural events in Jamestown. Chautauqua Striders says it mentors and guides youth through education, advocacy, and athletics; the James Prendergast Library Association provides library services to Jamestown residents. Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions involve youth arts education, nature education, meals and fellowship, and service to schools, churches, and families.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $754,023. Grant amounts ranged from $1,700 to $75,000, with a median of $25,000. Among the largest grants were $75,000 to New Directions Youth & Family Service Chautauqua Region, $70,500 to YWCA of Jamestown, $60,000 to United Way of Southern Chautauqua County, and $52,500 to Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. Other substantial awards included $50,000 each to the Boys & Girls Club of Jamestown and FeedMore Foundation of WNY, and $42,500 to UCAN in Chicago.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Northwest Bank is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
Carnahan-Jackson Foundation's only listed officer is Northwest Bank, Trustee on every filing since 2021 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Northwest Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2021
8 hrs/week
$28K (2021) → $29K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $29K, to Northwest Bank (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Carnahan-Jackson Foundation
How much does Carnahan-Jackson Foundation give each year?
Carnahan-Jackson Foundation gave $754K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $557K across 30 grants.
What is Carnahan-Jackson Foundation's typical grant size?
Carnahan-Jackson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $29,001, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Carnahan-Jackson Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Carnahan-Jackson Foundation give grants?
Carnahan-Jackson Foundation gives mostly in New York: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Jamestown, NY (16 grants) and Buffalo, NY (2 grants).
Does Carnahan-Jackson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of Carnahan-Jackson Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Carnahan-Jackson Foundation's largest grantees?
Carnahan-Jackson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include New Directions Youth & Family Service Chautauqua Region Inc ($75,000), YWCA of Jamestown ($70,500) and United Way of Southern Chautauqua Cnty ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Carnahan-Jackson Foundation?
Carnahan-Jackson Foundation reported $8.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $768K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $641K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Carnahan-Jackson Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purposes span religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and educational work, testing for public safety, and preventing cruelty to children or animals. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carnahan-Jackson Foundation?
The foundation’s program information says applicants should request grant guidelines and submit a written paper application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Carnahan-Jackson Foundation's EIN?
Carnahan-Jackson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-6151608. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 12, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Carnahan-Jackson Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Carnahan-Jackson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/carnahan-jackson-foundation-morg_02ce11bacb9d401f942e4c875d1c071f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_166151608_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Carnahan-Jackson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/carnahan-jackson-foundation-morg_02ce11bacb9d401f942e4c875d1c071f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Carnahan-Jackson 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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