Denton Family Charitable Foundation

HARRISONBURG, VA EIN: 54-1349360 Website

The Denton Family Charitable Foundation is a private foundation established in 1985 and based in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It is a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN 54-1349360. The foundation was established by E. Warren Denton, Jr. to provide opportunities for people to better themselves and improve their quality of life across spiritual, educational, social, and economic dimensions.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.6M

-0.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$70K

-12.5% YoY

Grant Count

-39.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

+44.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Denton Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $77K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation concentrates on five major areas:

Community
Education
Church
Athletics
The Arts (particularly music)

The foundation also supports a number of smaller programs, reflecting the founder's belief that private programs are often more effective than government programs. Specific funding interests include fire rescue services, youth golf programs, welfare for elderly and disabled individuals, volunteer rescue squads, veteran services, animal shelters, and mentor programs for children.

Grantmaking

The foundation made 46 grants in 2024. Grant amounts typically range from $100 to $30,670, with recent notable grants including:

Ready to take the next step with Denton Family Charitable Foundation?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation focuses its charitable efforts primarily in the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Virginia, where five generations of the Denton family have resided. The foundation also makes grants in West Virginia.

Grant Distribution by State

Virginia $363K (99%)

Florida $2K (0%)

Minnesota $2K (0%)

Georgia $1K (0%)

Maryland $500 (0%)

West Virginia $400 (0%)

Massachusetts $250 (0%)

Illinois $100 (0%)

+1 more states

States

Florida Georgia Illinois Massachusetts Maryland Minnesota Virginia Wisconsin West Virginia

Cities

AlexandriaArlingtonBaltimoreBergtonBig IslandBrandywineBridgewaterBristowBrookfieldBrooklineCharlottsvilleChicagoChurchvilleClarksvilleDaytonEdinburgElktonFranklinFree UnionGrottoes

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

2024 Financial Data:

Total Assets: $1,558,224
Total Revenues: $165,089
Total Expenses: $220,944
Total Giving: $70,021

The foundation is endowed by the generosity of founder E. Warren Denton, Jr., though additional revenues are needed to continue supporting its charitable programs. All donations to the foundation are tax-deductible charitable contributions.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$1,558,224	$1,562,590	$1,520,640
Revenue	$165,089	$124,182	$219,065
Expenses	$220,944	$204,471	$210,704
Qualifying Distributions	$211,782	$195,417	$202,783
Net Investment Income	$98,492	$61,542	$157,479
Distributable Amount	$77,467	$74,272	$77,974

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

221 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from Denton Family Charitable Foundation

Foundation

Denton Family Foundation Grant

DENTON FAMILY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Explore More Discovery Museum ($30,670), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-rockingham County ($6,000), Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance ($5,001).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ANY GIVEN CHILD SHENANDOAH VALLEY HARRISONBURG, VA	ARTS	$1,500
ASSOCIATION OF FUNDRAISING VIRGINIA SHENANDOAH CHAPTER HARRISONBURG, VA	FUNDRAISING	$1,000
BEACH GROVE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH HARRISONBURG, VA	CHURCH	$500
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF HARRISONBURG-ROCKINGHAM COUNTY HARRISONBURG, VA	MENTOR CHILDREN	$6,000
BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH HARRISONBURG, VA	CHURCH	$300
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB HARRISONBURG, VA	MENTOR CHILDREN	$750
BREAKING FREE TIMBERVILLE, VA	VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS	$200
CHRIST FELLOWSHIP HARRISONBURG, VA	CHURCH	$100
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HARRISONBURG, VA	ASSIST NONPROFIT IN COMMUNITY	$2,500
EXPLORE MORE DISCOVERY MUSEUM HARRISONBURG, VA	MUSEUM FOR CHILDREN	$30,670

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board of Directors:

Terri Lynn Denton — President/Executive Director
E. Warren Denton, III (Tripp) — Secretary/Treasurer
Linda Denton — Tournament Director

Terri Lynn Denton receives compensation of $24,000 annually.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
TERRI DENTON	PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	5	$24,000
E WARREN DENTON III	SECRETARY/TREASURER	—	—
LINDA DENTON	DIRECTOR	1	$13,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2024

In 2024, the Denton Family Foundation received a Corporate Philanthropist Award, recognizing outstanding commitment to philanthropy through financial support, community involvement, and encouraging others to take leadership roles in philanthropy.

Denton Family Foundation donates $42,000 check to Mercy House

2025

The foundation has donated over half a million dollars to local nonprofit organizations in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. The 2025 Denton Golf Classic is scheduled for Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at Lakeview Golf Club, with Mercy House, Inc. designated as the beneficiary.

Denton Family Foundation donates $42,000 check to Mercy House

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Denton Family Charitable Foundation fund?

The foundation's mission is to help people attain their highest potential in areas of spiritual, educational, social, and economic life, and to assist in their efforts to become independent and self-sufficient. The foundation concentrates on five major areas: • Community • Education • Church • Athletics • The Arts (particularly music) The foundation also supports a number of smaller programs, reflecting the founder's belief that private programs are often more effective than government programs…

How do I apply for a grant from Denton Family Charitable Foundation?

The foundation made 46 grants in 2024. Grant amounts typically range from $100 to $30,670, with recent notable grants including: • Explore More Discovery Museum: $30,670 (2024) • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg Rockingham County: $6,000 (2024) • Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance: $5,001 (2024) The foundation also operates specific grant programs including support for churches (averaging $985), hospitals and healthcare ($450 average), fire rescue ($180 average), high schools ($567 avera…

Where does Denton Family Charitable Foundation make grants?

What size grants does Denton Family Charitable Foundation award?

In 2024, Denton Family Charitable Foundation awarded 35 grants totaling $70K — an average of about $2K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Denton Family Charitable Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Denton Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $77K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Denton Family Charitable Foundation's EIN?

Denton Family Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1349360. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.