Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a public charity based in Saint Louis, Missouri, founded in 1998. It is an independent nonprofit dedicated to plant science, supporting research and related scientific activities intended to improve the human condition.
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center at a glance
In short: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center gave $6.4M across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $229K), top state Kansas. 7% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,423,011
- -10.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- -9.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $229,393
- -1.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $163,071
- Total assets
- $625,668,262
- +3.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (2 of 28, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Kansas (19% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
- Contact
Mailing address: 975 North Warson Road, Saint Louis, MO 63132
Phone: (314) 587-1000
Website: https://danforthcenter.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Who Donald Danforth Plant Science Center funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Kansas ($882K). Together the top 10 received $4.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
131 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 34 grants of 131 (26%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Center is based in Saint Louis, Missouri, and its 2024 grants went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares of grant dollars went to Kansas (19%), California (18%), Illinois (12%), Missouri (11%), and Michigan (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Donald Danforth Plant Science Center open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 28 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $367K; repeat grants $219K. How we count
Medians: $367K first-time, $122K repeat.
- 86% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−7%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $6.4M (2024) to $7.6M (2019). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $6.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Kansas Lawrence, KS | Research | $881,742 |
| Leland Stanford Junior University Palo Alto, CA | Research | $796,710 |
| University of Illinois Champaign, IL | Research | $477,329 |
| Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | Research | $468,409 |
| University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI | Research | $388,146 |
| Washington State University Pullman, WA | Research | $363,364 |
| University of California Berkeley, CA | Research | $353,564 |
| University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN | Research | $339,011 |
| Arizona Board of Regents Tucson, AZ | Research | $312,137 |
| Purdue University West Lafayette, IN | Research | $300,800 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $625,668,262 | $63,779,784 | $67,771,092 | $6,423,011 | 28 | $20,405,529 |
| 2023 | $602,402,435 | $65,680,473 | $64,163,875 | $7,183,851 | 31 | $17,607,431 |
| 2022 | $583,977,985 | $48,059,784 | $59,342,714 | $7,002,610 | 28 | $402,866 |
| 2021 | $656,600,635 | $194,606,406 | $52,923,078 | $6,885,444 | 22 | $42,436,699 |
| 2020 | $503,520,795 | $58,321,490 | $49,816,083 | $7,505,072 | 22 | $-64,709 |
| 2019 | $454,804,788 | $54,968,873 | $52,132,116 | $7,572,632 | 25 | $9,708,702 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Center’s mission is to “improve the human condition through plant science.” Its vision includes feeding the hungry, improving human health, preserving and renewing the environment, and enhancing the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science.
Its research areas include crop improvement; sustainable bioenergy; metabolic systems and synthetic biology; and biotic and abiotic interactions. The Center also reports work on crops including cassava, teff, and cowpea, and on mosses, perennials, and cover crops.
The 2024 filing describes the Center’s endowment as funding research and other scientific activities in line with its mission. Its 2024 grants largely supported research at universities and other organizations. For example, the University of Kansas received a grant whose stated purpose was research. The Chicago Horticultural Society, another recipient, describes its own mission as cultivating the power of plants to sustain and enrich life.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Center reported 28 grants totaling $6,423,011. Grant amounts ranged from $14,130 to $881,742, with a median of $163,070. All listed largest grants had a stated purpose of research. Recipients included the University of Kansas ($881,742), Leland Stanford Junior University ($796,710), the University of Illinois ($477,329), Michigan State University ($468,409), and the University of Rhode Island ($388,146).
The Center also reported 31 grants totaling $7,183,851 in 2023 and 28 grants totaling $7,002,610 in 2022. No application process or unsolicited-request policy is specified here.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Penny Pennington as chair and Ruth E. Kim as director and corporate secretary. Directors listed include Lisa Ainsworth, Benjamin Ola Akande, Teddy Bekele, Roy Blunt, Sara Yang Bosco, Blackford F. Brauer, Lee Broughton, and Patrick O. Brown.
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is led by James Carrington, President & CEO since 2022 (on filings since 2019); 13 of 44 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James Carrington
President & CEO
President → President & CEO, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$686K (2019) → $760K (2024)
Tom Laurita
CEO of Dtc
Director of Entrepreneurship → CEO of Dtc, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$214K (2020) → $270K (2024)
Donald Mackenzie
Executive Director of Iici
Director of Iici → Executive Director of Iici, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$236K (2019) → $277K (2024)
Penny Pennington
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew D. Martin
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anna E. McKelvey
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Blackford F. Brauer
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher B. Danforth
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lee Broughton
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Wyse Jackson
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert J. Jones
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ruth E. Kim
Director & Corporate Secretary
Secretary → Director & Corporate Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven M. Fox
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Melzer
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Todd R. Schnuck
Director
Chairman → Chair, 2023
Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wesley Jones
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James L. Johnson III
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mun Y. Choi
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ann C. Marr
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Desiree Coleman-Fry
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrick O. Brown
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Reiter
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sanjeev Krishnan
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sara Yang Bosco
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Teddy Bekele
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Ainsworth
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William L. Polk Jr.
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Johannes Burlin
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Riney
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Senator Roy Blunt
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Ola Akande
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn K. Bush
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diane Moleski
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$114K (2019) → $134K (2024)
Harold Davies
COO & V.p. for Finance
COO & V.p. of Finance → COO & Vice President for Finance, 2021
COO & Vice President for Finance → COO & V.p. for Finance, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$294K (2019) → $356K (2024)
Michael Bander
V.p. for Development
Director of Annual Giving → V.p. for Development, 2020
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$219K (2019) → $254K (2024)
Todd Hornburg
V.p. of Facilities
Vice President of Facilities & Special Services → V.p. of Facilities, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$215K (2019) → $228K (2024)
Keith Slotkin
Principal Investigator
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$223K (2021) → $260K (2024)
Anna Dibble
V.p. for People & Culture
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$194K (2022) → $230K (2024)
Ellen Atwell
Controller
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$97K (2023) → $141K (2024)
James Umen
Principal Investigator
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$231K (2023) → $238K (2024)
Djuan Coleman
V.p. of Finance
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$143K (2024)
Rebecca Bart
V.p. for Research
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$262K (2024)
John F. McDonnell
Emeritus Director
Immediate Past Chairman → Immediate Past Chairman & Emeritus Director, 2023
Immediate Past Chairman & Emeritus Director → Emeritus Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Blake Meyers (2019–2023) — Principal Investigator
- Former: Philip Needleman (2019–2023) — Emeritus Director
- Former: Toni Kutchan (2019–2023) — V.p. for Research
- Former: Kiersten Stead (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Mary Danforth Stillman (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Richard A. Gephardt (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Todd Mockler (2019–2022) — Principal Investigator
- Former: Brett D. Begemann (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Kellogg (2019–2021) — Principal Investigator
- Former: David W. Kemper (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Salvatore Fiorello (2019–2020) — Chief Operating Officer
- Former: Usha Barwale Zehr (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Alexander Cartwright (2019) — Director
- Former: Eric R. Ward (2019) — Director
- Former: Senator Christopher S. Bond (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $760K, to Dr James Carrington (President and CEO). 13 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
How much does Donald Danforth Plant Science Center give each year?
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center gave $6.4M across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $7.2M across 31 grants.
What is Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's typical grant size?
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's median grant in 2024 was $163,071, and its average grant was $229,393, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Donald Danforth Plant Science Center that year got $367K on average.
Where does Donald Danforth Plant Science Center give grants?
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's top state is Kansas, with 19% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (18%) and Illinois (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (5 grants) and St. Paul, MN (2 grants).
Does Donald Danforth Plant Science Center give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research" (28 grants).
Who are Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's largest grantees?
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's largest 2024 grantees include University of Kansas ($881,742), Leland Stanford Junior University ($796,710) and University of Illinois ($477,329), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Donald Danforth Plant Science Center?
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center reported $625.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $63.8M.
What does Donald Danforth Plant Science Center fund?
The Center’s mission is to “improve the human condition through plant science.” Its vision includes feeding the hungry, improving human health, preserving and renewing the environment, and enhancing the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Donald Danforth Plant Science Center?
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check danforthcenter.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's EIN?
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1584621. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS November 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in Donald Danforth Plant Science Center's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Donald Danforth Plant Science Center funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/donald-danforth-plant-science-center-morg_1b30e1b01bc04085827f3194480d9e96
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311584621_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Donald Danforth Plant Science Center funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/donald-danforth-plant-science-center-morg_1b30e1b01bc04085827f3194480d9e96},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Donald Danforth Plant Science Center'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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