Ed Foundation
Ed Foundation is a private foundation based in Johnson City, Texas. In filing year 2025, it reported 20 grants totaling $2,938,250, and described a direct charitable activity as a conference promoting transformational change in charitable organizations.
Ed Foundation at a glance
In short: Ed Foundation gave $2.9M across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $147K), mostly in Virginia. 55% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,938,250
- -31.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +5.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $146,913
- -35.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $129,396,899
- +29.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 55% first-time grantees (11 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (50% 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 Ed Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 404 Diamond X Ranch Road, Johnson City, TX 78636
Phone: (512) 695-2954
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ed Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Donorstrust ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $2.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 52 grants of 100 (52%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 50% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia and 39% to recipients in Texas. Michigan, New York, and California each received 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ed Foundation open to new grantees?
55%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 20 grantees (55%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $67K; repeat grants $244K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 30% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 82% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.9M (2025) to $4.9M (2021). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $2.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Donorstrust Alexandria, VA | General Support | $1,043,250 |
| Acton Academy Austin, TX | General Support | $780,000 |
| Navy Seal Foundation Virginia Beach, VA | General Support | $150,000 |
| Acton Institute for the Study of Religion Grand Rapids, MI | General Support | $100,000 |
| Dripping Springs Community Mission Partnership Inc Austin, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
| Friends of UFM Inc McLean, VA | General Support | $100,000 |
| Heartgift Foundation Austin, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
| Heterodox Academy New York, NY | General Support | $100,000 |
| Parks & Wildlife Foundation of Texas Inc Dallas, TX | General Support | $100,000 |
| Tennant Foundation West Covina, CA | General Support | $100,000 |
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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 | $129,396,899 | $32,247,219 | $3,132,641 | $2,938,250 | 20 | $3,007,935 | $31,901,045 | $3,651,352 |
| 2024 | $100,272,321 | $16,395,212 | $4,944,540 | $4,308,840 | 19 | $4,338,689 | $16,314,361 | $3,049,789 |
| 2023 | $87,717,233 | $86,964 | $4,101,756 | $3,959,461 | 19 | $3,973,182 | — | $4,116,348 |
| 2022 | $91,266,206 | $535,658 | $4,324,820 | $4,219,250 | 17 | $4,228,116 | $440,271 | $4,001,287 |
| 2021 | $95,077,968 | $160,248 | $5,055,988 | $4,901,810 | 25 | $4,938,886 | $49,146 | $4,256,921 |
| 2020 | $99,674,992 | $8,412,252 | $4,201,498 | $3,961,865 | 19 | — | $8,307,422 | $5,020,798 |
| 2019 | $95,005,224 | $1,461,911 | $3,916,594 | $3,867,525 | 17 | — | $1,442,072 | $3,857,830 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ed Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.7M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for Ed Foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose stated missions span education, university research, medical care, refugee livelihoods, clean water, and support for military service members and their families.
For example, Acton Academy says its mission is to provide tools and support for an alternative educational network of like-minded educators. Heterodox Academy says it works to improve the quality of university research and education by increasing open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement. HeartGift Foundation says it provides lifesaving heart surgery to children where specialized treatment is scarce or nonexistent. These are the grantees’ own descriptions of their work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, Ed Foundation reported 20 grants totaling $2,938,250. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $1,043,250, with a median grant of $75,000. The largest listed awards were $1,043,250 to DonorsTrust and $780,000 to Acton Academy, both for general support. Other notable grants included $150,000 to Navy SEAL Foundation and $100,000 each to Acton Institute for the Study of Religion, Dripping Springs Community Mission Partnership, Friends of UFM, HeartGift Foundation, Heterodox Academy, Parks & Wildlife Foundation of Texas, and Tennant Foundation; each was listed for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jeff Sandefer as president, Laura Sandefer as secretary and director, and Juan Bonifasi as director.
Ed Foundation is led by Jeff Sandefer, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeff Sandefer
President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Sandefer
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Juan Bonifasi
Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: John Lawson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: John Rutherford (2019–2020) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about Ed Foundation
How much does Ed Foundation give each year?
Ed Foundation gave $2.9M across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.3M across 19 grants.
What is Ed Foundation's typical grant size?
Ed Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $75,000, and its average grant was $146,913, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ed Foundation that year got $67K on average.
Where does Ed Foundation give grants?
Ed Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (39%). The most frequent recipient cities were Austin, TX (5 grants), Alexandria, VA (2 grants) and McLean, VA (2 grants).
Does Ed Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Ed Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ed Foundation's largest grantees?
Ed Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Donorstrust ($1,043,250), Acton Academy ($780,000) and Navy Seal Foundation ($150,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ed Foundation?
Ed Foundation reported $129.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Ed Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for Ed Foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose stated missions span education, university research, medical care, refugee livelihoods, clean water, and support for military service members and their families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ed Foundation?
The foundation 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 Ed Foundation's EIN?
Ed Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-2804730. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Ed Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 4, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ed Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ed Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ed-foundation-morg_5eacd30e01d0427081d05e803c8855c1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_742804730_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ed Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ed-foundation-morg_5eacd30e01d0427081d05e803c8855c1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Ed 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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