Edward St John Foundation Inc
Edward St John Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Baltimore, Maryland. It provides financial assistance to formal education programs, guided by the belief that education can transform lives and provide a foundation for success.
Edward St John Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Edward St John Foundation Inc gave $326K across 74 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in Maryland. 45% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $325,867
- -25.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 74
- -16.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,404
- -10.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $505
- Total assets
- $104,647
- +6.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (33 of 74, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (78% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Edward St John Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website states that its budget allocations are fully committed and that it is not accepting new requests for funding consideration at this time. For future consideration, the 2024 filing describes a one- to two-page letter of inquiry covering the organization’s mission, funding need, population served, program scope, goals, impact measures, sustainability, partnerships, requested amount, share of the contribution going to its intended purpose, and grant period. Before funding approval, the filing says applicants will need to provide a current IRS determination letter, most recent audited financial statement, current and projected operating budgets, a list of current board and committee members with professional affiliations, and pertinent supporting materials.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1.
- Deadline
- The filing lists March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Sharon L Akers
Mailing address: 2560 Lord Baltimore Drive, Baltimore, MD 21244
Phone: (410) 369-1273
Website: https://www.esjfoundation.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 Edward St John Foundation Inc
Who Edward St John Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation Inc ($63K). Together the top 10 received $274K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($100), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
388 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 374 grants of 388 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland and 19% to recipients in Utah. The foundation’s website describes its giving as supporting nonprofit organizations in communities where St. John Properties has a business presence.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 74 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Edward St John Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 33 of 74 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $450 first-time, $750 repeat.
- 49% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 35% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $326K (2024) to $734K (2020). In 2024 it made 74 grants totaling $326K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation Inc Baltimore, MD | To Further Exempt Purpose | $62,500 |
| Utah Valley University Foundation Orem, UT | To Further Exempt Purpose | $62,500 |
| The Boys' Latin School of Maryland Baltimore, MD | To Further Exempt Purpose | $50,250 |
| Loyola Blakefield Towson, MD | To Further Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation Glen Burnie, MD | To Further Exempt Purpose | $24,285 |
| McDonogh School Owings Mills, MD | To Further Exempt Purpose | $20,000 |
| Umms Foundation Baltimore, MD | To Further Exempt Purpose | $13,500 |
| University of Maryland College Park Foundation College Park, MD | To Further Exempt Purpose | $6,000 |
| Cross Victory Ministries Baltimore, MD | To Further Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
| Honeygo Regional Veterans Memorial Perry Hall, MD | To Further Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $104,647 | $400,000 | $393,452 | $325,867 | 74 | $324,892 | $5,968 |
| 2023 | $98,099 | $475,000 | $502,447 | $437,108 | 89 | $437,108 | $5,507 |
| 2022 | $125,546 | $675,000 | $580,967 | $518,811 | 76 | $518,811 | $3,868 |
| 2021 | $31,513 | $550,000 | $575,287 | $504,150 | 85 | $504,150 | $3,199 |
| 2020 | $55,750 | $549,661 | $804,514 | $733,802 | 64 | — | $9,021 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Edward St John Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $6K for 2024 — 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 foundation’s mission is “to provide financial assistance to formal education programs.” Its stated interests include educational opportunities that help people develop their potential and achieve self-sufficiency; improving academic programs and access; and strengthening organizations and educational institutions that provide formal education. It gives consideration to programs it describes as unique, transformational, sustainable, and replicable, and to community and service organizations reaching underserved, disadvantaged, or at-risk populations through formal education.
The foundation says it makes grants only to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) institutions and organizations. Its website says it considers programmatic support, while its filing also lists scholarships. It does not award grants to individuals or for deficit financing, travel, or loans. Its website lists capital needs and annual fund solicitations as non-priorities.
The 2024 grantees illustrate a range of supported organizations. For example, Utah Valley University Foundation describes its work as advancing the university’s services, raising scholarship funds, and supporting program development. Living Classrooms Foundation describes its mission as providing hands-on education and job training, with a special emphasis on at-risk youth. McDonogh School describes itself as a coeducational college-preparatory school. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 74 grants totaling $325,867. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $62,500, with a median of $505. Among the largest awards were $62,500 each to University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation Inc and Utah Valley University Foundation; $50,250 to The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland; $25,000 to Loyola Blakefield; and $24,285 to Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lawrence Maykrantz as chairman/trustee, Sharon Akers as president/trustee, Kellay St John as vice president/trustee, and Lori Rice as treasurer/trustee.
Edward St John Foundation Inc is led by Sharon Akers, President & Trustee on every filing since 2020; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sharon Akers
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
$60K (2020) → $60K (2024)
Lawrence Maykrantz
Chairman & Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kellay St John
Vice President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lori Rice
Treasurer & Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 $60K, to Sharon Akers (President/Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Edward St John Foundation Inc
How much does Edward St John Foundation Inc give each year?
Edward St John Foundation Inc gave $326K across 74 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $437K across 89 grants.
What is Edward St John Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Edward St John Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $505, and its average grant was $4,404, across 74 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Edward St John Foundation Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does Edward St John Foundation Inc give grants?
Edward St John Foundation Inc gives mostly in Maryland: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Utah (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baltimore, MD (21 grants), Towson, MD (3 grants), Glen Burnie, MD (2 grants) and Westminster, MD (2 grants).
Who are Edward St John Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Edward St John Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation Inc ($62,500), Utah Valley University Foundation ($62,500) and The Boys' Latin School of Maryland ($50,250), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($100), which are not listed by name. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Edward St John Foundation Inc?
Edward St John Foundation Inc reported $105K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $325K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Edward St John Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is “to provide financial assistance to formal education programs.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Edward St John Foundation Inc?
The foundation’s website states that its budget allocations are fully committed and that it is not accepting new requests for funding consideration at this time. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Edward St John Foundation Inc's EIN?
Edward St John Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1397204. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Edward St John Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/edward-st-john-foundation-inc-morg_4693a97a1c1e4272bb1a66755945e553
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201397204_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Edward St John Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/edward-st-john-foundation-inc-morg_4693a97a1c1e4272bb1a66755945e553},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Edward St John Foundation Inc'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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