Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Annapolis, MD EIN: 20-2897132

FRANCIS E AND MILDRED W GARDINER JR is a private foundation based in Annapolis, Maryland. It made 22 grants totaling $67,507 in 2024, including support for higher education, religious organizations, health care, and other organizations.

Key facts about Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation

In short: Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation gave $68K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Delaware. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
20-2897132
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$67,507
Grants made (2024)
22
Average grant
$3,069
Median grant
$216
New grantees (estimate)
30% first-time grantees (6 of 20, 2024; small sample)
Total assets
$139,958
Primary geography
Delaware (67% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
Yes
How to apply
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests and does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Full details ↓
Deadline
None listed.

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$140K

-17.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$68K

+271.4% YoY

Grant Count

22

+10.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$3K

+237.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $7K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation open to new grantees?

30%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 6 of 20 grantees (30%) 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 $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count

Medians: $241 first-time, $175 repeat.

  • 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 911% of 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.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for a range of recipients and purposes. For example, the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation says it provides grants for the educational programs of Kappa Alpha Order and scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students. The Anne Arundel County Food Bank says its mission is to alleviate food insecurity in Anne Arundel County by obtaining and distributing nourishing food.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $67,507. Grant amounts ranged from $25 to $25,000, with a median grant of $216.

The largest awards included $25,000 to the University of Delaware for a Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering collaboration space, $15,000 to the university for the Francis E. Gardiner Jr. Scholarship Fund, and $10,000 to Saint Mary’s Parish for unrestricted use. Other notable grants included $5,000 to Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation for unrestricted use, $5,000 to the University of Delaware’s Levi T. Thompson Dean’s Discretionary Fund, and $2,500 to the University of Maryland College Park Foundation for the Vansville Farmers Club Scholarship. The Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation received $2,000.

Review Cycle

None listed.

How to Apply

The foundation accepts unsolicited requests and does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Submit a written request and information about the requested use of funds. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, the largest share of grant dollars went to recipients in Delaware (67%) and Maryland (28%), followed by Virginia (3%) and Washington, DC (1%). New York is listed as 0% of grant dollars.

Grant Distribution by State

13states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.

Cities

WashingtonAnnapolisNewarkBaltimoreHillsdaleSevernAbileneBooneCollege ParkCrownsvilleKnoxvilleLexingtonMemphisTampaStaten IslandAccokeekArnoldBoys TownDelmarEaston

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$20K$40K$60K$80K17 grants2020 17 grants2021 20 grants2022 20 grants2023 22 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $18K (2023) to $68K (2024). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $68K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

University of Delaware: $45K across 3 grantsUniversity of Delaware$45K · 3 grantsSaint Mary's Parish: $10KSaint Mary's Parish$10KLuminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation Inc: $5KLuminis Health Anne ArundelMedical Center Foundation Inc$5KUniversity of Maryland College Park Foundation: $3KUniversity of Maryland CollegePark Foundation$3KKappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation: $2KKappa Alpha Order EducationalFoundation$2KArchbishop Spalding High School: $1KArchbishop Spalding HighSchool$1KKnights of Columbus: $250Knights of Columbus$250Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church: $250Woods Memorial PresbyterianChurch$250Tunnel to Towers Foundation: $232Tunnel to Towers Foundation$232The Eisenhower Foundation: $200The Eisenhower Foundation$200

The largest 2024 recipient was University of Delaware ($45K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $66K.

Grant Size Distribution

96 grants across all recorded years

96<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 96 grants of 96 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
University of Delaware Newark, DECivil, Construction and Environmentai Engineering (Ccee) Collaboration Space$25,000
University of Delaware Newark, DEFrancis E. Gardiner Jr. Scholarship Fund$15,000
Saint Mary's Parish Annapolis, MDUnrestricted Use by Recipient$10,000
Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation Inc Annapolis, MDUnrestricted Use by Recipient$5,000
University of Delaware Newark, DELevi T. Thompson Dean's Discretionary Fund$5,000
University of Maryland College Park Foundation College Park, MDVansville Farmers Club Scholarship$2,500
Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation Lexington, VAUnrestricted Use by Recipient$2,000
Archbishop Spalding High School Severn, MDUnrestricted Use by Recipient$1,050
Knights of Columbus Easton, MDUnrestricted Use by Recipient$250
Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church Severna Park, MDUnrestricted Use by Recipient$250

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2024 $139,958 $51,209 $72,425 $67,507
2023 $169,674 $50,895 $21,921 $18,175
2022 $132,550 $50,816 $40,947 $37,825
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$20K$40K$60K$80K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$139,958$169,674$132,550
Revenue$51,209$50,895$50,816
Expenses$72,425$21,921$40,947
Qualifying Distributions$67,507$18,175$37,825
Net Investment Income$1,209$895$816
Distributable Amount$7,414$6,522$5,845

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Francis E. Gardiner Jr. as president and treasurer.

Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation is led by Francis E. Gardiner Jr., President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Francis E. Gardiner Jr.

    President & Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Mildred W. Gardiner (2020–2022) — V. President & Secretary

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.

Contact

Application contact: Francis E Gardiner Jr
Mailing address: 1301 River Crescent Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 793-0759

Frequently asked questions about Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation

How much does Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation give each year?

Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation gave $68K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $18K across 20 grants.

What is Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation's typical grant size?

Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $216, and its average grant was $3,069, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.

Where does Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation give grants?

Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation gives mostly in Delaware: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Maryland (28%). The most frequent recipient cities were Newark, DE (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Annapolis, MD (2 grants).

Does Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 82% of Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation's largest grantees?

Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Delaware ($45,000 across 3 grants), Saint Mary's Parish ($10,000) and Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation Inc ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation?

Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation reported $140K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $68K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation fund?

No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for a range of recipients and purposes. For example, the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation says it provides grants for the educational programs of Kappa Alpha Order and scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation?

The foundation accepts unsolicited requests and does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation's EIN?

Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2897132. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Francis E and Mildred W Gardiner Jr Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

Yes, 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.

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