Grace S and W Linton Nelson
The Grace S and W Linton Nelson Foundation is a private foundation based in Radnor, Pennsylvania. It supports organizations serving young people, their families, and their communities in the Greater Philadelphia region, with an emphasis on eliminating racial inequity and social injustice.
Grace S and W Linton Nelson at a glance
In short: Grace S and W Linton Nelson gave $810K across 64 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $810,000
- -0.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 64
- +1.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,656
- -1.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $21,832,598
- +2.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (15 of 55, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (98% 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 Grace S and W Linton Nelson
- Invitation Only
-
Submit a letter of inquiry through the foundation’s online grant system. A full application is by invitation after LOI review.
- Review Cycle
- The listed LOI window for the 2027 cycle is January 1 through March 1, 2027. The full proposal is by invitation.
- Deadline
- The listed LOI window for the 2027 cycle is January 1 through March 1, 2027.
- Contact
Mailing address: 150 N Radnor Chester Road, F200, Radnor, PA 19087
Phone: (610) 977-2488
Website: https://www.nelsonfoundationpa.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Grace S and W Linton Nelson
Who Grace S and W Linton Nelson funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Parkesburg Point Youth Center ($80K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $323K.
Grant Size Distribution
333 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 319 grants of 333 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation restricts grants to organizations whose primary service area is in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania (98%), New York (2%), and North Carolina (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 64 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Grace S and W Linton Nelson open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 55 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $14K repeat.
- 69% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−18%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 137% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $743K (2022) to $994K (2021). In 2024 it made 64 grants totaling $810K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Parkesburg Point Youth Center Parkesburg, PA | Capacity Building | $60,000 |
| The Garage Community and Youth Cent Kennett Square, PA | Capacity Building | $50,000 |
| The Garage Community and Youth Cent Kennett Square, PA | Capacity Building | $25,000 |
| 12 Philadelphia, PA | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Asian Americans United Philadelphia, PA | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Beyond the Bars Philadelphia, PA | General Operating Grant | $20,000 |
| Big Picture Alliance Philadelphia, PA | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Chester Education Foundation Chester, PA | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Coded by Kids Philadelphia, PA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Collective Climb Philadelphia, PA | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Grace S and W Linton Nelson?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $21,832,598 | $1,041,087 | $1,521,799 | $810,000 | 64 | $1,428,115 | $937,669 | $1,040,153 |
| 2023 | $21,225,938 | $613,891 | $1,446,858 | $811,000 | 63 | $1,310,484 | $503,769 | $1,000,416 |
| 2022 | $20,106,270 | $1,890,218 | $1,371,322 | $742,500 | 56 | $1,261,431 | $1,712,685 | $1,040,800 |
| 2021 | $25,664,975 | $1,689,847 | $1,555,510 | $993,500 | 59 | $1,413,167 | $1,547,504 | $1,211,161 |
| 2020 | $24,398,908 | $387,376 | $1,422,408 | $929,100 | 91 | — | $210,768 | $1,067,401 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Grace S and W Linton Nelson reported a distributable amount of $1.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated grantmaking aim is to support 501(c)(3) organizations serving young people, their families, and the communities in which they live so young people in the Greater Philadelphia region can experience healthy, thriving, and prosperous communities. Its application materials ask organizations to describe how their work helps eliminate racial inequity and social injustice.
Examples of grantees’ work include Beyond the Bars, which describes itself as a student-driven, community-based music and career-planning program supporting youth impacted by violence; The Monkey and the Elephant, which offers vocational training, employment experience, mentoring, and skill-building workshops to former foster youth; and Collective Climb, which serves adolescents and their communities through restorative practices. These are grantees’ own descriptions of their missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 64 grants totaling $810,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $60,000, with a median of $10,000. The Core Grant Program offers $60,000 over three years as general operating support, or $20,000 per year.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $60,000 to Parkesburg Point Youth Center for capacity building and $50,000 to The Garage Community and Youth Center for capacity building. The foundation also awarded $20,000 each to organizations including 12, Asian Americans United, Beyond the Bars, Big Picture Alliance, Chester Education Foundation, Coded by Kids, Collective Climb, Collegiate Bridge, and Famfrequency Productions, primarily for general operating support.
The foundation uses an online grant system. The Core Grant process begins with a letter of inquiry; organizations invited after that stage may submit a full application. The 2024 LOI materials describe the Core awards as three-year general operating support grants. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations with annual expenses under $2.5 million and a primary service area in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Programming must last at least four weeks; drop-in programming is ineligible. Hospitals and medical facilities, schools, colleges and universities, and daycare facilities are also listed as ineligible.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Alexandra Aldridge as president, Donna S. Lindner as chair, Meliza A. Reynoso as secretary, and Antonio C. Williams as treasurer. Directors listed are Nikole Y. Smith, Sonya W. Weigle, Carlos Aponte, and Leigh Anne McKelvey.
Grace S and W Linton Nelson is led by Alexandra A. Aldridge, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 8 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Alexandra A. Aldridge
President
Director & President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$169K (2020) → $267K (2024)
Donna S. Lindner
Chair
Director & Secretary → Director & Board Chair, 2021
Director & Board Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sonya W. Weigle
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carlos Aponte
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leigh Anne McKelvey
Director
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nikole Y. Smith
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Antonio C. Williams
Treasurer
Director & Treasurer → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Meliza A. Reynoso
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Carolina C. Digiorgio (2020–2022) — Director & 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $267K, to Alexandra Aldridge (President).
Frequently asked questions about Grace S and W Linton Nelson
How much does Grace S and W Linton Nelson give each year?
Grace S and W Linton Nelson gave $810K across 64 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $811K across 63 grants.
What is Grace S and W Linton Nelson's typical grant size?
Grace S and W Linton Nelson's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,656, across 64 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Grace S and W Linton Nelson that year got $12K on average.
Where does Grace S and W Linton Nelson give grants?
Grace S and W Linton Nelson gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (46 grants), Parkesburg, PA (2 grants), Kennett Square, PA (2 grants) and Chester, PA (2 grants).
Does Grace S and W Linton Nelson give general operating support?
Yes: 75% of Grace S and W Linton Nelson's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (48 of 64) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Grace Nelson Award" (5 grants) and "Capacity Building" (3 grants).
Who are Grace S and W Linton Nelson's largest grantees?
Grace S and W Linton Nelson's largest 2024 grantees include Parkesburg Point Youth Center ($80,000 across 2 grants), The Garage Community and Youth Cent ($75,000 across 2 grants) and The Monkey & the Elephant ($28,400 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Grace S and W Linton Nelson?
Grace S and W Linton Nelson reported $21.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Grace S and W Linton Nelson fund?
The foundation’s stated grantmaking aim is to support 501(c)(3) organizations serving young people, their families, and the communities in which they live so young people in the Greater Philadelphia region can experience healthy, thriving, and prosperous communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Grace S and W Linton Nelson?
Submit a letter of inquiry through the foundation’s online grant system. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Grace S and W Linton Nelson's EIN?
Grace S and W Linton Nelson's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2583922. 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Other open foundation grants in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Grace S and W Linton Nelson's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Philadelphia Foundation
Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia Foundation supports economic mobility and other community needs through grants to nonprofits, including workforce development, direct services, and initiatives addressing urgent regional challenges. In 2024, its median grant was $25,500, and its primary service area is Greater Philadelphia; whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$704.6M
Grants
715
Total Given
$39.1M
Henrietta Tower Wurts Memorial
Philadelphia, PA
The Henrietta Tower Wurts Memorial funds programs and general operating support for organizations serving disadvantaged children and youth or older adults in Philadelphia, with a preference for smaller organizations offering holistic, community-involved programming. Typical grants are $1,000–$5,000; eligible organizations must have budgets under $2.5 million. It accepts applications through its application page.
Assets
$4.6M
Grants
91
Total Given
$211K
Henry Dolfinger 2 Trust Uw
Philadelphia, PA
The Henry Dolfinger 2 Trust (Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation) supports charitable and educational projects, including arts, education, and social services, primarily in Greater Philadelphia. Its 2024 grants ranged from $1,000 to $30,000, with a median of $2,000. It accepts online proposal requests once per calendar year.
Assets
$16.8M
Grants
236
Total Given
$713K
The William Penn Foundation
Philadelphia, PA
The William Penn Foundation funds arts and culture, children and families, civic participation, the environment and public spaces, and workforce training, primarily in the Philadelphia region. Its 2024 median grant was $50,000, though awards varied widely. It accepts unsolicited requests through limited open applications and invites letters of inquiry from public charities.
Assets
$3.4B
Grants
1,027
Total Given
$148.8M
The Patricia Kind Family Foundation
Philadelphia, PA
The Patricia Kind Family Foundation funds direct-service, capacity-building, and collaborative work addressing poverty and racial and economic injustice, especially through Philadelphia organizations with budgets of $1 million or less. Most grants are $10,000–$25,000 per year for three years, and eligible organizations must serve people only in Philadelphia County. It accepts online applications; 2026 applications are closed, and 2027 dates have not been set.
Assets
$22.7M
Grants
176
Total Given
$3.6M
Connelly Foundation
West Conshohocken, PA
The Connelly Foundation funds education, human services, arts and culture, and civic life, supporting charitable organizations serving Philadelphia and nearby Pennsylvania counties, as well as Camden, New Jersey. Its average grant was $41,000 in 2025, and awards may cover multiple years. It accepts online applications in several focus areas, but does not accept unsolicited requests of $100,000 or more.
Assets
$362.1M
Grants
305
Total Given
$15.4M
More similar funders
More Funders in Pennsylvania
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Grace S and W Linton Nelson funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/grace-s-and-w-linton-nelson-morg_8d73d8404bc1427ca86536643398b4d4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_222583922_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Grace S and W Linton Nelson funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/grace-s-and-w-linton-nelson-morg_8d73d8404bc1427ca86536643398b4d4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Grace S and W Linton Nelson'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.
Grace S and W Linton Nelson down — hundreds of funders to go?