Herndon Foundation
The Herndon Foundation is a private foundation based in Richmond, Virginia. Established in 1965, it supports charitable organizations focused on education, health and human services, and historic preservation and cultural experiences, with a strong preference for organizations serving metropolitan Richmond.
Herndon Foundation at a glance
In short: Herndon Foundation gave $5.6M across 138 grants in 2024 (avg $41K), mostly in Virginia. 8% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,635,000
- -0.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 138
- -6.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $40,833
- +6.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $61,989,429
- +49.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (11 of 131, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (99% 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 Herndon Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation accepts proposals from qualified organizations through a link on its website when the grant request cycle opens. Applicants should provide general contact information, confirmation of 501(c)(3) status, a brief description of the organization and its mission and history, the amount requested and project or program details including costs and how results will be measured, and a current operating budget. Eligible applicants are tax-exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) that are not private foundations under section 509(a). Beginning in 2026, organizations that have already received Foundation funding in the current year are not eligible to apply during the open grant request cycle. The Foundation also says it makes quarterly grants to some aligned organizations without requiring a grant request.
- Review Cycle
- The Foundation’s stated grant-cycle date is August 1. The 2026 cycle began August 1, 2026, which has passed.
- Deadline
- The Foundation’s stated grant-cycle date is August 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Herndon Foundation
Mailing address: 9030 Stony Point Pkwy Ste 505, Richmond, VA 23235
Phone: (804) 560-4119
Email: info@herndonfdn.org
Website: https://herndonfdn.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 Herndon Foundation
Who Herndon Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was VMI Foundation ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $2.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
680 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 539 grants of 680 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Qualified organizations throughout Virginia are eligible, but the Foundation gives strong preference to organizations operating principally in metropolitan Richmond. In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 138 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Herndon Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 131 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $45K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 90% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 35% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% 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 (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 $4.1M (2020) to $5.7M (2023). In 2024 it made 138 grants totaling $5.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| VMI Foundation Lexington, VA | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| University of Richmond Richmond, VA | General Operating Support | $584,000 |
| Virginia Museum of History and Culture Richmond, VA | General Operating Support | $250,000 |
| J Sargeant Reynolds Community College Educational Foundation Richmond, VA | In Support of Sprout School Partnership Pilot Program | $125,000 |
| River Road Church Baptist Richmond, VA | Chapel Renovation Support | $125,000 |
| United Way of Greater Richmond Richmond, VA | General Operating Support | $75,000 |
| Acts Richmond, VA | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School Richmond, VA | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters Services Inc Richmond, VA | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Blue Sky Fund Richmond, VA | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Herndon Foundation?
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 | $61,989,429 | $16,133,487 | $6,073,000 | $5,635,000 | 138 | $5,677,809 | $7,427,088 | $5,892,221 |
| 2023 | $41,497,576 | $22,490,045 | $6,043,237 | $5,689,000 | 148 | $5,720,119 | $7,872,989 | $5,690,128 |
| 2022 | $27,022,319 | $5,294,934 | $5,624,613 | $5,358,500 | 132 | $5,400,543 | $4,718,409 | $5,740,268 |
| 2021 | $30,381,361 | $9,099,311 | $4,363,164 | $4,184,750 | 118 | $4,207,836 | $5,931,069 | $5,380,874 |
| 2020 | $25,755,396 | $2,475,680 | $4,272,097 | $4,103,400 | 144 | — | $2,358,355 | $4,190,452 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Herndon Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.9M 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 says it supports organizations whose work aligns with one or more of three priorities:
- Education, including early childhood education, school readiness, expanded learning and enrichment outside school, and STEM programs for students or teachers.
- Health and human services, including meeting basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare for vulnerable people.
- Historic preservation and cultural experiences, including access to natural resources, environmental sustainability through education, preservation and restoration, arts and cultural institutions, and cultural heritage.
Grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Blue Sky Fund says it provides transformational outdoor-education experiences for Richmond-area youth. Capital Region Land Conservancy says it conserves and protects natural and historic land and water resources in Virginia’s capital region. United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg says it mobilizes local communities to help people in need and create opportunities for people to thrive.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation made 138 grants totaling $5,635,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $25,000. The Foundation’s eligibility page says individual grants typically range up to $25,000; its 2024 filing also lists several awards above that amount.
Among the largest reported 2024 grants were $1,000,000 to VMI Foundation for general operating support; $584,000 to the University of Richmond for general operating support; and $250,000 to Virginia Museum of History and Culture for general operating support. Other listed awards included $125,000 to J Sargeant Reynolds Community College Educational Foundation for its Sprout School Partnership Pilot Program and $125,000 to River Road Church Baptist for chapel renovation support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William M. Gottwald, James T. Gottwald, and John D. Gottwald as trustees.
Herndon Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James T. Gottwald
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John D. Gottwald
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William M. Gottwald
Trustee
On filings since 2020
15 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.
Frequently asked questions about Herndon Foundation
How much does Herndon Foundation give each year?
Herndon Foundation gave $5.6M across 138 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $5.7M across 148 grants.
What is Herndon Foundation's typical grant size?
Herndon Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $40,833, across 138 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Herndon Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does Herndon Foundation give grants?
Herndon Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Richmond, VA (107 grants), Glen Allen, VA (5 grants), Midlothian, VA (3 grants) and Henrico, VA (2 grants).
Does Herndon Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 95% of Herndon Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (131 of 138) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Herndon Foundation's largest grantees?
Herndon Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include VMI Foundation ($1,000,000), University of Richmond ($584,000) and Virginia Museum of History and Culture ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Herndon Foundation?
Herndon Foundation reported $62.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.9M (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 Herndon Foundation fund?
The Foundation says it supports organizations whose work aligns with one or more of three priorities: See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Herndon Foundation?
The Foundation accepts proposals from qualified organizations through a link on its website when the grant request cycle opens. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Herndon Foundation's EIN?
Herndon Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-6060809. 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Herndon Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Herndon Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/herndon-foundation-morg_1d57336a685248a79d97e5e99bb473bd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_546060809_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Herndon Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/herndon-foundation-morg_1d57336a685248a79d97e5e99bb473bd},
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 Herndon 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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