James a Meador Foundation
The James A Meador Foundation is a private foundation based in Salem, Virginia. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, primarily in Virginia.
James a Meador Foundation at a glance
In short: James a Meador Foundation gave $472K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Virginia. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $472,000
- +11.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +31.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,880
- -15.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $9,124,499
- +0.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (12 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (95% 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 James a Meador Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Cathie M Thomas as the contact and says application forms are available at the school. Applicants must be seniors planning to attend college. The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Review Cycle
- May 15 each year. The May 15, 2026 deadline is past.
- Deadline
- May 15 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Cathie M Thomas
Mailing address: 305 Roanoke Boulevard, Salem, VA 24153
Phone: (540) 389-5442
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James a Meador Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Faith Christian Schools ($50K). Together the top 10 received $390K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 91 grants of 116 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia, 4% to New York, and 1% to North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
Is James a Meador Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 24 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 83% 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 $418K (2020) to $593K (2021). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $472K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Faith Christian Schools Roanoke, VA | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Hope Tree Family Services Salem, VA | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Loveable Services Inc Roanoke, VA | Donation for General Support | $50,000 |
| Carilion Clinic Foundation - Center for Grief & Healing Roanoke, VA | Donation for General Support | $40,000 |
| Agape Center Moneta, VA | Donation for General Support | $40,000 |
| Lake Christian Ministries Moneta, VA | Donation for General Support | $40,000 |
| Bradley Free Clinic Roanoke, VA | Donation for General Support | $40,000 |
| Camp Braveheart Salem, VA | Donation for General Support | $30,000 |
| West End Center Roanoke, VA | Donation for General Support | $30,000 |
| Virtual Center for VCFS Manlius, NY | Donation for General Support | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with James a Meador 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $9,124,499 | $768,477 | $688,983 | $472,000 | 25 | $483,145 | $562,639 | $585,195 |
| 2024 | $9,045,005 | $654,298 | $627,879 | $422,500 | 19 | $438,515 | $464,934 | $541,036 |
| 2023 | $9,018,586 | $124,675 | $760,974 | $577,700 | 21 | $589,791 | $54,112 | $486,421 |
| 2022 | $9,654,885 | $74,607 | $734,170 | $571,000 | 26 | $591,074 | $80,155 | $507,210 |
| 2021 | $10,314,448 | $391,314 | $840,892 | $593,000 | 25 | $614,776 | $235,461 | $587,371 |
| 2020 | $10,764,026 | $4,744,304 | $550,972 | $417,500 | 20 | — | $4,642,339 | $645,367 |
| 2019 | $6,570,694 | $494,082 | $699,535 | $581,500 | 19 | — | $406,648 | $518,741 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James a Meador Foundation reported a distributable amount of $585K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose own missions span community benevolence, children’s programs, services for people with disabilities, and education. For example, Lake Christian Ministries describes its mission as supporting benevolent activities for selected residents of the Smith Mountain Lake community, and West End Center describes its mission as providing a safe place for children after school and during the summer.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $472,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest grants included $50,000 each to Faith Christian Schools, Hope Tree Family Services, and Loveable Services Inc; $40,000 each to Carilion Clinic Foundation – Center for Grief & Healing, Agape Center, Lake Christian Ministries, and Bradley Free Clinic; and $30,000 each to Camp Braveheart and West End Center.
The 2025 filing states that the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Scholarship application forms are available at the school. Applicants must be seniors planning to attend college.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Cathie M Thomas as president and treasurer and Susan Tinsley as vice president and secretary.
James a Meador Foundation is led by Cathie M. Thomas, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cathie M. Thomas
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$27K (2019) → $58K (2025)
Susan Tinsley
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$27K (2019) → $58K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $58K, to Cathie M Thomas (President/Treasurer). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about James a Meador Foundation
How much does James a Meador Foundation give each year?
James a Meador Foundation gave $472K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $423K across 19 grants.
What is James a Meador Foundation's typical grant size?
James a Meador Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $18,880, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James a Meador Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does James a Meador Foundation give grants?
James a Meador Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Roanoke, VA (7 grants), Moneta, VA (3 grants) and Salem, VA (3 grants).
Does James a Meador Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 64% of James a Meador Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (9 grants).
Who are James a Meador Foundation's largest grantees?
James a Meador Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Faith Christian Schools ($50,000), Hope Tree Family Services ($50,000) and Loveable Services Inc ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is James a Meador Foundation?
James a Meador Foundation reported $9.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $483K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $585K (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 James a Meador Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose own missions span community benevolence, children’s programs, services for people with disabilities, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James a Meador Foundation?
The filing lists Cathie M Thomas as the contact and says application forms are available at the school. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is James a Meador Foundation's EIN?
James a Meador Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-0795438. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does James a Meador 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 October 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 August 19, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). James a Meador Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-a-meador-foundation-morg_98f166553e764a1f8cbb7afb20f96253
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_540795438_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James a Meador Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-a-meador-foundation-morg_98f166553e764a1f8cbb7afb20f96253},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 James a Meador 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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