John & Mary R Markle Foundation
The John & Mary R Markle Foundation is a private foundation established in 1927 by American industrialist and financier John Markle and his wife, Mary. Based in New York, the foundation has evolved over nearly a century to focus on leveraging information technology and innovation to address critical public problems affecting all Americans.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$125.1M
-0.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.9M
+323.0% YoY
Grant Count
18
-21.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$270K
+440.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to work toward improving the economic wellbeing, health, and national security for all Americans. The organization's focus has evolved significantly since its inception:
- 1927-1969: Traditional social welfare programs and medical research, including the Markle Scholars-in-Medicine Program
- 1969-1998: Mass communications in a democratic society
- 1998-Present: Accelerating the use of information and information technology to address critical public problems
Current Priority Areas:
- Workforce development and economic security, particularly through the Rework America initiative focused on advancing a skills-based labor market
- Technology policy and emerging technologies
- Health and healthcare innovation
- National security
- AI for Disasters + Emergencies (AIDE Initiative) — leveraging artificial intelligence to help emergency managers and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. It typically selects grantees rather than accepting applications. The foundation makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations only.
Grant Range
$1,000–$3,500,000
Average Grant
amount: $60,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in the District of Columbia, New York, and California, which account for 56% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 14 states with a national focus on the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $125,078,322 (2024)
- Total Giving: $4,853,459 (2024)
- Total Revenues: $14,205,954 (2024)
- Total Expenses: $16,444,929 (2024)
- Giving Rate: 3.9% of assets
- IRS Ruling Year: 1938
- Tax Status: 501(c)(3) exempt organization
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $125,078,322 | $125,655,510 | $129,145,156 |
| Revenue | $14,205,954 | $-803,771 | $22,688,730 |
| Expenses | $16,444,929 | $14,595,922 | $16,836,170 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $13,764,169 | $12,623,254 | $14,217,872 |
| Net Investment Income | $8,075,498 | $213,120 | $15,841,619 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,665,627 | $6,020,479 | $6,413,955 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- President: Ellen V. Futter
- Board Chair: Suzanne N. Johnson
- Board Members: Steven Denning, Cheryl C. Effron, Margaret Hoover, Dr. Christopher Howard, Gilman Louie, Dr. James Manyika, Kathleen A. Murphy, Stanley S. Shuman
- Staff: 27 employees
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUZANNE NORA JOHNSON | CHAIR | 3 | — |
| STEVEN DENNING | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| CHERYL COHEN EFFRON | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| MARGARET HOOVER | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| DR CHRIS HOWARD | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| GILMAN LOUIE | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| DR JAMES MANYIKA | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| KATHLEEN MURPHY | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| STANLEY S SHUMAN | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| BETH COBERT THROUGH 2924 | ACTING PRESIDENT | 40 | $342,095 |
| ELLEN FUTTER BEGINNING 21024 | ACTING PRESIDENT | 40 | $240,705 |
| SHARON BUTLER | TREASURER/CFAO | 40 | $280,042 |
| JANA JUGINOVIC | SECY/CHIEF COMMS | 40 | $360,000 |
| SUSAN ROBERSON THROUGH 113023 | TREAS/SECY/CFO | 40 | $190,290 |
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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