John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation
The John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation is a private foundation based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It supports education, primarily in the Washington metropolitan area, as well as nature and healthcare, with a mission of expanding access to educational opportunities and experiences in nature, particularly for children facing barriers to success and natural environments at risk.
Key facts about John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation
In short: John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation gave $1.1M across 36 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), top state Maryland. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 54-1829618
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,130,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- Average grant
- $31,389
- Median grant
- $30,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (3 of 34, 2025)
- Total assets
- $12,626,107
- Primary geography
- Maryland (41% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; 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 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$12.6M
+8.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.1M
+5.6% YoY
Grant Count
36
-2.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$31K
+8.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 34 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $35K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 90% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to ensure present and future generations’ access to educational opportunities and experiences in nature, particularly addressing children who face barriers to success in the education system and natural environments that are at risk.
Its stated focus areas include education, nature, and healthcare. The foundation says it supports local environmental conservancies and nonprofits working to protect natural environments and provide access and education. For example, the Chesapeake Conservancy describes its work as conserving and restoring the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Sultana Education Foundation describes its work as providing educational experiences about the Chesapeake Bay’s natural and human history and solutions for a more sustainable ecosystem.
In education, the foundation says it supports organizations focused on early childhood education and opportunities for vulnerable children. Grantee Identity describes its mission as creating opportunities for youth, families, and communities with the most need; Educare DC describes its work as addressing the opportunity gap for young children living in poverty through early childhood education. The foundation also says it continues to support selected medical organizations in areas including breast cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s research.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 36 grants totaling $1,130,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $70,000, with a median of $30,000. Its largest grant was $70,000 to Chesapeake Conservancy for general operating support. Other notable grants included $60,000 to the National Park Foundation for the Forward Fund (general operating support), $55,000 to Identity for Encuentros community-based nonclinical emotional support groups for elementary school parents, and $50,000 each to Centronia for general operating support and National Park Trust for youth programs and general operating support.
The foundation’s website says applications are accepted by invitation only. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) public charities whose activities and programs are compatible with the foundation’s mission and objectives. The foundation does not consider requests from individuals, endowments, political organizations, international organizations, or for-profit entities. If funding is approved, grantees are notified by email and must submit a report; incomplete applications are not considered. The foundation also asks to be notified if a funding goal is reached before its decision or if a project is cancelled.
Invitation Only
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Applications are accepted by invitation through its online grants application portal, following the instructions in the invitation. An invitation to apply is not a guarantee of funding.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website identifies education, primarily in the Washington metropolitan area, as a grantmaking focus and describes support for local DC environmental conservancies and nonprofits. In 2025, 41% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland and 28% to recipients in the District of Columbia; other leading recipient states were Florida (8%), South Carolina (5%), and Pennsylvania (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $732K (2020) to $1.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 36 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Identity ($95K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $555K.
Grant Size Distribution
177 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 153 grants of 177 (86%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake Conservancy Inc Annapolis, MD | General Operating Support | $70,000 |
| National Park Foundation Baltimore, MD | Forward Fund (General Operating Support) | $60,000 |
| Identity Gaithersburg, MD | Encuentros community-based nonclinical emotional support groups for elementary school parents | $55,000 |
| Centronia Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| National Park Trust Rockville, MD | Youth Programs & General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Nature Forward FKA Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic Stat Chevy Chase, MD | General Operating Support | $45,000 |
| Sultana Education Foundation Chestertown, MD | Wild Wetlands Program | $45,000 |
| Alice Ferguson Foundation Accokeek, MD | General Operating Support | $40,000 |
| Ashley Hall Foundation Charleston, SC | General Operating Support for Horizons | $40,000 |
| Communities in Schools of the Nation's Capital Washington, DC | General Operating | $40,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,626,107 | $2,403,269 | $1,393,229 | $1,130,000 |
| 2024 | $11,616,067 | $1,423,590 | $1,319,313 | $1,070,000 |
| 2023 | $11,511,790 | $848,650 | $1,242,039 | $1,035,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $12,626,107 | $11,616,067 | $11,511,790 |
| Revenue | $2,403,269 | $1,423,590 | $848,650 |
| Expenses | $1,393,229 | $1,319,313 | $1,242,039 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,230,660 | $1,175,073 | $1,129,336 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,236,368 | $1,285,700 | $704,365 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,373,741 | $1,275,384 | $1,085,697 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 31, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 29, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 13, 2024)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan Gosnell Brown as president, Teresa Gosnell Doggett as vice-president, Katherine Hollingsworth Gelatt as treasurer, William T Doggett as secretary, and Britton Gosnell Brown as director.
John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation is led by Susan Gosnell Brown, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan Gosnell Brown
President
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Britton Gosnell Brown
Director
Director -Term Started → Treasurer, 2023
Treasurer → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Hollingsworth Gelatt
Treasurer
Vice President & Treasurer → Director, 2024
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Teresa Gosnell Doggett
Vice President
Chairman → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William T. Doggett
Secretary
Director -Term Started → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kristin Hagedorn Doggett (2019–2024) — Director
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.
Contact
Mailing address: Co Susan G Brown 5317 Kenwood Av, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Phone: (301) 761-4433
Website: https://gosnellfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation
How much does John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation give each year?
John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation gave $1.1M across 36 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 37 grants.
What is John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation's typical grant size?
John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $31,389, across 36 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation give grants?
John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation's top state is Maryland, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (28%) and Florida (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (10 grants), Durham, NC (3 grants), Gaithersburg, MD (2 grants) and Baltimore, MD (2 grants).
Does John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (25 of 36) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation's largest grantees?
John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Identity ($95,000 across 2 grants), Centronia ($70,000 across 2 grants) and Chesapeake Conservancy Inc ($70,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation?
John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation reported $12.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (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 John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to ensure present and future generations’ access to educational opportunities and experiences in nature, particularly addressing children who face barriers to success in the education system and natural environments that are at risk. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation's EIN?
John G & Jean R Gosnell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1829618. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does John G & Jean R Gosnell 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.
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