John R Woods Foundation
The John R Woods Foundation is a private foundation based in Detroit, Michigan. It made 54 grants totaling $205,000 in 2024 to organizations working in areas including poverty relief, environmental conservation, health, and community support.
John R Woods Foundation at a glance
In short: John R Woods Foundation gave $205K across 54 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), top state Colorado. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $205,000
- -6.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 54
- +10.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,796
- -15.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $3,367,667
- -3.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (14 of 54, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (30% 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 John R Woods Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2023 filing states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. It directs applicants to contact the foundation and provide a cover letter explaining their organization’s purposes and a copy of their 501(c)(3) determination letter. The filing states that there are no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: John Woods Foundation
Mailing address: 13205 Manchester Road, Saint Louis, MO 63131
Phone: (314) 543-3474
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John R Woods Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was America First Policy Institute ($23K). Together the top 10 received $113K.
Grant Size Distribution
269 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 269 grants of 269 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado (30%), Virginia (16%), Massachusetts (10%), New York (8%), and Oregon (6%). These figures describe recipient states, not a stated geographic eligibility policy.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is John R Woods Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 54 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 74% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 105% 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 $194K (2021) to $220K (2023). In 2024 it made 54 grants totaling $205K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| America First Policy Institute Arlington, VA | Support Daily Operations | $22,500 |
| Red Wind Councils Inc Uxbridge, MA | Support for Daily | $19,000 |
| Everytown for Gun Safety New York, NY | Support for Daily | $10,000 |
| American Conservative Union Foundation Washington, DC | Support for Daily | $10,000 |
| Colorado Nonprofit Development Center Denver, CO | Support for Daily | $10,000 |
| Matw Project USA Alexandria, VA | Support Daily Operations | $10,000 |
| Life Quest Foundation Inc Parowan, UT | Support Daily Operations | $10,000 |
| Southern Oregon Land Conservancy Inc Ashland, OR | Support for Daily | $8,000 |
| Upavim Community Development Bryan, TX | Support for Daily | $7,000 |
| Street Wise Arts Boulder, CO | Support for Daily | $6,000 |
Ready to take the next step with John R Woods 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 | $3,367,667 | $132,905 | $250,905 | $205,000 | 54 | $210,625 | $90,463 | $199,926 |
| 2023 | $3,487,095 | $204,580 | $265,425 | $220,000 | 49 | $226,559 | $147,386 | $205,507 |
| 2022 | $3,546,707 | $72,961 | $255,813 | $199,000 | 52 | $205,789 | $70,820 | $195,903 |
| 2021 | $3,727,172 | $597,998 | $246,805 | $194,000 | 55 | — | $548,932 | $216,437 |
| 2020 | $3,376,862 | $142,493 | $273,816 | $218,000 | 59 | — | $69,678 | $222,923 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John R Woods Foundation reported a distributable amount of $200K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included organizations with varied missions. For example, MATW Project USA describes its work as providing sustainable solutions to poverty and empowering underprivileged people; Southern Oregon Land Conservancy says it conserves and enhances land in Southern Oregon; and There With Care serves families with critically ill children by providing basic-needs programs.
Other 2024 recipients include USA Shooting, whose stated mission is to empower American athletes for Olympic and Paralympic success and grow the shooting-sports community; PridePads Africa, which supports education and menstrual health for girls and women in underdeveloped African communities; and Friends of the Congo, which raises awareness of challenges in Congo and supports Congolese institutions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 54 grants totaling $205,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $22,500, with a median of $2,000. Among the largest were $22,500 to America First Policy Institute, $19,000 to Red Wind Councils Inc, and $10,000 each to Everytown for Gun Safety, American Conservative Union Foundation, Colorado Nonprofit Development Center, MATW Project USA, and Life Quest Foundation Inc.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Catherine Woods Hill, John Woods, Julia Woods Hill, and Laura Woods Gunderson as co-trustees, and Comerica Bank as trustee.
John R Woods Foundation's 2024 filing lists 5 officers; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Comerica Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$9K (2021) → $11K (2024)
Catherine Woods Hill
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Woods
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julia Woods Hill
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Woods Gunderson
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Cibc Bank USA (2021) — Trustee
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 $11K, to Comerica Bank (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about John R Woods Foundation
How much does John R Woods Foundation give each year?
John R Woods Foundation gave $205K across 54 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $220K across 49 grants.
What is John R Woods Foundation's typical grant size?
John R Woods Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,796, across 54 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John R Woods Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does John R Woods Foundation give grants?
John R Woods Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (16%) and Massachusetts (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boulder, CO (14 grants), Denver, CO (4 grants), Longmont, CO (4 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does John R Woods Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 54 grants with a stated purpose on John R Woods Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support for Daily" (40 grants) and "Support Daily Operations" (14 grants).
Who are John R Woods Foundation's largest grantees?
John R Woods Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include America First Policy Institute ($22,500), Red Wind Councils Inc ($19,000) and Everytown for Gun Safety ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is John R Woods Foundation?
John R Woods Foundation reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $211K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $200K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does John R Woods Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John R Woods Foundation?
The foundation’s 2023 filing states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John R Woods Foundation's EIN?
John R Woods Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-6155799. 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John R Woods Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-r-woods-foundation-morg_dd2fb7e773b742d3b041e02bc7d5080a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_276155799_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John R Woods Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-r-woods-foundation-morg_dd2fb7e773b742d3b041e02bc7d5080a},
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 John R Woods 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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