Jonathan M Nelson Family Foundation
The Jonathan M Nelson Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 1999 and based in Providence, Rhode Island. Located at 50 Kennedy Plaza, 18th Floor, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a focus on philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors and geographic regions.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$179.5M
+3.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.8M
+124.3% YoY
Grant Count
14
-41.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$630K
+284.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving priorities include:
- Higher education
- The arts
- Health
- Children, youth, and social services
- Education
- Human services
Grantmaking
The foundation made 43 grants in 2023. Notable recent grants include:
Average Grant
amount: $382,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- Rhode Island
- New York
- Massachusetts
These three states account for approximately 88% of all grants. The foundation's grantmaking also reaches organizations across six states total, including New Jersey, California, and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (Most Recent Data):
- Total assets: $179,534,729 (2024)
- Total assets: $174,217,203 (2023)
- Total revenues: $16,217,563 (2024)
- Total revenues: $9,396,755 (2023)
- Total giving: $8,814,750 (2024)
- Total expenses: $10,700,000 (2024)
- Total expenses: $5,874,911 (2023)
Asset Growth: Total assets have grown from $33.3 million in 2011 to $179.5 million in 2024, demonstrating significant growth in the foundation's endowment.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $179,534,729 | $174,217,203 | $180,007,191 |
| Revenue | $16,217,563 | $9,396,755 | $36,284,929 |
| Expenses | $10,705,620 | $5,874,911 | $7,915,050 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $8,814,750 | $3,930,250 | $6,010,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $14,975,073 | $2,740,129 | $26,955,325 |
| Distributable Amount | $10,496,378 | $9,100,929 | $8,531,686 |
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
94 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
Jonathan M Nelson is the founder and CEO of Providence Equity Partners. He has committed to The Giving Pledge, pledging to give away at least half of his wealth to philanthropy.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JONATHAN M NELSON | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| DAVID K DUFFELL | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| JANE S NELSON | TRUSTEE | — | — |
Contact Information
- Phone: 401-751-1700
- Address: 50 Kennedy Plaza, 18th Floor, Providence, RI 02903-2393
- EIN: 05-0504814
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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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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