JRS Biodiversity Foundation
JRS Biodiversity Foundation is an independent grantmaking foundation based in the United States and located in Arlington, Virginia. It supports projects that expand access to and use of biodiversity information in sub-Saharan Africa, with an emphasis on connecting data and knowledge to people who can use them.
JRS Biodiversity Foundation at a glance
In short: JRS Biodiversity Foundation gave $2.2M across 38 grants in 2024 (avg $58K), top state Florida. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,195,626
- -10.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 38
- -13.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $57,780
- +3.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $47,500
- Total assets
- $49,898,793
- +4.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (6 of 35, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Florida (7% 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 JRS Biodiversity Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
JRS accepts unsolicited requests in the form of brief Letters of Inquiry, which may be sent at any time. It does not accept full proposals outside an open call or specific solicitation; applicants should not develop a full proposal unless invited. The foundation posts open calls on its website and announces them through its social media channels and website. Applications must be submitted in writing, and the format of grant request forms may vary. Proposals generally include a narrative, timeline with indicators and milestones, detailed budget, and data-sharing and risk-management plans. Priority is given to proposals that most closely match the foundation’s mission and its scope of interdisciplinary activities, primarily carried out through collaborations in developing countries and economies in transition.
- Review Cycle
- Application deadlines vary from year to year. Requests for proposals typically allow 6–8 weeks for pre-proposals.
- Deadline
- Application deadlines vary from year to year.
- Contact
Application contact: Matthew V Cassetta Executive Direct
Mailing address: PO Box 4541, Arlington, VA 22204
Phone: (571) 347-0545
Website: https://jrsbiodiversity.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who JRS Biodiversity Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Sanparks Scientific Services ($175K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
147 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 61 grants of 147 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
JRS focuses its funding on biodiversity data and information systems in sub-Saharan Africa. It does not fund projects focused on biodiversity in other continents or subregions unless they support biodiversity data and information systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
Cities
Is JRS Biodiversity Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 35 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $38K; repeat grants $68K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $65K repeat.
- 80% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+19%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 119% 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 $1.8M (2022) to $2.6M (2020). In 2024 it made 38 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sanparks Scientific Services | For the project "overcoming pandemic threats to bioinformatics in south africa's national parks." | $175,000 |
| University of Florida Gainesville, FL | For the project "freshwater biodiversity data of rivers of the lake victoria basin." | $150,000 |
| Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic Chicago, IL | Critical biodiversity surveys in the lake tanganyika and ruzizi river basins | $114,000 |
| Wildfowl Wetlands Trust | For the Project "Madagascar Wetlands Knowledge Base." | $105,000 |
| Water Journalists Africa - Infonile | For the project "nilewell: promoting trust of biodiversity information between scientists and communicators in the nile river basin." | $103,000 |
| Wildlife Conservation Society | For the project "freshwater biodiversity data collection system (FBDC) for conservation and sustainable development of the northeast protected area complex (NPAC) in the central african republic." | $98,000 |
| Nature Uganda | For the project "training a cohort of herpetologists to increase data knowledge in uganda and build capacity for baseline herpetology surveys in key ecosystems of east africa." | $95,000 |
| Gaea Seychelles | For the project "developing a freshwater biodiversity information system for conservation and management in the seychelles." | $87,000 |
| Conservation Action Research Network Topanga, CA | Aspire grant projects support for scholars in congo basin and albertine rift | $85,000 |
| Royal Botanic Gardens KEW | For the project "enhancing data access to transform guinea's capacity to identify and protect its threatened plants." | $76,145 |
Ready to take the next step with JRS Biodiversity 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 | $49,898,793 | $2,341,293 | $2,715,666 | $2,195,626 | 38 | $2,822,976 | $2,113,817 | $2,378,595 |
| 2023 | $47,569,660 | $8,140,939 | $4,708,532 | $2,461,552 | 44 | $3,110,398 | $7,823,507 | $2,197,233 |
| 2022 | $44,388,946 | $1,935,465 | $3,633,096 | $1,756,983 | 21 | $2,392,200 | $1,545,606 | $2,336,847 |
| 2021 | $55,350,781 | $4,706,989 | $2,460,351 | $1,849,440 | 17 | $2,201,020 | $4,312,866 | $2,592,126 |
| 2020 | $51,039,906 | $3,343,905 | $2,987,439 | $2,567,501 | 27 | — | $3,009,085 | $2,276,292 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, JRS Biodiversity Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.4M 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
JRS’s mission is to increase access to and use of information that can contribute to greater biodiversity conservation and more sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. Its grantmaking programs are Freshwater Biodiversity and Resources; Pollinator Biodiversity and Services; and Building Capacity and Partnerships for Biodiversity Informatics.
The foundation funds universities, NGOs, museums, and government agencies, including U.S. and international organizations. It does not fund individuals. Its stated exclusions include emergency projects, land acquisition, endowments, environmental restoration, reforestation, water treatment, and projects involving political activity, lobbying, or influencing legislation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, JRS awarded 38 grants totaling $2,195,626. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $175,000, with a median of $47,500. Examples include $175,000 to SANParks Scientific Services for a project addressing pandemic threats to bioinformatics in South Africa’s national parks; $150,000 to the University of Florida for freshwater biodiversity data on rivers of the Lake Victoria Basin; and $114,000 to the Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic for biodiversity surveys in the Lake Tanganyika and Ruzizi River basins.
Other 2024 awards included $105,000 to Wildfowl Wetlands Trust for a Madagascar wetlands knowledge base, $103,000 to Water Journalists Africa – InfoNile for its NileWell project, and $98,000 to the Wildlife Conservation Society for a freshwater biodiversity data collection system in the Central African Republic.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Matthew Cassetta as executive director; Guy Midgley as president; Baldwyn Torto as vice president; Julius Ecuru as secretary; and Michael Nkonu, Alasdair Philip, Michelle JL Martin, Mohammed Bakarr, Grace Mwaura, and Alecia Chen as trustees.
JRS Biodiversity Foundation is led by Guy Midgley, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 7 of 11 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Guy Midgley
President
Trustee → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
$10K (2021) → $7K (2024)
Matthew Cassetta
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$141K (2021) → $190K (2024)
Benjamin Rader
Trustee
Trustee → Treasurer, 2021
Treasurer → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
$10K (2021) → $0 (2024)
Michelle Jl Martin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
$10K (2021) → $7K (2024)
Alasdair Philip
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
$5K (2022) → $7K (2024)
Michael Nkonu
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
$5K (2022) → $7K (2024)
Alecia Chen
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
$5K (2023) → $0 (2024)
Grace Mwaura
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
$5K (2023) → $0 (2024)
Mohammed Bakarr
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Baldwyn Torto
Vice President
President → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
$10K (2021) → $7K (2024)
Julius Ecuru
Secretary
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
$5K (2022) → $7K (2024)
Former officers (10)
- Former: Sandy J. Andelman (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Kris Krishtalka (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Allyson Fish (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Ellen V. Martz (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Sarah Lynch (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Akica Bahri (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Bonnie Cockman (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Don Doering (2020) — Executive Director
- Former: Leonard Krishtalka (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Lucy Irungu (2020) — 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 $190K, to Matthew Cassetta (Executive Director). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about JRS Biodiversity Foundation
How much does JRS Biodiversity Foundation give each year?
JRS Biodiversity Foundation gave $2.2M across 38 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.5M across 44 grants.
What is JRS Biodiversity Foundation's typical grant size?
JRS Biodiversity Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $47,500, and its average grant was $57,780, across 38 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from JRS Biodiversity Foundation that year got $38K on average.
Where does JRS Biodiversity Foundation give grants?
JRS Biodiversity Foundation's top state is Florida, with 7% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was Illinois (5%).
Does JRS Biodiversity Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 38 grants with a stated purpose on JRS Biodiversity Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are JRS Biodiversity Foundation's largest grantees?
JRS Biodiversity Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Sanparks Scientific Services ($175,000), University of Florida ($150,000) and Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic ($114,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is JRS Biodiversity Foundation?
JRS Biodiversity Foundation reported $49.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does JRS Biodiversity Foundation fund?
JRS’s mission is to increase access to and use of information that can contribute to greater biodiversity conservation and more sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from JRS Biodiversity Foundation?
JRS accepts unsolicited requests in the form of brief Letters of Inquiry, which may be sent at any time. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is JRS Biodiversity Foundation's EIN?
JRS Biodiversity Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-1352035. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does JRS Biodiversity Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 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). JRS Biodiversity Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jrs-biodiversity-foundation-morg_2a8c22f393bf446385face31a59d305d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_231352035_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{JRS Biodiversity Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jrs-biodiversity-foundation-morg_2a8c22f393bf446385face31a59d305d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 JRS Biodiversity 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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