Jrs Biodiversity Foundation
The JRS Biodiversity Foundation is an independent grantmaking foundation based in Arlington, Virginia. Established in 2004 using proceeds from the sale of BIOSIS (Biological Abstracts) to Thomson Scientific, the foundation carries forward a legacy of making biological knowledge accessible and useful. The foundation's name honors Jacob Richard Schramm, founding editor of Biological Abstracts in 1925.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$49.9M
+4.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.2M
-10.8% YoY
Grant Count
38
-13.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$58K
+3.3% YoY
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
Vision: Biodiversity knowledge substantially contributes to conserving the Earth's biodiversity for the benefit of society and healthy ecosystems.
Mission: To increase access and use of information that will lead to greater biodiversity conservation and more sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa.
Theory of Change: Through targeted funding of biodiversity informatics, leveraging strategic partnerships, and increasing use of biodiversity information, JRS contributes to improvements in biodiversity conservation outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa.
The foundation operates three strategic program areas:
- Freshwater Biodiversity
- Agrobiodiversity (recently expanded focus)
- Biodiversity Informatics (core focus across all programs)
The foundation's work centers on supporting biodiversity informatics—systems and tools used to preserve and sustainably manage biodiversity. It aims to make biodiversity information more widely available to researchers, local communities, conservation practitioners, policy makers, and the public.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $30,000 - $500,000
Average Grant
** $175,000 over 3 years
How to Apply
** RFP-based with Letters of Inquiry welcomed. Pre-application support available with fast 2-day feedback on proposal summaries to assess fit with foundation priorities.
Ready to take the next step with Jrs Biodiversity Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa. The foundation maintains a Program Officer based in Nairobi, Kenya, and operates in multiple countries including Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Congo, and Chad.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $47.6 million (2023)
Annual Revenue: $8.14 million (2023)
Annual Expenses: $4.71 million (2023)
Total Liabilities: $4.41 million (2023)
Tax Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; tax-exempt since March 1928; EIN: 23-1352035
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $49,898,793 | $47,569,660 | $44,388,946 |
| Revenue | $2,341,293 | $8,140,939 | $1,935,465 |
| Expenses | $2,715,666 | $4,708,532 | $3,633,096 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,822,976 | $3,110,398 | $2,392,200 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,113,817 | $7,823,507 | $1,545,606 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,378,595 | $2,197,233 | $2,336,847 |
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
147 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Sanparks Scientific Services ($175,000), University of Florida ($150,000), Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic ($114,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CONSERVE GLOBAL | THE PROJECT WILL UNDERTAKE GROUND SAMPLING AND SURVEYS WITH REMOTE SENSING DATA TO PRODUCE ACCURATE VEGETATION AND LAND COVER MAPS, ASSESS THREATS AND DOCUMENT TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USAGE OF PLANT SPECIES IN THE TONDWA GMA IN NORTHERN ZAMBIA. IT WILL ALSO BUILD MONITORING CAPACITY AMONG FOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND FOUR EARLY CAREER ZAMBIAN BOTANISTS AND GREATER SENSITIZATION AND SUPPORT AMONG ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE NSAMA COMMUNITY RESOURCES BOARD. | $65,000 |
| EAST AFRICAN WILDLIFE SOCIETY | FOR THE PROJECT "UNLOCKING BIODIVERSITY DATA TO FACILITATE DESIGNATION OF LAKE OF BOLOSSAT AS THE 7TH RAMSAR SITE IN KENYA." | $50,000 |
| ENDANGERED WILDLIFE TRUST | FOR THE PROJECT "DEVELOPING A 30-BY-30 LANDSCAPE PLANNING TOOL FOR SOUTH AFRICA THAT BALANCES THE NEED FOR CONSERVATION, AGRICULTURE, AND RENEWABLE ENERGY. | $28,000 |
| FRESHWATER RESEARCH CENTRE | IN SUPPORT OF ITS WORK TO EXPAND RESEARCH CAPACITY AND DATA ACCESS FOR THE FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION SYSTEM (THE "PROJECT OR "FBIS-2"). | $75,886 |
| GAEA SEYCHELLES | FOR THE PROJECT "DEVELOPING A FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN THE SEYCHELLES." | $87,000 |
| HAWASSA UNIVERSITY | TO GENERATE INFORMATION ON INSECT POLLINATORS DIVERSITY, SHARE DATA OPENLY AND CREATE AWARENESS THROUGH PLATFORMS ON FOOD SECURITY AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH VALUES OF INSECT POLLINATORS UNDER DIFFERENT LAND USES IN AND AROUND KAFA BIOSPHERE RESERVE AND BALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK. EXPERTISE ON INSECT POLLINATORS' DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION IN ETHIOPIA WILL BE ENHANCED, DATA WILL BE OPENLY SHARED, AND TRAININGS AND COMMUNICATIONS WILL TAKE PLACE. POLICY BRIEFS WILL BE PREPARED AND DISSEMINATED. | $65,000 |
| INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY (ICIPE) | FOR THE PROJECT "INCREASE KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS AND DATA ACCESSIBILITY FOR BEE AND DIPTERAN POLLINATORS, THEIR FORAGE PLANT SPECIES TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION OF PLANT-POLLINATOR INTERACTIONS IN CAMEROON." | $76,000 |
| INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION | FOR THE PROJECT "DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING AN ECOLOGICAL MONITORING PLAN AND A WETLAND INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR THE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE KAFUE FLATS, ZAMBIA" | $45,000 |
| IUCN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA PROGRAM | FOR THE PROJECT "SUPPORT FOR THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF DATABASES FOR AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS IN THE CHARI-LOGONE SUB-BASIN" | $8,966 |
| KABALE UNIVERSITY UGANDA | FOR THE PROJECT "SITE SELECTION TO PROTECT PAPYRUS ENDEMIC BIODIVERSITY IN UGANDA." | $44,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President: Guy Midgley (recognized with the Green Economy Award in 2024 for work in climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATTHEW CASSETTA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $190,000 |
| MICHAEL NKONU | TRUSTEE | 1.5 | $7,000 |
| JULIUS ECURU | SECRETARY | 1.5 | $7,000 |
| ALASDAIR PHILIP | TRUSTEE | 1.5 | $7,000 |
| BALDWYN TORTO | VICE PRESIDENT | 1.5 | $7,000 |
| MICHELLE JL MARTIN | TRUSTEE | 1.5 | $7,000 |
| GUY MIDGLEY | PRESIDENT | 1.5 | $7,000 |
| MOHAMMED BAKARR | TRUSTEE | 1.5 | — |
| GRACE MWAURA | TRUSTEE | 1.5 | — |
| ALECIA CHEN | TRUSTEE | 1.5 | — |
| BENJAMIN RADER | TRUSTEE | 1.5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**Rwanda Biodiversity Information System Launch:** Policymakers and stakeholders launched the Rwanda Biodiversity Information System (RBIS), a major initiative supported by the foundation.
Success! Policymakers and Stakeholders Launch the Rwanda Biodiversity Information**Senegal and Chad Capacity-Building:** Capacity-building efforts in Senegal and Chad yielded significant increases in flora data records.
Senegal and Chad Capacity-Building Yield Huge Increase in Flora Data Records**Kenya Scientific Conference:** Kenya hosted its first joint international scientific conference highlighting applied biodiversity research supported by the foundation.
Kenya\u2019s 1st Joint International Scientific Conference Highlights Applied\**Indigenous Partnerships:** JRS established locally-led indigenous partnerships in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
JRS Establishes Indigenous Parnerships in Kenya and D.R. Congo - JRS Biodiversity**CARN Collaboration:** The foundation partnered with the Conservation Action Research Network (CARN) to build African capacity in biodiversity research and conservation.
Senegal and Chad Capacity-Building Yield Huge Increase in Flora Data RecordsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Jrs Biodiversity Foundation fund?
**Vision:** Biodiversity knowledge substantially contributes to conserving the Earth's biodiversity for the benefit of society and healthy ecosystems. **Mission:** To increase access and use of information that will lead to greater biodiversity conservation and more sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. **Theory of Change:** Through targeted funding of biodiversity informatics, leveraging strategic partnerships, and increasing use of biodiversity information, JRS contributes to improve…
How do I apply for a grant from Jrs Biodiversity Foundation?
**Annual Giving:** Approximately $2 million per year **Grant Range:** $30,000 - $500,000 **Average Grant:** $175,000 over 3 years **Number of Grants:** Approximately 10-44 grants annually (varies by year) **Application Process:** RFP-based with Letters of Inquiry welcomed. Pre-application support available with fast 2-day feedback on proposal summaries to assess fit with foundation priorities. **Decision Timeline:** 6+ months
Where does Jrs Biodiversity Foundation make grants?
The foundation funds exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa. The foundation maintains a Program Officer based in Nairobi, Kenya, and operates in multiple countries including Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Congo, and Chad.
What size grants does Jrs Biodiversity Foundation award?
In 2024, Jrs Biodiversity Foundation awarded 38 grants totaling $2.2M — an average of about $58K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Jrs Biodiversity Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Jrs Biodiversity Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Jrs Biodiversity Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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