Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc
The Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2024 filing reports 41 grants totaling $2,185,478, including support for a university library, Jewish organizations, health and human services, civil liberties, arts and cultural institutions, and other organizations.
Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc gave $2.2M across 41 grants in 2024 (avg $53K), mostly in Missouri. 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,185,478
- +245.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 41
- +13.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $53,304
- +203.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $17,680,117
- -5.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (6 of 41, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (88% 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 Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1401 S Brentwood Blvd 200, St Louis, MO 63144
Phone: (314) 514-8881
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Washington University St Louis ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
188 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 170 grants of 188 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri, 11% to recipients in New York, and 1% to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 41 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $60K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 460% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 186% 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 $390K (2021) to $2.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 41 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Washington University St Louis St. Louis, MO | Support of University Library | $1,020,000 |
| Temple Israel St. Louis, MO | General Operating Support | $250,000 |
| Jewish Federation of St Louis St. Louis, MO | General Operating Support | $187,014 |
| Barnes Jewish Hospital St. Louis, MO | Support Needy Families | $100,000 |
| Hillel at Binghampton Binghampton, NY | General Operating Support | $75,000 |
| Jewish Association Serving the Aging Brooklyn, NY | General Operating Support | $75,000 |
| Planned Parenthood St. Louis, MO | General Operating Support | $60,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Kansas City, MO | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| VNS Health of New York New York, NY | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| St Louis Psychoanalytic Institute St. Louis, MO | General Operating Support | $40,000 |
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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 | $17,680,117 | $905,586 | $2,451,875 | $2,185,478 | 41 | $2,306,975 | $770,686 | $1,239,383 |
| 2023 | $18,686,136 | $562,473 | $821,001 | $633,172 | 36 | $753,257 | $492,695 | $1,118,452 |
| 2022 | $18,573,693 | $361,228 | $903,730 | $706,848 | 39 | $807,866 | $306,706 | $1,137,713 |
| 2021 | $18,938,203 | $1,001,429 | $469,162 | $390,200 | 35 | $439,153 | $986,420 | $1,200,745 |
| 2020 | $18,342,225 | $422,305 | $511,368 | $411,695 | 37 | — | $400,802 | $1,054,858 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.2M 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 show support for organizations working in areas including higher education, Jewish community life, health and human services, civil liberties, mental health, arts and culture, food assistance, and Holocaust education.
The grantees describe their own missions in varied terms. Jewish Federation of St. Louis says it mobilizes Jewish community resources to preserve and enhance Jewish life in St. Louis, Israel, and around the world. The American Civil Liberties Union says its Missouri-based nonprofit law firm works to defend and extend civil liberties and advance equality and liberty. St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute says it advances psychoanalysis through training, treatment, education, and research to benefit community mental health. St. Louis Art Museum Foundation says its purpose is to support the Saint Louis Art Museum. Operation Food Search says it works to heal hunger, while the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum describes its work as connecting visitors to Holocaust history and lessons through exhibitions and education.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 41 grants totaling $2,185,478. Grants ranged from $100 to $1,020,000, with a median grant of $15,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $1,020,000 to Washington University in St. Louis for support of its university library; $250,000 to Temple Israel for general operating support; $187,014 to Jewish Federation of St. Louis for general operating support; and $100,000 to Barnes Jewish Hospital to support needy families. Other awards included $75,000 each to Hillel at Binghamton and Jewish Association Serving the Aging, and $60,000 to Planned Parenthood for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Hope R. Edison as president, treasurer, and secretary; Charles A. Lowenhaupt as deputy director; and Carolyn M. Ohlsen as deputy director.
Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc is led by Hope R. Edison, President, Treasurer & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Hope R. Edison
President, Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn M. Ohlsen
Deputy Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles A. Lowenhaupt
Deputy Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc
How much does Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc give each year?
Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc gave $2.2M across 41 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $633K across 36 grants.
What is Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $53,304, across 41 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc that year got $16K on average.
Where does Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc give grants?
Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc gives mostly in Missouri: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (29 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (37 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Washington University St Louis ($1,020,000), Temple Israel ($250,000) and Jewish Federation of St Louis ($187,014), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc?
Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc reported $17.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including higher education, Jewish community life, health and human services, civil liberties, mental health, arts and culture, food assistance, and Holocaust education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc's EIN?
Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-6027034. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 6, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/julian-i-and-hope-r-edison-foundation-inc-morg_91f205aef2f64e2fb466ab631fc9e54b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_436027034_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Julian I \& Hope R Edison Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/julian-i-and-hope-r-edison-foundation-inc-morg_91f205aef2f64e2fb466ab631fc9e54b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Julian I & Hope R Edison Foundation Inc'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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