Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc

COLUMBUS, GA EIN: 58-6049589

JW & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc is a private foundation established in 1960 and located in Columbus, Georgia. The foundation operates as a family foundation with a focus on philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$10.1M

-4.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.8M

-15.4% YoY

Grant Count

-3.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$34K

-12.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $2.1M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily funds:

Education
Youth development
Historic preservation
Arts
Hospice care
Homeless shelter
Health and medical services
Youth homes

Grantmaking

The foundation is an active grantmaker with significant annual giving activity.

Grant Range

Ready to take the next step with Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds organizations primarily in Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Grant Distribution by State

Georgia $7.8M (85%)

Alabama $624K (7%)

Colorado $556K (6%)

Virginia $77K (1%)

North Carolina $54K (1%)

VI $27K (0%)

California $12K (0%)

Massachusetts $12K (0%)

+6 more states

States

Alabama Arizona California Colorado Florida Georgia Massachusetts North Carolina New York Ohio Tennessee Virginia Vi

Cities

AthensAtlantaAuburnBoulderCarbondaleChattanoogaCincinnatiClaytonColumbusCoral GablesDuluthGainesvilleLagrangeMariettaMarshallMiddleburgMidlandNew YorkPaxtonRoswell

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year Ending July 2024:

Total assets: $10,603,442
Total revenues: $1,328,843
Total expenses: $2,204,443

Staff: The foundation operates with 0 employees.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	$10,092,726	$10,603,442	$10,845,301
Revenue	$1,304,952	$1,328,843	$1,239,608
Expenses	$1,815,668	$2,204,443	$2,010,151
Qualifying Distributions	$1,794,337	$2,150,879	$1,991,717
Net Investment Income	$1,302,114	$1,294,479	$1,236,984
Distributable Amount	$2,122,609	$1,937,034	$1,990,615

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 2025

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley Inc ($300,000), Auburn University Foundation ($245,000), Brookstone School Inc ($216,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION COLUMBUS, GA	HEALTH/MEDICAL	$5,000
ATHENS AREA COMMUNITY FDN ATHENS, GA	KIRBY SMART FDN	$4,000
AUBURN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION AUBURN, AL	SCHOLARSHIPS	$245,000
AUBURN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION AUBURN, AL	EDUCATION - AEROSPACE ENGINEERING	$3,000
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA - CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNCIL COLUMBUS, GA	YOUTH DEVELOPMENT	$5,000
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF CHATT VALLEY COLUMBUS, GA	YOUTH DEVELOPMENT	$50,000
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA ATLANTA, GA	YOUTH DEVELOPMENT	$5,000
BROOKSTONE SCHOOL INC COLUMBUS, GA	EDUCATION	$216,000
COLORADO ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCHOOL CARBONDALE, CO	EDUCATION	$6,000
COLUMBUS HOSPICE INC COLUMBUS, GA	HOSPICE CARE	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
CHRISTOPHER S WOODRUFF	CHAIRMAN & CEO	2	—
SHEILA D FERRY	DIRECTOR	1	—
KATHERINE F WOODRUFF	VICE CHAIR	2	—
JAMES W WOODRUFF III	DIRECTOR	1	—
DINA WOODRUFF	DIRECTOR	1	—
TIMOTHY L DECAMP	TREASURER/SECRETARY	2	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation primarily funds: • Education • Youth development • Historic preservation • Arts • Hospice care • Homeless shelter • Health and medical services • Youth homes

How do I apply for a grant from Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc?

The foundation is an active grantmaker with significant annual giving activity. **Recent Grant Activity (Fiscal Year 2024):** • Total grants awarded: 59 grants • Total giving: $1,378,164 **Notable Recent Grants:** • Auburn University Foundation: $350,000 (Scholarships) • Springer Opera House Arts Association: $330,164 (Arts) • Georgia State University Foundation: $100,000 (Education) **Grant Range:** Typical awards range from $3,000 to $665,097.

Where does Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc make grants?

The foundation funds organizations primarily in Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina.

What size grants does Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc award?

In 2025, Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc awarded 53 grants totaling $1.8M — an average of about $34K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $2.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc's EIN?

Jw & Ethel I Woodruff Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-6049589. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.