Petters Family Foundation
The Petters Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Newport News, Virginia. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in education, youth development, community programs, and cultural and environmental education.
Petters Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Petters Family Foundation gave $3.2M across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $112K), mostly in Virginia. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,244,490
- +18.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $111,879
- +18.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $50,258,028
- +28.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (6 of 29, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (78% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Petters Family Foundation
- 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: 134 James River Drive, Newport News, VA 23601
Phone: (757) 880-4138
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Petters Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was William & Mary Foundation ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $2.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 110 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia. Other recipient states were Maryland (8%), Louisiana (7%), Georgia (5%), and Florida (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Petters Family Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 29 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $172K; repeat grants $96K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 39% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.0M (2021) to $3.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $3.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| William & Mary Foundation Williamsburg, VA | Sponsorship of Camp Launch Program and General Support | $1,000,000 |
| Soundscapes Newport News, VA | General Support | $366,990 |
| US Naval Academy Foundation Annapolis, MD | Support of naval academy annual fund, stem and minority outreach for admissions. | $250,000 |
| Virginia Living Museum Newport News, VA | General Support | $250,000 |
| Son of a Saint New Orleans, LA | Improving the lives of fatherless boys in new orlelans | $210,000 |
| An Achievable Dream Newport News, VA | General Fund Support | $205,000 |
| Peake Childhood Center Hampton, VA | General Support for Low Income Early Childhood Education | $202,500 |
| Virginia Foundation for Community College Education North Chesterfield, VA | General Support | $200,000 |
| Bearings Bike Shop Atlanta, GA | Capital and Operational Support | $150,000 |
| Jesuit High School Tampa, FL | General Support | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Petters Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,258,028 | $14,865,321 | $3,790,115 | $3,244,490 | 29 | $3,250,431 | $14,686,515 | $3,029,683 |
| 2024 | $39,182,822 | $15,169,755 | $2,969,032 | $2,737,923 | 29 | $2,743,592 | $15,026,867 | $3,016,139 |
| 2023 | $26,982,099 | $5,182,581 | $2,783,627 | $2,642,565 | 22 | $2,648,015 | $4,128,949 | $2,736,369 |
| 2022 | $25,166,609 | $4,768,861 | $2,444,884 | $2,338,000 | 17 | $2,343,095 | $2,316,858 | $2,697,731 |
| 2021 | $23,972,467 | $1,505,395 | $2,049,178 | $1,955,000 | 13 | $1,960,424 | $1,099,974 | $2,600,485 |
| 2020 | $24,802,843 | $3,836,696 | $3,164,506 | $3,082,300 | 18 | — | $996,486 | $2,320,789 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Petters Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.0M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for a university foundation, a community college education foundation, early childhood education, youth music-making, public broadcasting, and museums. These examples describe the grantees’ work, not a stated foundation mission.
For example, Soundscapes says it provides young people with music-making and ensemble performance opportunities to strengthen social, emotional, creative, and critical-thinking skills. The Virginia Living Museum says it connects people to nature through educational programs, exhibits, and other learning opportunities. Son of a Saint describes its work as supporting fatherless boys in the New Orleans area through mentorship, emotional support, life-skills development, and other activities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 29 grants totaling $3,244,490. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $1,000,000, with a median of $15,000.
The largest reported grants included $1,000,000 to the William & Mary Foundation for sponsorship of the Camp Launch program and general support; $366,990 to Soundscapes for general support; $250,000 each to the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation and the Virginia Living Museum; and $210,000 to Son of a Saint. Other large grants included $205,000 to An Achievable Dream, $202,500 to Peake Childhood Center, and $200,000 to the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nancy B. Petters as president; C. Michael Petters as secretary/treasurer; and Sarah Fletcher and Caroline G. Sauer as vice presidents.
Petters Family Foundation is led by Nancy B. Petters, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nancy B. Petters
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
C. Michael Petters
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caroline G. Sauer
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Fletcher
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Petters Family Foundation
How much does Petters Family Foundation give each year?
Petters Family Foundation gave $3.2M across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.7M across 29 grants.
What is Petters Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Petters Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $111,879, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Petters Family Foundation that year got $172K on average.
Where does Petters Family Foundation give grants?
Petters Family Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (8%) and Louisiana (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Newport News, VA (16 grants), Williamsburg, VA (2 grants), New Orleans, LA (2 grants) and Hampton, VA (2 grants).
Does Petters Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Petters Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Petters Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Petters Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include William & Mary Foundation ($1,000,000), Soundscapes ($366,990) and US Naval Academy Foundation ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Petters Family Foundation?
Petters Family Foundation reported $50.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Petters Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for a university foundation, a community college education foundation, early childhood education, youth music-making, public broadcasting, and museums. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Petters Family Foundation?
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 Petters Family Foundation's EIN?
Petters Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-2323642. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Petters Family Foundation 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Petters Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Petters Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Petters Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/petters-family-foundation-morg_12d7992d9b864ce0b5a342e835cbdf44
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_452323642_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Petters Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/petters-family-foundation-morg_12d7992d9b864ce0b5a342e835cbdf44},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Petters Family 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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