Phiferjohnson Foundation
Phiferjohnson Foundation is a private foundation based in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Its 2024 grants supported organizations in health care, religious life, education, science education, conservation, and community philanthropy.
Phiferjohnson Foundation at a glance
In short: Phiferjohnson Foundation gave $859K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $66K), mostly in Minnesota. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $858,821
- +8.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +30.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $66,063
- -16.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,320
- Total assets
- $10,164,986
- -1.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (58% 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 Phiferjohnson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 3524, Spartanburg, SC 29304
Phone: (864) 585-2000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Phiferjohnson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Mayo Clinic ($500K). Together the top 10 received $859K.
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 29 grants of 49 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota (58%), South Carolina (30%), Virginia (9%), Maryland (2%), and North Carolina (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Phiferjohnson Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $260K; repeat grants $42K. How we count
Medians: $260K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 61% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 159% 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 $261K (2022) to $859K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $859K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | General Support | $500,000 |
| New Morning Foundation Columbia, SC | General Support | $125,000 |
| Episcopal Church of the Ascension Norfolk, VA | General Support | $75,000 |
| Episcopal Church of the Advent Spartanburg, SC | General Support | $50,000 |
| Episcopal Church of the Advent Spartanburg, SC | General Support | $50,000 |
| Sheppard Pratt Hospital System Towson, MD | General Support | $20,000 |
| Episcopal Church of the Advent Spartanburg, SC | General Support | $10,320 |
| Oakbrook School Spartanburg, SC | General Support | $10,000 |
| Spartanburg Science Center Spartanburg, SC | General Support | $6,000 |
| Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina Morganton, NC | General Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Phiferjohnson 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 | $10,164,986 | $744,677 | $933,242 | $858,821 | 13 | $889,963 | $705,326 | $560,395 |
| 2023 | $10,360,224 | $580,445 | $893,571 | $791,501 | 10 | $847,067 | $545,080 | $536,932 |
| 2022 | $10,683,901 | $-58,277 | $325,574 | $261,000 | 5 | $305,057 | $370,608 | $557,669 |
| 2021 | $11,191,467 | $386,819 | $646,502 | $534,000 | 8 | $602,699 | $345,616 | $655,162 |
| 2020 | $14,071,387 | $442,678 | $622,514 | $446,107 | 13 | — | $439,639 | $649,947 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Phiferjohnson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $560K 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 included support for Mayo Clinic, a medical organization; churches; Oakbrook School; Spartanburg Science Center; Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina; and Spartanburg County Foundation. The Spartanburg Science Center describes its mission as providing science enrichment and interactive educational programs and exhibits for children and adults in Spartanburg County. Spartanburg County Foundation says it works to improve residents’ lives by promoting philanthropy, encouraging community engagement, and responding to community needs. Mayo Clinic describes its mission as contributing to health and well-being through patient care, education, and research.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $858,821. Itemized awards ranged from $1 to $500,000, with a median of $10,320. The largest grants included $500,000 to Mayo Clinic, $125,000 to New Morning Foundation, $75,000 to Episcopal Church of the Ascension, and two $50,000 grants to Episcopal Church of the Advent. All were reported for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists George Dean Johnson Jr, George D Johnson III, Susan PJohnson, and Susanna J Shannon as directors.
Phiferjohnson Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
George D. Johnson III
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
George Dean Johnson Jr.
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Susan Pjohnson
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Susanna J. Shannon
Director
On filings since 2020
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 Phiferjohnson Foundation
How much does Phiferjohnson Foundation give each year?
Phiferjohnson Foundation gave $859K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $792K across 10 grants.
What is Phiferjohnson Foundation's typical grant size?
Phiferjohnson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,320, and its average grant was $66,063, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Phiferjohnson Foundation that year got $260K on average.
Where does Phiferjohnson Foundation give grants?
Phiferjohnson Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were South Carolina (30%) and Virginia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Spartanburg, SC (6 grants) and Norfolk, VA (2 grants).
Does Phiferjohnson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Phiferjohnson Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Phiferjohnson Foundation's largest grantees?
Phiferjohnson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Mayo Clinic ($500,000), New Morning Foundation ($125,000) and Episcopal Church of the Advent ($110,320 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Phiferjohnson Foundation?
Phiferjohnson Foundation reported $10.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $890K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $560K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Phiferjohnson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for Mayo Clinic, a medical organization; churches; Oakbrook School; Spartanburg Science Center; Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina; and Spartanburg County Foundation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Phiferjohnson Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Phiferjohnson Foundation's EIN?
Phiferjohnson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 57-6153679. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Phiferjohnson 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 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). Phiferjohnson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/phiferjohnson-foundation-morg_b826db04e95d4a4ebd0de7b8094aa7b0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_576153679_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Phiferjohnson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/phiferjohnson-foundation-morg_b826db04e95d4a4ebd0de7b8094aa7b0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Phiferjohnson 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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