Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc
The Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2024 giving included grants for higher education, international affairs, reading education, and charitable services, with grants to organizations including Carleton College and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc gave $18.2M across 110 grants in 2024 (avg $165K), top state Minnesota. 12% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $18,194,400
- +3.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 110
- +1.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $165,404
- +1.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $169,558,859
- +6.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (9 of 74, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (37% 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 Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Carleton College ($6.5M across 8 grants). Together the top 10 received $14.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
487 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 203 grants of 487 (42%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota (37%), Massachusetts (21%), the District of Columbia (12%), New York (12%), and Connecticut (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 110 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 74 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $51K; repeat grants $273K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 176% 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 $17.5M (2023) to $21.1M (2020). In 2024 it made 110 grants totaling $18.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Carleton College Northfield, MN | Paglia Family Endowed Scholarship. | $2,500,000 |
| Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Washington, DC | the Carnegie Endowment's capital campaign | $2,000,000 |
| Carleton College Northfield, MN | the Class of 1974 Student Health Center. | $1,375,000 |
| Carleton College Northfield, MN | The Paglia Family Post-Bac Research Fellowship. | $1,250,000 |
| University of Nebraska Foundation Lincoln, NE | the International Quilt Museum Endowment Fund | $1,000,000 |
| Carleton College Northfield, MN | General & Unrestricted | $685,000 |
| Harvard Business School Boston, MA | General & Unrestricted | $500,000 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College Boston, MA | support of Religion and Public Life, to be added to the Public Life Program Fund. | $500,000 |
| Readworks Inc Brooklyn, NY | to support the strategic plan | $500,000 |
| Catholic Charities of Fairfield County Inc Bridgeport, CT | TMC Capital Campaign | $400,000 |
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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 | $169,558,859 | $32,809,719 | $22,292,572 | $18,194,400 | 110 | $18,823,647 | $10,081,206 | $10,689,301 |
| 2023 | $159,041,712 | $13,975,536 | $22,350,008 | $17,539,400 | 108 | $18,068,878 | $9,757,679 | $9,942,997 |
| 2022 | $167,416,184 | $10,973,161 | $23,888,944 | $19,185,767 | 99 | $19,690,276 | $5,615,410 | $10,649,195 |
| 2021 | $180,331,967 | $19,953,869 | $23,201,632 | $19,071,000 | 78 | $19,502,460 | $15,578,217 | $11,900,288 |
| 2020 | $183,578,973 | $11,958,631 | $26,732,470 | $21,054,461 | 92 | — | $7,137,418 | $11,329,460 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $10.7M 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for educational institutions, international-affairs organizations, and other charitable organizations. For example, Carleton College describes itself as a liberal arts college focused on academic rigor and undergraduate teaching; the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace says it generates strategic ideas and independent analysis, supports diplomacy, and trains scholar-practitioners working on global problems. ReadWorks describes its work as improving reading comprehension through research-based content and curricular support.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 110 grants totaling $18,194,400. Grants ranged from $2,600 to $2,500,000, with a median of $50,000. Notable grants included $2,500,000 to Carleton College for the Paglia Family Endowed Scholarship; $2,000,000 to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for its capital campaign; and $1,000,000 to the University of Nebraska Foundation for the International Quilt Museum Endowment Fund. Other grants included $500,000 to ReadWorks to support its strategic plan and $400,000 to Catholic Charities of Fairfield County for its TMC Capital Campaign.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ralph James as director, secretary, and treasurer; Robert James as director and president; and Catherine James Paglia as director and president.
Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc is led by Catherine James Paglia, Director & President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Catherine James Paglia
Director & President
Director, Secretary & Treasurer → Director & President, 2024
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ralph James
Director, Secretary & Treasurer
Director → Director, Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert James
Director & Pres*
Director & President → Director & Pres*, 2024
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/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 Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc
How much does Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc give each year?
Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc gave $18.2M across 110 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $17.5M across 108 grants.
What is Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $165,404, across 110 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc that year got $51K on average.
Where does Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc give grants?
Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc's top state is Minnesota, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (21%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (23 grants), Northfield, MN (8 grants), New York, NY (8 grants) and Cambridge, MA (6 grants).
Does Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (76 of 110) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Carleton College ($6,517,500 across 8 grants), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace ($2,200,000 across 2 grants) and University of Nebraska Foundation ($1,100,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc?
Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc reported $169.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $18.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $10.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for educational institutions, international-affairs organizations, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc?
The foundation 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 Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc's EIN?
Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-3298762. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Robert and Ardis James 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 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-and-ardis-james-foundation-inc-morg_af2cd33ac1e54dddaa597c84d360e492
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_463298762_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-and-ardis-james-foundation-inc-morg_af2cd33ac1e54dddaa597c84d360e492},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Robert and Ardis James 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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