Robert & Margaret McNamara
The Robert & Margaret McNamara Foundation is a family foundation established in 1954 in Washington, DC. The foundation was founded by the late Robert McNamara, who served as United States Secretary of Defense for Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968. The foundation is currently based in Winters, California.
Key facts about Robert & Margaret McNamara
- EIN
- 52-6056486
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $93,001
- Grants made (2025)
- 56
- Average grant
- $1,661
- Median grant
- $250
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (22 of 56, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (53% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Robert & Margaret McNamara funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Robert & Margaret McNamara's 56 itemized 2025 grants were California (53%), Vermont (37%) and Massachusetts (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (8 grants), Woodland, CA (6 grants), Winters, CA (6 grants) and Davis, CA (4 grants). None of its 56 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (56 grants).
Is Robert & Margaret McNamara open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 22 of 56 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $348; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $200 first-time, $250 repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Robert & Margaret McNamara
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$93K
-5.9% YoY
Grant Count
56
+12.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
-16.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary focus is giving for higher education. The foundation supports education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking, as well as human services.
Grantmaking
The foundation makes grants with typical award sizes ranging from $500 to $15,000. Recent grant activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation has a geographic focus on the District of Columbia, Virginia, and California, with particular activity in Winters, California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 56 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Robert & Margaret McNamara Foundation (EIN 52-6056486)
- Location: 9264 Boyce Rd, Winters, CA 95694-9635
Robert and Margaret McNamara Foundation 2 (EIN 27-2141567)
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Total assets: $1,055,406
- Total giving: $96,287
- Tax-exempt since October 2010
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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
225 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include The Phogonot Trust ($34,292), Center for Land Based Learning ($27,350), University Mass Amherst ($5,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| THE PHOGONOT TRUST Colchester, VT | CHARITABLE | $34,292 |
| CENTER FOR LAND BASED LEARNING Woodland, CA | CHARITABLE | $27,350 |
| UNIVERSITY MASS AMHERST Amherst, MA | CHARITABLE | $5,000 |
| YOLO COUNTY CASA Woodland, CA | CHARITABLE | $4,016 |
| THE EDIBLE SCHOOLYARD PROJECT Berkeley, CA | CHARITABLE | $3,525 |
| GLOBAL VILLAGE FOUNDATION San Diego, CA | CHARITABLE | $2,800 |
| WAGING PEACE IN VIETNAM EDUCATION Takoma Park, MD | CHARITABLE | $1,500 |
| WINTERS FARM TO SCHOOL Winters, CA | CHARITABLE | $1,500 |
| FEAST Warrington, PA | CHARITABLE | $1,080 |
| YOLO FOOD BANK Woodland, CA | CHARITABLE | $750 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| R Craig McNamara | President | — | — |
| Julie McNamara | Board Member | — | — |
| Graham McNamara | Board Member | — | — |
| Sean McNamara | Board Member | — | — |
| Emily McNamara | Board Member | — | — |
Contact Information
- Telephone: 530-795-3824
- Address: 9264 Boyce Rd, Winters, CA 95694-9635
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Robert & Margaret McNamara fund?
The foundation's primary focus is giving for higher education. The foundation supports education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking, as well as human services.
How do I apply for a grant from Robert & Margaret McNamara?
The foundation makes grants with typical award sizes ranging from $500 to $15,000. Recent grant activity includes: • $2,100 to Winters Farm To School (2023) • $200 to Winters Friends of the Library (2023) • $500 to Historical Society of Winters (2023)
Where does Robert & Margaret McNamara make grants?
The foundation has a geographic focus on the District of Columbia, Virginia, and California, with particular activity in Winters, California.
What size grants does Robert & Margaret McNamara award?
In 2025, Robert & Margaret McNamara awarded 56 grants totaling $93K — an average of about $2K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Robert & Margaret McNamara's EIN?
Robert & Margaret McNamara's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-6056486. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.