The BDM Family Foundation
The BDM Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including democracy and law, privacy, reproductive health, hunger relief, global development, and emergency response.
The BDM Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The BDM Family Foundation gave $209K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in District of Columbia. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $209,200
- +18.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- -34.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,748
- +79.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $7,240,040
- +87.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (8 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (51% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The BDM Family Foundation
- 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 The BDM Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Campaign Legal Center Inc ($10K). Together the top 10 received $100K.
Grant Size Distribution
225 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 225 grants of 225 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipient locations accounted for the following shares of grant dollars: Washington, DC, 51%; Maryland, 15%; California, 12%; New York, 10%; and Alabama, 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The BDM Family Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 30 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $133K (2020) to $209K (2025). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $209K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign Legal Center Inc Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Center for Global Development Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Chesapeake Bay Trust Annapolis, MD | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Democracy Forward Foundation Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Direct Relief Santa Barbara, CA | California Wildfires Response | $10,000 |
| Electronic Privacy Information Center Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Manna Food Center Inc Silver Spring, MD | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| National Council of Nonprofits Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| National Immigration Law Center Los Angeles, CA | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The BDM 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 | $7,240,040 | $3,621,376 | $243,578 | $209,200 | 31 | $236,178 | $3,621,376 | $259,177 |
| 2024 | $3,862,167 | $278,947 | $192,646 | $176,500 | 47 | $191,021 | $311,223 | $212,503 |
| 2023 | $3,773,366 | $88,246 | $204,815 | $184,450 | 53 | $203,354 | $95,322 | $197,462 |
| 2022 | $3,889,935 | $81,139 | $205,190 | $183,500 | 47 | $202,873 | $112,332 | $200,621 |
| 2021 | $4,013,986 | $377,078 | $198,800 | $172,850 | 47 | $192,450 | $483,613 | $215,236 |
| 2020 | $3,835,708 | $581,445 | $160,337 | $132,950 | 39 | — | $125,517 | $175,803 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The BDM Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $259K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants included general and unrestricted support for many recipients, as well as a grant to Direct Relief for California wildfire response. The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of work supported: MANNA Food Center says it works to end hunger through education, advocacy, and food distribution; the Electronic Privacy Information Center says it works to protect privacy in the digital age through advocacy, research, and litigation; and Democracy Forward Foundation says it works to protect democratic rights and institutions through legal and administrative processes.
Other 2025 recipients include Southern Poverty Law Center, which describes its work as advancing racial justice and human rights; Planned Parenthood Federation of America, whose stated mission includes providing reproductive and complementary health care and advocating public policies; Protect Democracy Project, which says it works to strengthen checks and balances; Center for Global Development, which describes a focus on reducing global poverty through economic research; and Direct Relief, which says it provides humanitarian aid to people affected by poverty or emergencies.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 31 grants totaling $209,200. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median of $5,000. Its largest grants were $10,000 each. Recipients included Campaign Legal Center, Center for Global Development, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Democracy Forward Foundation, Direct Relief, Electronic Privacy Information Center, MANNA Food Center, National Council of Nonprofits, National Immigration Law Center, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Protect Democracy Project, and Southern Poverty Law Center. Most of these grants were designated general and unrestricted; Direct Relief’s grant was for California wildfire response.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Melanie B Manfield as director, president, secretary, and treasurer.
The BDM Family Foundation is led by Melanie B Manfield, Director, President, Secretary & Treasurer on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Melanie B Manfield
Director, President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/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 The BDM Family Foundation
How much does The BDM Family Foundation give each year?
The BDM Family Foundation gave $209K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $177K across 47 grants.
What is The BDM Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The BDM Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,748, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The BDM Family Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The BDM Family Foundation give grants?
The BDM Family Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (15%) and California (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (14 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Baltimore, MD (2 grants).
Does The BDM Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of The BDM Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The BDM Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The BDM Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Campaign Legal Center Inc ($10,000), Center for Global Development ($10,000) and Chesapeake Bay Trust ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The BDM Family Foundation?
The BDM Family Foundation reported $7.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $236K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $259K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The BDM Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included general and unrestricted support for many recipients, as well as a grant to Direct Relief for California wildfire response. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The BDM Family Foundation?
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 The BDM Family Foundation's EIN?
The BDM Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-2098966. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The BDM Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 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 September 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 30, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
Live grants for the work The BDM Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The BDM Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The BDM Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bdm-family-foundation-morg_ab7e892bf6824e69b50b0c13424227e5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_822098966_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The BDM Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bdm-family-foundation-morg_ab7e892bf6824e69b50b0c13424227e5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 The BDM 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.
The BDM Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?