The Blocker Foundation
The Blocker Foundation is a private foundation based in Suffolk, Virginia. Formed in 1982, it supports nonprofit organizations serving the Hampton Roads community, with grantmaking focused on nourishment, shelter, education, economic opportunity, and a healthy environment.
The Blocker Foundation at a glance
In short: The Blocker Foundation gave $4.6M across 69 grants in 2024 (avg $67K), mostly in Virginia. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,604,805
- +3.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 69
- +16.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $66,736
- -11.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $58,092
- Total assets
- $107,593,427
- -2.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Virginia (98% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Blocker Foundation
- How to Apply
-
A call with foundation staff is required before submitting an LOI. LOIs must be submitted through the online grants portal. Applicants whose LOIs are approved are invited to submit a full application through the portal; the foundation provides a passcode for that application. The website lists a cover-page template, budget template, and budget guidelines as downloadable materials. The foundation’s 2024 filing lists Whitney Saunders as the contact for application requirements.
- Review Cycle
- The website states that the LOI is due January 11, 2027, and will be available in the grants portal in early November. The website also says full applications must be submitted through the portal before 2 p.m. ET on the applicable deadline; the LOI must be approved before an applicant can submit a full application.
- Deadline
- The website states that the LOI is due January 11, 2027, and will be available in the grants portal in early November.
- Contact
Application contact: Whitney Saunders
Mailing address: 705 West Washington Street, Suffolk, VA 23434
Phone: (757) 942-2005
Website: https://theblockerfoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Blocker Foundation
Who The Blocker Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Next Step to Success ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
189 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 189 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation serves the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Service Area. In Virginia, the area includes Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg, as well as Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews, Southampton, and York counties. It also includes Camden, Currituck, and Gates counties in North Carolina. In 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to Virginia recipients, 1% to North Carolina recipients, and less than 1% to Georgia recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 69 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Blocker Foundation gives
- 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 1947% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 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 (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 $225K (2021) to $4.6M (2024). In 2024 it made 69 grants totaling $4.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Next Step to Success Norfolk, VA | General Operating | $250,000 |
| E3 Elevate Early Education Virginia Beach, VA | General Operating | $200,000 |
| Virginia Supportive Housing Richmond, VA | General Operating | $150,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Norfolk, VA | General Operating | $150,000 |
| Commonwealth Alliance for Rural Colleges Richmond, VA | General Operating | $125,000 |
| Nauticus Norfolk, VA | General Operating | $125,000 |
| Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Beach, VA | General Operating | $125,000 |
| Black Brand Norfolk, VA | General Operating | $125,000 |
| YMCA of South Hampton Roads Chesapeake, VA | General Operating | $100,000 |
| United Way of South Hampton Roads Norfolk, VA | General Operating | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Blocker 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 | $107,593,427 | $3,509,061 | $5,644,528 | $4,604,805 | 69 | $5,266,018 | $3,248,155 | $5,789,535 |
| 2023 | $109,737,664 | $1,496,696 | $5,420,700 | $4,431,261 | 59 | $5,067,691 | $1,885,030 | $5,205,329 |
| 2022 | $113,609,634 | $15,320,499 | $3,188,184 | $1,869,934 | 42 | $2,387,882 | $2,343,459 | $4,950,036 |
| 2021 | $100,120,283 | $97,825,029 | $879,264 | $224,900 | 7 | $634,293 | $8,291,526 | $2,455,612 |
| 2020 | $2,567,534 | $1,323,710 | $677,912 | $553,749 | 12 | — | $25,475 | $204,640 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Blocker Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to inspire, empower, and support the Hampton Roads community in providing wholesome nourishment, safe shelter, educational opportunity, economic opportunity, and a healthy environment in which all may thrive.
Its website says it provides grants to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations serving its service area. The 2024 grants included organizations working in several areas: Next Step to Success says its mission is to help Norfolk youth build character for successful adult lives; Access College Foundation provides postsecondary planning, application, financial-aid, and career assistance; and Samaritan House works to foster safety, growth, and self-sufficiency for adults and children affected by violence and homelessness. The Elizabeth River Project says it works with neighbors, businesses, and governments to restore the river’s health.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 69 grants totaling $4,604,805. Grant amounts ranged from $6,140 to $250,000, with a median of $58,092. The largest listed awards included $250,000 to Next Step to Success, $200,000 to E3 Elevate Early Education, and $150,000 each to Virginia Supportive Housing and Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roads. These awards were reported for general operating support.
The foundation considers project, program, core support (general operating), and capital requests. It considers grant terms of 12 months to five years, with the timeline expected to match the proposed work and be supported by a workplan. Discretionary grants for immediate or emergency needs are awarded on a rolling basis for requests of up to $25,000. Applicants must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) and serve communities or populations in the foundation’s service area. The website says funding may not be used for lobbying or political programs or events, sectarian or religious organizations when the request would benefit only their members, organizations that discriminate on specified grounds, or individual scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Whitney G Saunders as president, Fredrick V Martin as vice president, William H George as secretary, John E Bissett as treasurer, and Reginald Corinaldi as a board member.
The Blocker Foundation is led by Whitney G. Saunders, President on every filing since 2020; all 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Whitney G. Saunders
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$35K (2020) → $269K (2024)
William H. George
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$5K (2020) → $13K (2024)
Fredrick V. Martin
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$10K (2021) → $13K (2024)
John E. Bissett
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$10K (2021) → $13K (2024)
Reginald Corinaldi
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$13K (2023) → $13K (2024)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Fred V. Martin (2020) — Vice President
- Former: Jack Bissett (2020) — Treasurer
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $269K, to Whitney G Saunders (President). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Blocker Foundation
How much does The Blocker Foundation give each year?
The Blocker Foundation gave $4.6M across 69 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.4M across 59 grants.
What is The Blocker Foundation's typical grant size?
The Blocker Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $58,092, and its average grant was $66,736, across 69 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Blocker Foundation give grants?
The Blocker Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Norfolk, VA (19 grants), Virginia Beach, VA (10 grants), Portsmouth, VA (7 grants) and Chesapeake, VA (6 grants).
Does The Blocker Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Blocker Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (69 of 69) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Blocker Foundation's largest grantees?
The Blocker Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Next Step to Success ($250,000), E3 Elevate Early Education ($200,000) and Virginia Supportive Housing ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Blocker Foundation?
The Blocker Foundation reported $107.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.8M (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 Blocker Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to inspire, empower, and support the Hampton Roads community in providing wholesome nourishment, safe shelter, educational opportunity, economic opportunity, and a healthy environment in which all may thrive. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Blocker Foundation?
A call with foundation staff is required before submitting an LOI. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Blocker Foundation's EIN?
The Blocker Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1217447. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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). The Blocker Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-blocker-foundation-morg_1c11918d6c0b461abf15695a10535733
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_541217447_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Blocker Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-blocker-foundation-morg_1c11918d6c0b461abf15695a10535733},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Blocker 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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