The Bruce and Nancy Brown
The Bruce and Nancy Brown is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its stated primary charitable activity is distributing grants to other Section 501(c)(3) organizations that qualify as public charities.
The Bruce and Nancy Brown at a glance
In short: The Bruce and Nancy Brown gave $125K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), top state New York. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $125,000
- +8.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,615
- +0.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,091,862
- +0.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (32% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Bruce and Nancy Brown
- 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: 2770 Observatory Ave 307, Cincinnati, OH 45208
Phone: (513) 885-0668
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Bruce and Nancy Brown funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Conservation International ($20K). Together the top 10 received $112K.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 45 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in New York (32%), Massachusetts (21%), Virginia (18%), Michigan (13%), and Illinois (8%). These figures describe the locations of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Bruce and Nancy Brown open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 54% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 136% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 240% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $31K (2019) to $125K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $125K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation International Arlington, VA | Program Support | $20,000 |
| Project Innerspace Inc Boston, MA | Program Support | $18,000 |
| Torch Conservation Center Alden, MI | Program Support | $16,000 |
| Center for Reproductive Rights New York, NY | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Everytown for Gun Safety New York, NY | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Feeding America Chicago, IL | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood New York, NY | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Clean Air Task Force Boston, MA | Program Support | $8,000 |
| ACLU Foundation New York, NY | Program Support | $5,000 |
| ACLU of Ohio Foundation Cleveland, OH | Program Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Bruce and Nancy Brown?
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 | $1,091,862 | $117,961 | $136,187 | $125,000 | 13 | $127,549 | $110,303 | $53,226 |
| 2024 | $1,091,691 | $158,081 | $124,512 | $114,850 | 12 | $116,352 | $149,921 | $53,120 |
| 2023 | $1,111,533 | $47,475 | $40,642 | $31,125 | 8 | $32,475 | $39,308 | $53,317 |
| 2022 | $1,036,615 | $-1,650 | $62,976 | $53,000 | 5 | $54,132 | $12,991 | $53,227 |
| 2021 | $1,242,323 | $90,150 | $67,062 | $56,600 | 7 | $58,143 | $128,683 | $58,676 |
| 2020 | $1,177,100 | $53,679 | $83,531 | $62,600 | 11 | — | $100,032 | $52,378 |
| 2019 | $1,129,244 | $264,680 | $41,162 | $30,600 | 8 | — | $328,811 | $39,735 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bruce and Nancy Brown reported a distributable amount of $53K 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
The foundation’s filing describes its primary activity as distributing charitable grants to qualifying public charities. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as conservation, reproductive rights, food access, clean energy, and medical transportation.
Among its grantees, Feeding America describes its mission as advancing change by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food. Clean Air Task Force describes its mission as advancing the technology and policy changes needed for a zero-emissions, high-energy planet at an affordable cost. Mercy Medical Angels describes its mission as removing transportation barriers to medical care for people in need.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $125,000. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $20,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Grants included $20,000 to Conservation International, $18,000 to Project InnerSpace, $16,000 to Torch Conservation Center, and $10,000 each to the Center for Reproductive Rights, Everytown for Gun Safety, Feeding America, and Planned Parenthood. Other 2025 grants included $8,000 to Clean Air Task Force and $3,000 to Mercy Medical Angels.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bruce Brown as president/treasurer and Nancy Brown as first vice-president. It lists Alexandra Techar, Daniel Schear, Jeffrey Brown, and Margaret Schear as board members.
The Bruce and Nancy Brown is led by Bruce Brown, President & Treasurer since 2025 (on filings since 2019); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bruce Brown
President & Treasurer
President → President & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Schear
Board Member
Second Vice President → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Brown
Board Member
Second Vice President → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Schear
Board Member
Second Vice President → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Brown
First Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra Techar
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Matthew Watson (2019) — Second Vice President
- Former: Stephanie Watson (2019) — Second Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Bruce and Nancy Brown
How much does The Bruce and Nancy Brown give each year?
The Bruce and Nancy Brown gave $125K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $115K across 12 grants.
What is The Bruce and Nancy Brown's typical grant size?
The Bruce and Nancy Brown's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $9,615, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bruce and Nancy Brown that year got $9K on average.
Where does The Bruce and Nancy Brown give grants?
The Bruce and Nancy Brown's top state is New York, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (21%) and Virginia (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does The Bruce and Nancy Brown give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Bruce and Nancy Brown's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (13 grants).
Who are The Bruce and Nancy Brown's largest grantees?
The Bruce and Nancy Brown's largest 2025 grantees include Conservation International ($20,000), Project Innerspace Inc ($18,000) and Torch Conservation Center ($16,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bruce and Nancy Brown?
The Bruce and Nancy Brown reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $128K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $53K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bruce and Nancy Brown fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its primary activity as distributing charitable grants to qualifying public charities. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as conservation, reproductive rights, food access, clean energy, and medical transportation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bruce and Nancy Brown?
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 Bruce and Nancy Brown's EIN?
The Bruce and Nancy Brown's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3694480. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Bruce and Nancy Brown 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 5, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 15, 2024)
Live grants for the work The Bruce and Nancy Brown 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 Bruce and Nancy Brown's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Bruce and Nancy Brown funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bruce-and-nancy-brown-morg_cd1a18a06c384243957d0ccef48767e5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_813694480_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Bruce and Nancy Brown funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bruce-and-nancy-brown-morg_cd1a18a06c384243957d0ccef48767e5},
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 Bruce and Nancy Brown'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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