The Dorothy B Davis Foundation
The Dorothy B Davis Foundation is a private foundation located in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2024 grants supported charitable organizations working in areas including education, housing, youth and family services, and amateur hockey.
The Dorothy B Davis Foundation at a glance
In short: The Dorothy B Davis Foundation gave $1.4M across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $54K), mostly in Nebraska. 46% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,400,000
- -77.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $53,846
- -77.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $45,000
- Total assets
- $31,166,111
- +18.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (12 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (74% 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 The Dorothy B Davis Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- 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 Dorothy B Davis Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Avenue Scholars Foundation ($200K). Together the top 10 received $925K.
Grant Size Distribution
162 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 162 (37%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nebraska. Other recipient-state shares were Colorado, 9%; Florida, 7%; Arizona, 4%; and Illinois, 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Dorothy B Davis Foundation open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 26 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $63K; repeat grants $46K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 38% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 79% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 34% 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 (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2022) to $6.5M (2021). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue Scholars Foundation Omaha, NE | General & Unrestricted | $200,000 |
| Guardian Angels Catholic School Clearwater, FL | General & Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity International Inc Omaha, NE | General & Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Phoenix Academy Day School Omaha, NE | General & Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Project Harmony-Haven for Abuse Response Members S Omaha, NE | General & Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| USA Hockey Foundation Colorado SPGS, CO | General & Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| CASA Connection Columbus, NE | General & Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| Assistance League of Omaha Nebraska Inc Omaha, NE | General & Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands Omaha, NE | General & Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Childrens Scholarship Fund of Omaha Omaha, NE | General & Unrestricted | $50,000 |
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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 | $31,166,111 | $7,186,215 | $2,440,258 | $1,400,000 | 26 | $1,800,924 | $6,877,076 | $5,343,444 |
| 2023 | $26,243,843 | $6,914,758 | $6,925,022 | $6,125,515 | 26 | $6,606,640 | $6,605,136 | $4,431,909 |
| 2022 | $26,054,877 | $744,974 | $1,779,233 | $1,218,646 | 18 | $1,530,724 | $506,754 | $4,300,054 |
| 2021 | $25,824,547 | $7,488,603 | $7,181,679 | $6,549,168 | 40 | $6,813,371 | $7,227,259 | $4,304,561 |
| 2020 | $23,484,799 | $3,397,816 | $4,303,939 | $3,832,000 | 52 | — | $3,195,891 | $3,491,151 |
| 2019 | $22,711,950 | $4,668,385 | $6,181,620 | $5,767,558 | 38 | — | $4,499,307 | $3,539,341 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Dorothy B Davis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.3M 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations with varied charitable purposes. Phoenix Academy Day School says its mission is to help students with learning differences reach their academic potential; the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Omaha says it opens educational opportunities for qualifying families; and USA Hockey Foundation says it supports safe, enjoyable participation and growth of amateur hockey. Habitat for Humanity describes its work as bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. Other 2024 recipients include organizations supporting children with critical illnesses, families seeking healthcare, children and adults in the Omaha area, and people on the autism spectrum and their families.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $1,400,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $200,000, with a median of $45,000. Among the largest awards were $200,000 to Avenue Scholars Foundation and $100,000 each to Guardian Angels Catholic School, Habitat for Humanity International Inc., Phoenix Academy Day School, Project Harmony-Haven for Abuse Response Members S, and USA Hockey Foundation. Additional awards included $75,000 to CASA Connection and $50,000 each to Assistance League of Omaha Nebraska, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands, Children’s Scholarship Fund of Omaha, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists Lee D Seemann Jr as president and director; Clint D Seemann as vice president and director; Thomas L Nichols as director; and Alexis Seemann and Pamela Swisher as executive directors.
The Dorothy B Davis Foundation is led by Pamela Swisher, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 2 of 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Pamela Swisher
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$180K (2019) → $242K (2024)
Alexis Seemann
Executive Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$49K (2024)
Lee D Seemann Jr.
President & Director
President → President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clint D Seemann
Vice President & Director
Director → Vice President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas L Nichols
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Tom Nichols (2019–2023) — Trustee & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $242K, to Pamela Swisher (Exec Dir). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Dorothy B Davis Foundation
How much does The Dorothy B Davis Foundation give each year?
The Dorothy B Davis Foundation gave $1.4M across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $6.1M across 26 grants.
What is The Dorothy B Davis Foundation's typical grant size?
The Dorothy B Davis Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $45,000, and its average grant was $53,846, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Dorothy B Davis Foundation that year got $63K on average.
Where does The Dorothy B Davis Foundation give grants?
The Dorothy B Davis Foundation gives mostly in Nebraska: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (9%) and Florida (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Omaha, NE (15 grants).
Does The Dorothy B Davis Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Dorothy B Davis Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Dorothy B Davis Foundation's largest grantees?
The Dorothy B Davis Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Avenue Scholars Foundation ($200,000), Guardian Angels Catholic School ($100,000) and Habitat for Humanity International Inc ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Dorothy B Davis Foundation?
The Dorothy B Davis Foundation reported $31.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.3M (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 Dorothy B Davis Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations with varied charitable purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Dorothy B Davis Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Dorothy B Davis Foundation's EIN?
The Dorothy B Davis Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2493491. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does The Dorothy B Davis Foundation 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 2019 (received by the IRS April 27, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Dorothy B Davis Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-dorothy-b-davis-foundation-morg_f8b23032e75c49c59b8967cf7c680372
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472493491_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Dorothy B Davis Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-dorothy-b-davis-foundation-morg_f8b23032e75c49c59b8967cf7c680372},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Dorothy B Davis 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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