The Dunn Foundation
The Dunn Foundation is a private foundation based in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. It supports charitable organizations whose work advances classical liberalism, market capitalism, free enterprise, and individual political and economic liberty, principally through education and persuasion.
The Dunn Foundation at a glance
In short: The Dunn Foundation gave $9.3M across 76 grants in 2025 (avg $122K), top state District of Columbia. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $9,262,912
- -7.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 76
- +15.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $121,880
- -19.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $47,500
- Total assets
- $90,105,740
- -2.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (16 of 76, 2025)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (29% 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 Dunn Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. It considers organizations only after they have been contacted or invited to apply. Organizations must qualify as a 501(c)(3) public charity or equivalent under IRS guidelines, and grants must serve charitable purposes consistent with the foundation’s mission. Invited letters of inquiry and applications are reviewed intermittently on a rolling basis; an invitation to apply does not guarantee funding.
- Deadline
- Rolling
- Contact
Mailing address: 52 W Third Ave, Collegeville, PA 19426
Phone: (303) 781-2222
Website: https://dunnfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Dunn Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Conservative Partnership Institute ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $6.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
313 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 127 grants of 313 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grants went to recipients in multiple states and Washington, DC. The largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in DC (29%), Arizona (15%), Pennsylvania (15%), Virginia (10%), and Florida (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 76 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Dunn Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 76 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $37K; repeat grants $145K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 201% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $4.6M (2020) to $10.1M (2023). In 2025 it made 76 grants totaling $9.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative Partnership Institute Washington, DC | Patriots Row | $2,000,000 |
| Turning Point USA Inc Phoenix, AZ | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives Harrisburg, PA | General Support | $550,000 |
| Prager University Foundation Sherman Oaks, CA | General Support | $500,000 |
| Alliance Defending Freedom Scottsdale, AZ | General Support | $400,000 |
| Fairness Center Inc Harrisburg, PA | General Support | $400,000 |
| Foundation for Government Accountability Inc Naples, FL | General Support | $400,000 |
| Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Inc Philadelphia, PA | General Support | $300,000 |
| Atlas Economic Research Foundation - Atlas Network Arlington, VA | General Support | $250,000 |
| Citizens Defending Freedom Mulberry, FL | General Support | $250,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Dunn 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 | $90,105,740 | $7,018,940 | $9,747,969 | $9,262,912 | 76 | $9,425,119 | $6,732,290 | $4,685,855 |
| 2024 | $92,567,146 | $9,141,883 | $10,585,720 | $9,998,500 | 66 | $10,175,010 | $8,861,373 | $4,989,739 |
| 2023 | $94,010,983 | $-8,413,319 | $10,570,080 | $10,077,000 | 64 | $10,253,352 | $3,187,999 | $5,098,205 |
| 2022 | $112,994,382 | $29,919,006 | $9,779,269 | $8,852,000 | 61 | $9,030,314 | $29,618,005 | $4,921,282 |
| 2021 | $92,854,645 | $19,327,452 | $7,088,469 | $6,361,000 | 46 | $6,537,897 | $18,913,406 | $4,673,076 |
| 2020 | $80,615,662 | $-1,236,780 | $5,022,142 | $4,600,000 | 50 | — | $880,348 | $4,356,551 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Dunn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.7M for 2025 — 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 stated mission is to advance understanding and practice of classical liberalism, market capitalism, free enterprise, and individual political and economic liberty, principally through education and persuasion. Its grant guidelines also describe a goal of reducing the impact of the use or threat of force by coercive public and private organizations.
The foundation supports public charities pursuing work aligned with that mission. Its 2025 grants included organizations working on public policy, free speech and free thought, liberty education, and journalism. For example, the Commonwealth Foundation says it transforms free-market ideas into public policies, while the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression says it defends Americans’ rights to free speech and free thought. Students for Liberty describes its mission as educating, developing, and empowering the next generation of leaders of liberty.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 76 grants totaling $9,262,912. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $2,000,000, with a median of $47,500.
The largest reported grants included $2,000,000 to Conservative Partnership Institute for “Patriots Row”; $1,000,000 to Turning Point USA for general support; $550,000 to the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives for general support; and $500,000 to Prager University Foundation for general support. Other notable grants included $400,000 each to Alliance Defending Freedom, Fairness Center, and Foundation for Government Accountability; $300,000 to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression; and $250,000 each to Atlas Economic Research Foundation–Atlas Network, Citizens Defending Freedom, and Students for Liberty.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Tom Beach, David Dreyer, and Rebecca Walter Dunn as trustees. The foundation’s website identifies Thomas E. Beach as its founder and managing director at Beach Investment Counsel, and Rebecca Walter Dunn as a community volunteer with public-policy and civic involvement.
The Dunn Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Rebecca Walter Dunn
Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$40K (2020) → $40K (2025)
Tom Beach
Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$40K (2020) → $40K (2025)
David Dreyer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: William A Dunn (2020–2024) — Trustee Emeritus
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $40K, to Tom Beach (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Dunn Foundation
How much does The Dunn Foundation give each year?
The Dunn Foundation gave $9.3M across 76 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $10.0M across 66 grants.
What is The Dunn Foundation's typical grant size?
The Dunn Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $47,500, and its average grant was $121,880, across 76 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Dunn Foundation that year got $37K on average.
Where does The Dunn Foundation give grants?
The Dunn Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Arizona (15%) and Pennsylvania (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (16 grants), Chicago, IL (6 grants), Arlington, VA (4 grants) and Harrisburg, PA (3 grants).
Does The Dunn Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 91% of The Dunn Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (69 of 76) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Dunn Foundation's largest grantees?
The Dunn Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Conservative Partnership Institute ($2,000,000), Turning Point USA Inc ($1,000,000) and Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives ($550,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Dunn Foundation?
The Dunn Foundation reported $90.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $9.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Dunn Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to advance understanding and practice of classical liberalism, market capitalism, free enterprise, and individual political and economic liberty, principally through education and persuasion. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Dunn Foundation?
The foundation 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 Dunn Foundation's EIN?
The Dunn Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 65-0415977. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Dunn 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Dunn Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Dunn Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-dunn-foundation-morg_ed2f78d8a12c4c1ab980baa6edac308a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_650415977_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Dunn Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-dunn-foundation-morg_ed2f78d8a12c4c1ab980baa6edac308a},
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 Dunn 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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