The E L Cord Foundation
The E.L. Cord Foundation is a private foundation based in Reno, Nevada, that makes grants to nonprofit organizations and worthy causes. Established by E.L. Cord in 1962, it describes its mission as advancing the arts, culture, and welfare of residents of Northern Nevada.
The E L Cord Foundation at a glance
In short: The E L Cord Foundation gave $3.6M across 90 grants in 2024 (avg $40K), mostly in Nevada. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,593,750
- +11.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 90
- +2.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $39,931
- +8.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $68,843,302
- +2.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Nevada (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 E L Cord Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Mail an application to the Foundation. The Foundation’s filing says applications should include a project description, amount requested, and proof of tax-exempt status; its website lists additional application materials, including organizational and financial information. The filing states there are no restrictions or limitations on awards.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are accepted any time throughout the year.
- Deadline
- Applications are accepted any time throughout the year.
- Contact
Application contact: The E L Cord Foundation
Mailing address: 6900 So Mccarran Blvd Ste 2060, Reno, NV 89509
Phone: (775) 323-0373
Website: https://elcordfoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The E L Cord Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Nevada Reno Foundation ($830K). Together the top 10 received $2.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
267 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 216 grants of 267 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation says it focuses primarily on organizations in Northern Nevada and Nevada’s rural counties. In 2024, 98% of its grant dollars went to recipients in Nevada, 1% to California, and less than 1% to Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 90 itemized grants.
Cities
How The E L Cord Foundation gives
- 67% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 21% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $3.0M (2022) to $4.5M (2021). In 2024 it made 90 grants totaling $3.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Nevada Reno Foundation Reno, NV | General Purpose | $830,000 |
| First Tee Northern Nevada Reno, NV | General Purpose | $350,000 |
| Nevada Museum of Art Reno, NV | General Purpose | $200,000 |
| PBS Reno Reno, NV | General Purpose | $160,000 |
| Artown Reno, NV | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Food Bank of Northern Nevada Sparks, NV | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Keep Memory Alive Las Vegas, NV | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| National Automobile Museum Reno, NV | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Reno Philharmonic Association Reno, NV | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Nevada Humane Society Reno, NV | General Purpose | $75,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The E L Cord 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 | $68,843,302 | $6,635,540 | $4,933,373 | $3,593,750 | 90 | $4,012,675 | $5,734,842 | $3,751,545 |
| 2023 | $67,164,874 | $3,743,098 | $4,555,678 | $3,233,400 | 88 | $3,639,620 | $2,908,456 | $3,464,976 |
| 2022 | $67,960,785 | $5,790,372 | $4,400,369 | $2,988,000 | 87 | $3,367,994 | $4,942,234 | $3,626,484 |
| 2021 | $66,589,856 | $9,944,595 | $5,813,999 | $4,532,500 | 1 | $4,532,500 | $9,121,892 | $4,065,971 |
| 2020 | $62,487,230 | $8,391,744 | $4,666,374 | $3,454,500 | 1 | — | $7,632,400 | $3,508,439 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The E L Cord Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.8M 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
The Foundation identifies educational and literacy, children and youth, arts and culture, scientific, and charitable activities as areas of interest. It says it focuses primarily on organizations in Northern Nevada and the rural counties of Nevada.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of supported work. The University of Nevada, Reno Foundation says it facilitates gifts and grants to enhance the quality of education at the university. The Nevada Museum of Art says it provides a forum for creative ideas and aspires to be a cultural resource for the community. The Food Bank of Northern Nevada says its mission is feeding people facing hunger and working to solve hunger through community partnership. The Reno Philharmonic Association describes its work as producing orchestral performances and supporting educational, outreach, and engagement programs. Artown says it works to strengthen Reno’s arts industry and civic identity. The Nevada Humane Society says it cares for pets, finds them homes, and saves lives.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation made 90 grants totaling $3,593,750. Grant amounts ranged from $3,500 to $830,000, with a median of $20,000. The largest grants included $830,000 to the University of Nevada Reno Foundation, $350,000 to First Tee Northern Nevada, $200,000 to the Nevada Museum of Art, and $160,000 to PBS Reno. It also gave $100,000 each to Artown, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Keep Memory Alive, the National Automobile Museum, and the Reno Philharmonic Association.
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. The Foundation’s website directs applicants to submit by U.S. mail. Its stated application materials include a project description, the amount requested, organizational background and objectives, a way to determine project results, evidence of tax-exempt status, governing-board information, and financial documents including current-year budget and prior-year audited financial statements. The Foundation’s filing also says applicants should include proof of tax-exempt status and that applications may be submitted any time throughout the year. Grants are to be used only for the purposes set out in the proposals; administrative fees, grant-writer fees, and other indirect costs may not be included in proposals or charged to grant funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joseph S. Bradley and William O. Bradley Jr. as co-trustees.
The E L Cord Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joseph S. Bradley
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$294K (2020) → $294K (2024)
William O. Bradley Jr.
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$294K (2020) → $294K (2024)
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 $294K, to Joseph S Bradley (Co-Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The E L Cord Foundation
How much does The E L Cord Foundation give each year?
The E L Cord Foundation gave $3.6M across 90 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.2M across 88 grants.
What is The E L Cord Foundation's typical grant size?
The E L Cord Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $39,931, across 90 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The E L Cord Foundation give grants?
The E L Cord Foundation gives mostly in Nevada: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Reno, NV (58 grants), Sparks, NV (7 grants), Las Vegas, NV (5 grants) and Carson City, NV (5 grants).
Does The E L Cord Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The E L Cord Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (90 of 90) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The E L Cord Foundation's largest grantees?
The E L Cord Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Nevada Reno Foundation ($830,000), First Tee Northern Nevada ($350,000) and Nevada Museum of Art ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The E L Cord Foundation?
The E L Cord Foundation reported $68.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The E L Cord Foundation fund?
The Foundation identifies educational and literacy, children and youth, arts and culture, scientific, and charitable activities as areas of interest. It says it focuses primarily on organizations in Northern Nevada and the rural counties of Nevada. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The E L Cord Foundation?
Mail an application to the Foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The E L Cord Foundation's EIN?
The E L Cord Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6072793. 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 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 August 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The E L Cord Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-e-l-cord-foundation-morg_06a26ef7e8e64e91bb834d2516fba3f7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366072793_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The E L Cord Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-e-l-cord-foundation-morg_06a26ef7e8e64e91bb834d2516fba3f7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 E L Cord 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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