The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun
THE GEORGE AND MARY JO SANDERS is a private foundation based in Fort Myers, Florida. In 2024, it reported 47 grants totaling $273,000 to organizations whose stated purposes included charitable activities.
Key facts about The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun
In short: The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun gave $248K across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Florida. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 59-3189770
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $248,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 43
- Average grant
- $5,767
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (9 of 43, 2025)
- Total assets
- $5,638,807
- Primary geography
- Florida (85% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- None.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.6M
+11.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$248K
-9.2% YoY
Grant Count
43
-8.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
-0.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun reported a distributable amount of $321K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 43 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 106% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 filing identifies eligible purposes as charitable, medical, educational, scientific, artistic, literary, and cultural. Examples of grantee missions illustrate the range of organizations it supports: ArtFest Fort Myers says it promotes public access to visual art and arts education in Southwest Florida; Valerie’s House says it helps children and families work through the loss of a loved one; and ECHO says it provides training, resources, networking, and seeds to development workers supporting small-scale farmers and their families.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 47 grants totaling $273,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $30,500, with a median of $5,000. The largest listed grant was $30,500 to the University of Florida Foundation Inc. – IFAS. Other notable grants included $20,000 each to Community Cooperative Ministries and Lee Memorial Health Systems Foundation; $15,000 each to Fort Myers Community Church and Samaritan’s Purse; and $13,000 to Reliant. The stated purpose for these grants was support for charitable activities.
Review Cycle
** None.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida. Other recipient-state shares were North Carolina, 7%; Massachusetts, 5%; New York, 4%; and South Carolina, 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 43 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
231 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF FL FDN INC - IFAS Gainesville, FL | OPERATIONS | $30,000 |
| LEE MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEMS Fort Myers, FL | OPERATIONS | $17,500 |
| FORT MYERS COMMUNITY CHURCH INC Fort Myers, FL | OPERATIONS | $16,500 |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE Boone, NC | OPERATIONS | $15,000 |
| COMMUNITY COOPERATIVE MINISTRIES Fort Myers, FL | OPERATIONS | $10,000 |
| HOPE HOSPICE Fort Myers, FL | OPERATIONS | $10,000 |
| STEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS Staten Island, NY | OPERATIONS | $10,000 |
| RELIANT Orlando, FL | OPERATIONS | $8,000 |
| PROJECT DENTISTS CARE Fort Myers, FL | OPERATIONS | $7,500 |
| SALVATION ARMY Fort Myers, FL | OPERATIONS | $7,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,037,324 | $395,487 | $477,454 | $273,000 |
| 2023 | $5,117,639 | $234,136 | $442,008 | $278,500 |
| 2022 | $5,327,780 | $230,382 | $475,122 | $289,500 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,638,807 | $5,037,324 | $5,117,639 |
| Revenue | $901,851 | $395,487 | $234,136 |
| Expenses | $470,617 | $477,454 | $442,008 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $340,725 | $359,161 | $348,660 |
| Net Investment Income | $775,784 | $282,276 | $140,788 |
| Distributable Amount | $321,251 | $352,150 | $332,390 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mary Jo Walker as director/president, Michael C. Sanders as director/vice president, and Richard O. Hilliker and Michael A. Sanders as directors.
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun is led by Mary Jo Walker, Director & President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mary Jo Walker
Director & President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$65K (2020) → $48K (2025)
Richard O. Hilliker
Director
On filings since 2020
$10K (2020) → $18K (2025)
Michael A. Sanders
Director, Vice & Director
Director, Vice President & Director → Director, Vice & Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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
Contact
Application contact: Mary Jo Walker
Mailing address: 1412 Royal Palm Sq Blvd 102, Fort Myers, FL 33919
Phone: (239) 334-8852
Frequently asked questions about The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun
How much does The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun give each year?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun gave $248K across 43 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $273K across 47 grants.
What is The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun's typical grant size?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,767, across 43 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun that year got $9K on average.
Where does The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun give grants?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun gives mostly in Florida: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was North Carolina (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Myers, FL (23 grants), Immokalee, FL (2 grants) and Cape Coral, FL (2 grants).
Does The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 43 grants with a stated purpose on The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (43 grants).
Who are The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun's largest grantees?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun's largest 2025 grantees include University of FL Fdn Inc - Ifas ($30,000), Lee Memorial Health Systems ($17,500) and Fort Myers Community Church Inc ($16,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun reported $5.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $341K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $321K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 filing identifies eligible purposes as charitable, medical, educational, scientific, artistic, literary, and cultural. Examples of grantee missions illustrate the range of organizations it supports: ArtFest Fort Myers says it promotes public access to visual art and arts education in Southwest Florida; Valerie’s House says it helps children and families work through the loss of a loved one; and ECHO says it provides training, resourc…
How do I apply for a grant from The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun?
The foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun's EIN?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foun's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 59-3189770. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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