The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc
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. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 43 grants totaling $248,000.
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc gave $248K across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Florida. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $248,000
- -9.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 43
- -8.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,767
- -0.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,638,807
- +11.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (6 of 43, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Florida (85% 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 George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants should send Mary Jo Walker a simple letter outlining the charitable purpose and a copy of the organization’s IRS determination letter confirming section 501(c)(3) status. Eligible organizations must qualify under section 501(c)(3) for charitable, medical, educational, scientific, artistic, literary, or cultural purposes.
- Contact
Application contact: Mary Jo Walker
Mailing address: 1412 Royal Palm Sq Blvd 102, Fort Myers, FL 33919
Phone: (239) 334-8852
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of FL Fdn Inc - Ifas ($30K). Together the top 10 received $132K.
Grant Size Distribution
231 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 231 grants of 231 (100%).
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 2025 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 43 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 84% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $248K (2025) to $290K (2022). In 2025 it made 43 grants totaling $248K.
Grants by year
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 |
Ready to take the next step with The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc?
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 | $5,638,807 | $901,851 | $470,617 | $248,000 | 43 | $340,725 | $775,784 | $321,251 |
| 2024 | $5,037,324 | $395,487 | $477,454 | $273,000 | 47 | $359,161 | $282,276 | $352,150 |
| 2023 | $5,117,639 | $234,136 | $442,008 | $278,500 | 42 | $348,660 | $140,788 | $332,390 |
| 2022 | $5,327,780 | $230,382 | $475,122 | $289,500 | 47 | $363,623 | $118,883 | $353,610 |
| 2021 | $5,571,794 | $589,880 | $462,252 | $284,500 | 52 | $356,352 | $483,980 | $376,444 |
| 2020 | $5,442,329 | $311,314 | $456,923 | $287,000 | 55 | — | $215,158 | $333,936 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $321K 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
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. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 43 grants totaling $248,000.
Other 2024 grantees included ArtFest Fort Myers, which received $5,000, and ECHO, which received $5,000. Samaritan’s Purse describes its work as providing spiritual and physical aid to people affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. These are grantees’ descriptions of their own missions, not statements of the foundation’s mission.
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 Foundation Inc 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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $48K, to Mary Jo Walker (Director/Pre). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc
How much does The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc give each year?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc 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 Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc'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 Foundation Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc give grants?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc 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 Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 43 grants with a stated purpose on The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc'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 Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc'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 Foundation Inc?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc 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 Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 filing identifies eligible purposes as charitable, medical, educational, scientific, artistic, literary, and cultural. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc?
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 Foundation Inc's EIN?
The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 59-3189770. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 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 May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-george-and-mary-jo-sanders-foundation-inc-morg_10e86bb67de1452bae1482d08ec7b7ed
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_593189770_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-george-and-mary-jo-sanders-foundation-inc-morg_10e86bb67de1452bae1482d08ec7b7ed},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. 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 George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation Inc'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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