The Graham Foundation
The Graham Foundation is a private foundation based in Greenville, Delaware. It makes distributions for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and/or educational purposes and supports organizations through grants.
The Graham Foundation at a glance
In short: The Graham Foundation gave $74K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Delaware. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $73,998
- +9.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,083
- +23.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,066
- Total assets
- $752,657
- -0.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (3 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Delaware (81% 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 Graham Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 4476, Greenville, DE 19807
Phone: (302) 652-5216
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Graham Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ursuline Academy ($30K). Together the top 10 received $64K.
Grant Size Distribution
114 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 114 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 81% of grant dollars went to recipients in Delaware, 11% to New York, 5% to Virginia, 3% to Pennsylvania, and 1% to South Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Graham Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 24 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $583; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 48% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 130% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $46K (2021) to $75K (2023). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $74K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ursuline Academy Wilmington, DE | Charitable | $30,178 |
| Christ Church Greenville, DE | Charitable | $16,400 |
| Thousand Island Land Trust Clayton, NY | Charitable | $3,758 |
| University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA | Program Support | $3,350 |
| Hagley Museum Wilmington, DE | Charitable | $2,720 |
| Pilot School Wilmington, DE | Charitable | $2,000 |
| Thousand Island Arts Center Clayton, NY | Charitable | $2,000 |
| Winterthur Museum Winterthur, DE | Charitable | $1,310 |
| Holly Ball Foundation Wilmington, DE | Charitable | $1,265 |
| Misericordia University Dallas, PA | Charitable | $1,250 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $752,657 | $81,780 | $82,888 | $73,998 | 24 | $74,673 | $74,556 | $57,455 |
| 2024 | $755,554 | $59,896 | $75,460 | $67,550 | 27 | $68,225 | $52,661 | $54,875 |
| 2023 | $775,176 | $60,124 | $83,228 | $74,861 | 24 | $75,490 | $52,386 | $49,734 |
| 2022 | $797,509 | $21,723 | $59,787 | $49,943 | 24 | $53,392 | $23,401 | $52,314 |
| 2021 | $835,573 | $98,735 | $54,002 | $46,209 | 15 | $46,809 | $91,542 | $56,253 |
| 2020 | $790,840 | $49,424 | $68,285 | $58,750 | 16 | — | $42,231 | $48,252 |
| 2019 | $811,047 | $66,263 | $60,528 | $51,880 | 19 | — | $58,865 | $47,255 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Graham Foundation reported a distributable amount of $57K 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
The foundation’s stated purposes are religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and/or educational. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Misericordia University describes itself as a Catholic liberal arts institution; Limen House describes its work as providing sober living homes and recovery and wellness services; and Kalmar Nyckel Foundation describes its mission as preserving and promoting Delaware and the Delaware Valley’s cultural and maritime heritage for education and enrichment. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $73,998 through 24 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $30,178, with a median grant of $1,066.
Its largest reported 2025 grants included $30,178 to Ursuline Academy and $16,400 to Christ Church, both in Delaware; $3,758 to Thousand Islands Land Trust in New York; and $3,350 to the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. Other reported recipients included Hagley Museum ($2,720), Pilot School ($2,000), Thousand Islands Arts Center ($2,000), and Winterthur Museum ($1,310). Misericordia University received $1,250, Limen House received $1,000, and Kalmar Nyckel Foundation received $500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Andrew M. Jefferson as president and Heather D. Jefferson as vice-president.
The Graham Foundation is led by Andrew M. Jefferson, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Andrew M. Jefferson
President
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Heather D. Jefferson
Vice President
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Naomi L. Jefferson (2019–2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Graham Foundation
How much does The Graham Foundation give each year?
The Graham Foundation gave $74K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $68K across 27 grants.
What is The Graham Foundation's typical grant size?
The Graham Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,066, and its average grant was $3,083, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Graham Foundation that year got $583 on average.
Where does The Graham Foundation give grants?
The Graham Foundation gives mostly in Delaware: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wilmington, DE (12 grants), Clayton, NY (4 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Graham Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on The Graham Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (21 grants).
Who are The Graham Foundation's largest grantees?
The Graham Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ursuline Academy ($30,178), Christ Church ($16,400) and Thousand Island Land Trust ($3,758), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Graham Foundation?
The Graham Foundation reported $753K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $75K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $57K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Graham Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purposes are religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and/or educational. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Graham Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Graham Foundation's EIN?
The Graham Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2720299. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Graham 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 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 28, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Graham Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Graham Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-graham-foundation-morg_54b558d4d02546d88261c2e7813bd73b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_222720299_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Graham Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-graham-foundation-morg_54b558d4d02546d88261c2e7813bd73b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Graham 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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