The Grant McDonald Foundation
The Grant McDonald Foundation is a private foundation based in Newberry, South Carolina. It made 14 grants totaling $105,000 in 2024, supporting charitable organizations in South Carolina and other states.
Key facts about The Grant McDonald Foundation
In short: The Grant McDonald Foundation gave $105K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in South Carolina. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 47-7253754
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $105,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- Average grant
- $7,500
- Median grant
- $6,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Total assets
- $1,104,581
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (71% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 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 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.1M
-4.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$105K
+9.4% YoY
Grant Count
14
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
+9.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Grant McDonald Foundation reported a distributable amount of $101K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Grant McDonald Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 14 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. How we count
- 93% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+8%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 is provided. The 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including food assistance, education and public media, family services, community activities, emergency shelter, and housing.
These are grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s: Harvest Hope Food Bank says it works to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in South Carolina; ETV Endowment of South Carolina says it funds programming on South Carolina ETV, South Carolina Public Radio, and other public media stations; and Central SC Habitat for Humanity describes its work as constructing homes for qualifying low-income families or individuals.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $105,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $20,000, with a median of $6,000.
Notable 2024 grants included $20,000 to Newberry Opera House to support a historic public facility; $8,500 to Evangelical Lutheran Church for food and groceries for children; $8,000 each to ETV Endowment of South Carolina for educational TV, Harvest Hope Food Bank to support hungry families, the University of Georgia Foundation to support a public university, and St Nicholas Orthodox Academy for an educational institution. Other listed grants included $6,000 to Lutheran Services Carolinas for family services, Newberry County Family YMCA for family and community activities, Sistercare for emergency shelter for children, and Living Hope Foundation for hunger counseling education; $5,500 to Central SC Habitat for Humanity for local community support; and $5,000 to Building Thriving Communities for local community support.
How to Apply
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with The Grant McDonald Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 71% of grant dollars went to recipients in South Carolina, 15% to Georgia, 8% to Illinois, and 6% to North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $96K (2023) to $105K (2024). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $105K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Newberry Opera House ($20K). Together the top 10 received $85K.
Grant Size Distribution
70 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 70 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Newberry Opera House Newberry, SC | Support historic public facility | $20,000 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church Chicago, IL | Food and groceries for children | $8,500 |
| ETV Endowment of S Carolina Spartanburg, SC | Support of educational TV | $8,000 |
| Harvest Hope Food Bank Columbia, SC | Support for hungry families | $8,000 |
| Univ of Georgia Foundation Athens, GA | Support of public university | $8,000 |
| St Nicholas Orthodox Academy Atlanta, GA | Educational institution | $8,000 |
| Lutheran Services Carolinas Salisbury, NC | Support of family services | $6,000 |
| Newberry County Family YMCA Newberry, SC | Support family and community activities | $6,000 |
| Sistercare Camden, SC | Support emergency shelter for children | $6,000 |
| Living Hope Foundation Newberry, SC | Support for hunger counseling education | $6,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,104,581 | $74,071 | $126,892 | $105,000 |
| 2023 | $1,157,402 | $44,799 | $114,824 | $96,000 |
| 2022 | $1,227,427 | −$29,260 | $123,035 | $103,000 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,104,581 | $1,157,402 | $1,227,427 |
| Revenue | $74,071 | $44,799 | $-29,260 |
| Expenses | $126,892 | $114,824 | $123,035 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $105,000 | $96,000 | $103,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $22,484 | — | $23,259 |
| Distributable Amount | $100,678 | $93,112 | $95,801 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joseph A McDonald and Mary G McDonald as trustees.
The Grant McDonald Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joseph A McDonald
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Mary G McDonald
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 2003 Harper St, Newberry, SC 29108
Phone: (803) 276-5341
Frequently asked questions about The Grant McDonald Foundation
How much does The Grant McDonald Foundation give each year?
The Grant McDonald Foundation gave $105K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $96K across 14 grants.
What is The Grant McDonald Foundation's typical grant size?
The Grant McDonald Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,000, and its average grant was $7,500, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Grant McDonald Foundation give grants?
The Grant McDonald Foundation gives mostly in South Carolina: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Georgia (15%) and Illinois (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Newberry, SC (6 grants) and Columbia, SC (2 grants).
Does The Grant McDonald Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on The Grant McDonald Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Grant McDonald Foundation's largest grantees?
The Grant McDonald Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Newberry Opera House ($20,000), Evangelical Lutheran Church ($8,500) and ETV Endowment of S Carolina ($8,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Grant McDonald Foundation?
The Grant McDonald Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $105K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $101K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Grant McDonald Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including food assistance, education and public media, family services, community activities, emergency shelter, and housing. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Grant McDonald Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and 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 Grant McDonald Foundation's EIN?
The Grant McDonald Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-7253754. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Grant McDonald 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.
Here's the math on researching The Grant McDonald Foundation by hand.
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