The JEM Project
The JEM Project is a private grant-making foundation based in Tiburon, California. It supports U.S.-based nonprofit organizations working in child welfare, animal welfare, women’s empowerment, and environmental sustainability.
The JEM Project at a glance
In short: The JEM Project gave $3.0M across 64 grants in 2024 (avg $47K), mostly in California. 22% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,022,819
- -25.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 64
- -21.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $47,232
- -6.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,075
- Total assets
- $33,703,925
- -1.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (14 of 64, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (59% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The JEM Project
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. It invites a limited number of selected, returning nonprofit partners to apply in a spring or fall cycle. Eligible recipients must be U.S.-based registered 501(c)(3) organizations that have been operating for at least three years. The foundation asks for one application per organization; government agencies and universities may not apply directly, though eligible projects may involve partnerships with them. Strong applications include a project overview, budget, timeline, and funding-gap request. Projects should have a defined start and finish, a set budget, and measurable results. Grants may not fund endowments, re-granting, scholarships to other organizations or individuals, lobbying, or partisan research and non-permissible policy activities. Capital campaigns are generally excluded, except for capital needs that significantly and measurably improve program effectiveness and impact.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1 Blackfield Drive 129, Tiburon, CA 94920
Phone: (704) 564-7765
Website: https://thejemproject.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The JEM Project funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was the Center for Reproductive Rights inc ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($30,700), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
432 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 276 grants of 432 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s guidelines describe eligible organizations as having offices and projects in the United States. In 2024, California received 59% of grant dollars, New York 17%, and North Carolina, Colorado, and South Carolina 5% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 64 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The JEM Project open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 64 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $37K; repeat grants $50K. How we count
Medians: $23K first-time, $32K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 29% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 175% 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.
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 (2024) to $7.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 64 grants totaling $3.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| the Center for Reproductive Rights inc New York, NY | unrestricted | $500,000 |
| San Diego Humane Society & SPCA San Diego San Diego, CA | To support 2024 Fur Ball, 2024 Fur Ball Stand-up Match, 2025 Give Humane, 2024 San Diego Gives and 2024 Giving Tuesday general match pools. | $200,000 |
| SBCS Corporation Chula Vista, CA | To help support the construction of a new center. | $125,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County San Diego, CA | To support the Community Mentoring and the Fund-a-Match at the 62nd Annual Gourmet Dinner to help vulnerable children avoid risky behaviors and achieve their full potential and educational success. | $105,000 |
| Nutured by Nature Valley Center, CA | grant towards make-a-wish programs. | $100,000 |
| San Diego Center for Children San Diego, CA | to enhance access to mental health care for youth and families in need, increase capacity to serve more youth in outpatient and intensive clinical services and soon launch a partial hospitalization program, and to advocate on behalf of youth covered by medical to gain access to intensive clinical services. | $100,000 |
| Giants Community Fund San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Lions Tigers and Bears Alpine, CA | in support of the solar energy projects, solar installation, and grant toward general operations at the sanctuary and for Tiger Habitat Climbing Structure. | $99,336 |
| Home Start Inc San Diego, CA | To support the Home Start's 17th annual Hallo-Wine Fall Festival | $85,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Raptor Program Fort Collins, CO | to rehabilitate and release raptors, educate about human/ wildlife conflicts and conduct research that helps more raptors survive in the wild. | $84,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The JEM Project?
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 | $33,703,925 | $3,437,655 | $3,847,587 | $3,022,819 | 64 | $3,514,411 | $3,079,244 | $2,011,624 |
| 2023 | $34,114,099 | $1,782,201 | $5,182,223 | $4,077,802 | 81 | $4,779,771 | $1,483,168 | $1,938,297 |
| 2022 | $37,529,747 | $1,703,419 | $8,599,548 | $7,854,899 | 163 | $8,276,288 | $1,387,084 | $2,226,528 |
| 2021 | $43,919,297 | $3,518,677 | $4,955,150 | $4,263,520 | 83 | $4,636,274 | $3,107,361 | $2,547,076 |
| 2020 | $45,331,905 | $765,362 | $5,566,074 | $4,789,072 | 41 | — | $508,349 | $2,408,483 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The JEM Project reported a distributable amount of $2.0M 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’s mission is to support children, animals, women, and the environment through focused philanthropy. Its four stated areas are advancing child welfare, promoting animal welfare, empowering women, and instigating environmental sustainability.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate the range of work supported. The Center for Reproductive Rights describes its mission as advancing reproductive rights as fundamental human rights. SBCS Corporation says it works to support the well-being and prosperity of children, youth, and families. The San Diego Center for Children provides therapeutic and educational services to youth and families with behavioral health needs, while Lions Tigers & Bears provides a safe haven for abused and abandoned exotic animals.
Grantmaking
In 2024, The JEM Project reported 64 grants totaling $3,022,819. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $500,000, with a median of $25,075. Its grant totals were $4,077,802 across 81 grants in 2023 and $7,854,899 across 163 grants in 2022.
Among the largest 2024 awards were $500,000 to the Center for Reproductive Rights for unrestricted support; $200,000 to San Diego Humane Society & SPCA for fundraising events and matching campaigns; $125,000 to SBCS Corporation to help support construction of a new center; and $105,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County for mentoring and event support. Other awards included $100,000 to the San Diego Center for Children to expand access to mental health care for youth and families, and $99,336 to Lions Tigers & Bears for solar projects, general operations, and a tiger habitat climbing structure.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jessica Manning as president and Rachel Shocket as director of operations.
The JEM Project is led by Jessica Manning, President on every filing since 2020; all 2 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jessica Manning
President
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$92K (2024)
Rachel Shocket
Director of Operations
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$87K (2022) → $138K (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 $138K, to Rachel Shocket (Director of Operations). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The JEM Project
How much does The JEM Project give each year?
The JEM Project gave $3.0M across 64 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.1M across 81 grants.
What is The JEM Project's typical grant size?
The JEM Project's median grant in 2024 was $25,075, and its average grant was $47,232, across 64 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The JEM Project that year got $37K on average.
Where does The JEM Project give grants?
The JEM Project gives mostly in California: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (17%) and North Carolina (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Diego, CA (18 grants), Rock Hill, SC (4 grants), Belmont, NC (2 grants) and La Mesa, CA (2 grants).
Does The JEM Project give general operating support?
Yes: 28% of The JEM Project's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 64) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The JEM Project's largest grantees?
The JEM Project's largest 2024 grantees include the Center for Reproductive Rights inc ($500,000), San Diego Humane Society & SPCA San Diego ($200,000) and SBCS Corporation ($125,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($30,700), which are not listed by name. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The JEM Project?
The JEM Project reported $33.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The JEM Project fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support children, animals, women, and the environment through focused philanthropy. Its four stated areas are advancing child welfare, promoting animal welfare, empowering women, and instigating environmental sustainability. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The JEM Project?
The foundation 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 JEM Project's EIN?
The JEM Project's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-3344588. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The JEM Project 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The JEM Project funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-jem-project-morg_f1e94f902311496388f28af5f6087aa0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_843344588_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The JEM Project funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-jem-project-morg_f1e94f902311496388f28af5f6087aa0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 JEM Project'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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