The Joanna Foundation
The Joanna Foundation is a private foundation based in Sullivans Island, South Carolina. Established in 1945 as a South Carolina eleemosynary corporation, it supports organizations and programs that strengthen community capacity and individual involvement in achieving a better quality of life.
The Joanna Foundation at a glance
In short: The Joanna Foundation gave $178K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in South Carolina. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $178,000
- +9.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- -2.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,450
- +11.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $3,811,261
- +8.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (17 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (94% 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 Joanna Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The process begins with an electronic Letter of Intent using the foundation’s designated form. Organizations whose LOIs are accepted for review may be invited to submit a full proposal; only a limited number are invited. Organizations may have one LOI reviewed per calendar year. The foundation’s application materials require documentation of federal tax-exempt status. Its 2025 filing names Margaret P. Schachte as the application contact.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists 2026 LOI due dates of January 7, April 15 and August 12. These dates have passed. Submissions on those dates were accepted only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; a maximum of 20 LOIs were accepted for review per cycle. The website says eligible submissions received during the window are assigned random numbers to select the LOIs for review.
- Deadline
- The website lists 2026 LOI due dates of January 7, April 15 and August 12.
- Contact
Application contact: Margaret P Schachte
Mailing address: PO Box 308, Sullivans Island, SC 29482
Phone: (843) 224-4620
Website: https://joannafoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Joanna Foundation
Who The Joanna Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Avian Conservation Center ($50K). Together the top 10 received $106K.
Grant Size Distribution
233 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 230 grants of 233 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website identifies Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Counties and the communities of Joanna and Newberry, South Carolina, as areas of interest. Applicants do not need to be headquartered in those areas but must demonstrate significant activities, substantive impact or involvement in at least one of them.
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes its geographic focus as South Carolina and says it generally does not review requests from organizations without significant impact in at least one of five designated counties: Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Laurens and Newberry.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Joanna Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 40 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 3% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% 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 $129K (2019) to $204K (2021). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $178K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Avian Conservation Center Awendaw, SC | General Support | $50,000 |
| SC Environmental Law Project Georgetown, SC | General Support | $25,000 |
| Joanna-Woodson Elementary School Joanna, SC | General Support | $7,500 |
| Carolina Ocean Alliance Charleston, SC | General Support | $5,000 |
| Awendaw Regional Outreach Center Awendaw, SC | General Support | $3,500 |
| Ari Foss Foundation North Charleston, SC | General Support | $3,000 |
| Birthday Buds Sullivans Island, SC | General Support | $3,000 |
| Charleston Area Justice Ministry North Charleston, SC | General Support | $3,000 |
| Coastal Conservation League Charleston, SC | General Support | $3,000 |
| Impact Justice Oakland, CA | General Support | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Joanna Foundation?
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 | $3,811,261 | $598,967 | $317,247 | $178,000 | 40 | $256,167 | $545,492 | $254,439 |
| 2024 | $3,525,321 | $298,954 | $291,493 | $163,284 | 41 | $236,982 | $247,931 | $243,678 |
| 2023 | $3,520,352 | $364,956 | $256,862 | $136,550 | 47 | $212,416 | $146,301 | $219,375 |
| 2022 | $3,408,967 | $139,420 | $281,610 | $169,500 | 52 | $236,579 | $95,784 | $227,325 |
| 2021 | $3,560,014 | $545,273 | $317,740 | $204,000 | 53 | $265,937 | $500,492 | $259,605 |
| 2020 | $3,322,229 | $76,410 | $240,934 | $146,285 | 37 | — | $40,626 | $210,822 |
| 2019 | $3,486,753 | $171,932 | $235,373 | $128,875 | 43 | — | $135,019 | $207,361 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Joanna Foundation reported a distributable amount of $254K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s charter describes it as dedicated to community betterment, including promoting health, education and other worthwhile improvements. Its grant policies allow requests for seed money, special projects, matching funds, general operations, technical or administrative support, facilities or equipment, and capital campaigns.
Its 2025 grants included organizations working in different fields. For example, the Avian Conservation Center describes its work as providing medical care to injured birds of prey and shorebirds, alongside education, research and conservation initiatives. The Charleston Area Justice Ministry says it works to build a community organization capable of negotiating community interests. The Navigation Center describes its mission as helping vulnerable and unhoused people navigate services to rebuild sustainable, independent lives.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 40 grants totaling $178,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $2,500. Notable awards included $50,000 to the Avian Conservation Center, $25,000 to the SC Environmental Law Project, $7,500 to Joanna-Woodson Elementary School, and $5,000 to Carolina Ocean Alliance. The listed purposes for these awards were general support.
The foundation makes grants to organizations qualifying as tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code that are not classified as private foundations. It does not fund individuals, and grant funds may not be used for lobbying or political purposes. It discourages recurring grants and does not accept unsolicited requests for multi-year commitments. It does not fund debt reduction, research projects, direct support to individuals, conferences, symposia or publications, or tickets, tables or advertising for fundraising events.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Yonge Regnery Jones as president, Christopher C. Schachte as treasurer, Mildred D. Kitchell as secretary, Eugenie J. Parker and William D. Mennonna as trustees, and Margaret P. Schachte as executive vice president.
The Joanna Foundation is led by Yonge Regnery Jones, President since 2023 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Yonge Regnery Jones
President
Trustee → President, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eugenie J Parker
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William D Mennonna
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret P Schachte
Executive Vice President
Interim President → Executive Vice P, 2023
Executive Vice P → Executive Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2019
8 hrs/week
$47K (2019) → $56K (2025)
Christopher C Schachte
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mildred D Kitchell
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Walter C. Regnery (2019–2022) — President · Filing note: Term ended
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $56K, to Margaret P Schachte (Exec. Vice President).
Frequently asked questions about The Joanna Foundation
How much does The Joanna Foundation give each year?
The Joanna Foundation gave $178K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $163K across 41 grants.
What is The Joanna Foundation's typical grant size?
The Joanna Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,450, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Joanna Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Joanna Foundation give grants?
The Joanna Foundation gives mostly in South Carolina: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Charleston, SC (16 grants), North Charleston, SC (8 grants), Mount Pleasant, SC (3 grants) and Awendaw, SC (2 grants).
Does The Joanna Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Joanna Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 40) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Joanna Foundation's largest grantees?
The Joanna Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Avian Conservation Center ($50,000), SC Environmental Law Project ($25,000) and Joanna-Woodson Elementary School ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Joanna Foundation?
The Joanna Foundation reported $3.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $256K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $254K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Joanna Foundation fund?
The foundation’s charter describes it as dedicated to community betterment, including promoting health, education and other worthwhile improvements. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Joanna Foundation?
The process begins with an electronic Letter of Intent using the foundation’s designated form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Joanna Foundation's EIN?
The Joanna Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 57-0314444. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Joanna 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 October 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 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 18, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 20, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 22, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Joanna Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Joanna Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-joanna-foundation-morg_865d2d1ad863455b9fb102cc01b2f4e8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_570314444_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Joanna Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-joanna-foundation-morg_865d2d1ad863455b9fb102cc01b2f4e8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Joanna 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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