The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation
THE JOHN AND ALISON FERRING is a private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2024 grants supported charitable organizations, including arts and cultural groups, education organizations, and organizations providing food or other services.
The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation gave $479K across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $18K), mostly in Missouri. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $479,123
- -42.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- -18.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $17,745
- -29.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,782,464
- +24.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (10 of 27, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (88% 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 John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3536 Washington Avenue, St Louis, MO 63108
Phone: (314) 277-9133
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Arch City Defenders ($150K). Together the top 10 received $403K.
Grant Size Distribution
139 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 126 grants of 139 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri. Massachusetts received 6%, New York 5%, and California 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 27 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 48% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 38% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 99% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $120K (2020) to $826K (2023). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $479K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Arch City Defenders St. Louis, MO | General Fund | $150,000 |
| St Louis Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, MO | General Fund | $58,000 |
| Flance Early Learning Center St. Louis, MO | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Med & Food for Kids St. Louis, MO | General Fund | $27,500 |
| Fine Arts Work Center Provincetown, MA | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Via Fund New York, NY | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Jazz STL St. Louis, MO | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Lift for Life Academy St. Louis, MO | General Fund | $20,000 |
| St Louis Public Library St. Louis, MO | General Fund | $12,500 |
| Coca St. Louis, MO | General Fund | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,782,464 | $2,962,555 | $501,991 | $479,123 | 27 | $479,123 | $1,545,691 | $484,557 |
| 2023 | $4,628,219 | $465,178 | $848,855 | $826,366 | 33 | $826,366 | $295,920 | $447,447 |
| 2022 | $5,134,741 | $182,635 | $594,596 | $561,328 | 28 | $561,328 | $164,358 | $497,578 |
| 2021 | $5,546,702 | $1,284,200 | $793,276 | $767,399 | 42 | $767,399 | $684,251 | $562,093 |
| 2020 | $5,566,134 | $1,057,552 | $182,094 | $120,150 | 9 | — | $435,109 | $399,731 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $485K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 recipients included organizations with varied missions. The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival says it fosters community and joy across the St. Louis region through the Shakespearean tradition of art for all. Lift For Life Academy describes itself as a challenging learning community that empowers students to reach their potential as students and citizens. Feed My People says it works to show God’s love and compassion, particularly to people in need. Grand Center says it creates conditions for a thriving creative community at the Grand Center Arts District. Pedal the Cause says it funds cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 27 grants totaling $479,123 in 2024. Grants ranged from $600 to $150,000, with a median of $5,000. Among the largest grants were $150,000 to Arch City Defenders, $58,000 to the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, $50,000 to Flance Early Learning Center, $27,500 to Med & Food for Kids, and $25,000 each to Fine Arts Work Center, VIA Fund, and Jazz StL.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John H. Ferring IV and Alison N. Ferring as trustees.
The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Alison N. Ferring
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John H. Ferring IV
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.
Frequently asked questions about The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation
How much does The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation give each year?
The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation gave $479K across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $826K across 33 grants.
What is The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $17,745, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation give grants?
The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (6%) and New York (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (21 grants).
Does The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Arch City Defenders ($150,000), St Louis Shakespeare Festival ($58,000) and Flance Early Learning Center ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation?
The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation reported $5.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $479K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $485K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 recipients included organizations with varied missions. The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival says it fosters community and joy across the St. Louis region through the Shakespearean tradition of art for all. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation's EIN?
The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1944616. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The John and Alison Ferring Family 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-and-alison-ferring-family-foundation-morg_8edfa4ddd6be4ff08bbf928e8c9b865d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_431944616_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The John and Alison Ferring Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-and-alison-ferring-family-foundation-morg_8edfa4ddd6be4ff08bbf928e8c9b865d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 John and Alison Ferring Family 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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