The John Bickford Foundation
The John Bickford Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing lists grants to organizations working in areas including arts and culture, education, child care, health, humanities, and land conservation.
The John Bickford Foundation at a glance
In short: The John Bickford Foundation gave $204K across 55 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in New Jersey. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $203,500
- +8.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 55
- +5.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,700
- +2.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $3,864,196
- +2.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (12 of 53, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (50% 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 John Bickford Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing directs applicants to contact the foundation and refers to a form for application materials, deadlines, and award restrictions.
- Contact
Application contact: The John Bickford Foundation
Mailing address: 55 Walls Drive Ste 302, Fairfield, CT 06824
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The John Bickford Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Morris Museum Inc ($15K). Together the top 10 received $71K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($3,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
265 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 265 grants of 265 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New Jersey recipients received 50% of grant dollars, followed by New Hampshire at 18%, Pennsylvania at 7%, and New York and California at 5% each. Listed recipients also included organizations in Maine and Washington, D.C.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 55 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The John Bickford Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 53 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% 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 (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 $164K (2020) to $210K (2022). In 2025 it made 55 grants totaling $204K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Morris Museum Inc Morristown, NJ | For the Bickford Theater | $15,000 |
| Art in the Atrium Inc Morristown, NJ | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Feminist Health Center of Greenland, NH | General & Unrestricted | $7,500 |
| St Johns Episcopal Church Portsmouth, NH | general fund and special music fund | $7,000 |
| Mettawee Theatre CO Inc Salem, NY | General & Unrestricted | $6,000 |
| Alma Backyard Farm Los Angeles, CA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Chapin School Princeton, NJ | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Children on the Green Inc Morristown, NJ | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Cornerstone Family Programs Morristown, NJ | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Court Appointed Special Advocates of Morris and Su Cedar Knolls, NJ | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,864,196 | $377,645 | $271,902 | $203,500 | 55 | $244,255 | $356,298 | $266,224 |
| 2024 | $3,755,967 | $356,563 | $274,562 | $188,000 | 52 | $250,846 | $335,046 | $249,855 |
| 2023 | $3,672,966 | $118,964 | $250,416 | $166,500 | 47 | $227,876 | $98,596 | $226,776 |
| 2022 | $2,976,197 | $250,613 | $301,042 | $209,500 | 57 | $270,325 | $215,145 | $227,972 |
| 2021 | $3,411,123 | $372,996 | $260,868 | $204,000 | 54 | $238,047 | $349,483 | $246,218 |
| 2020 | $3,753,906 | $-53,070 | $219,963 | $164,000 | 50 | — | $54,755 | $212,521 |
| 2019 | $4,006,849 | $150,632 | $262,135 | $189,500 | 58 | — | $125,149 | $223,415 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The John Bickford Foundation reported a distributable amount of $266K 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 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Art in the Atrium says it works to build public appreciation for African American art and advance Black culture through visual arts. Chapin School describes its work as providing elementary and middle school education that supports academic achievement and character development. Great Works Regional Land Trust says it conserves properties and oversees conservation easements and public activities on conservation lands.
Other 2025 grantees describe work that includes child care and child development (Children on the Green), food production and distribution for at-risk and food-insecure communities (Alma Backyard Farm), and strengthening communities by helping people build better lives (Cornerstone Family Programs).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 55 grants totaling $203,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $15,000, with a median of $3,000.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $15,000 to Morris Museum for the Bickford Theater; $10,000 to Art in the Atrium for general and unrestricted purposes; and $7,500 to Feminist Health Center of New Hampshire for general and unrestricted purposes. Other listed grants included $7,000 to St. John’s Episcopal Church for its general and special music funds, and $6,000 to Mettaw ee Theatre Co. for general and unrestricted purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Catherine Walsh as President and Director; Andrew V. Bickford as Treasurer and Trustee; Wilson M. Compton as Director and Secretary; and Annie Howe Novak as Trustee and Vice President. It also lists Alexandra L. Benson, Benjamin Gray Bickford, Tatyana L. Bickford, Tobias G. Bickford, and Diane Kahn as trustees, and Charles G. Bickford as a director.
The John Bickford Foundation is led by Catherine Walsh, President & Director since 2025 (on filings since 2023); none of the 10 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Catherine Walsh
President & Director
Vice President → Vice President, President & Director, 2024
Vice President, President & Director → President & Director, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew V Bickford
Treasurer & Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Annie Howe Novak
Trustee & Vice President
Trustee → Trustee & Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Gray Bickford
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles G Bickford
Director
Trustee & President → Director & President, 2023
Director & President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diane Kahn
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tatyana L Bickford
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wilson Compton III
Director & Secretary
Trustee → Director & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra L Benson
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tobias G Bickford
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Katrina Walsh (2019–2022) — Trustee & Vice President
- Former: Marian Gerhart (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Richard D. Sanders (2019–2022) — Trustee & Secretary
- Former: John H. Bickford Jr. (2019–2021) — 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 John Bickford Foundation
How much does The John Bickford Foundation give each year?
The John Bickford Foundation gave $204K across 55 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $188K across 52 grants.
What is The John Bickford Foundation's typical grant size?
The John Bickford Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $3,700, across 55 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The John Bickford Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The John Bickford Foundation give grants?
The John Bickford Foundation gives mostly in New Jersey: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Hampshire (18%) and Pennsylvania (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Morristown, NJ (11 grants), Portsmouth, NH (7 grants), Princeton, NJ (3 grants) and Cedar Knolls, NJ (2 grants).
Does The John Bickford Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 85% of The John Bickford Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (47 of 55) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The John Bickford Foundation's largest grantees?
The John Bickford Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Morris Museum Inc ($15,000), Art in the Atrium Inc ($10,000) and Feminist Health Center of ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($3,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The John Bickford Foundation?
The John Bickford Foundation reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $244K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $266K (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 Bickford Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Art in the Atrium says it works to build public appreciation for African American art and advance Black culture through visual arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The John Bickford Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The John Bickford Foundation's EIN?
The John Bickford Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7167663. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 1, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The John Bickford Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The John Bickford Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-bickford-foundation-morg_6c26497ff1de43389a452a94a26b78d8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237167663_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The John Bickford Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-bickford-foundation-morg_6c26497ff1de43389a452a94a26b78d8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Bickford 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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