The John J Pohanka Family Foundation
The John J Pohanka Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Capitol Heights, Maryland. In 2024, it reported 91 grants totaling $1,867,734 to organizations including arts and music institutions, schools and universities, a cancer center, and a humanitarian organization.
The John J Pohanka Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The John J Pohanka Family Foundation gave $1.9M across 91 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), top state District of Columbia. 60% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,867,734
- +45.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 91
- +49.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,525
- -2.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,042
- Total assets
- $22,887,990
- +4.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 60% first-time grantees (54 of 90, 2024)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (25% 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 J Pohanka Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1772 Ritchie Station Court, Capitol Heights, MD 20743
Phone: (301) 899-7800
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The John J Pohanka Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Kennedy Center ($215K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
331 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 285 grants of 331 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC and Virginia (25% each), followed by Maryland and Pennsylvania (12% each) and New York (10%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 91 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The John J Pohanka Family Foundation open to new grantees?
60%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 54 of 90 grantees (60%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $17K repeat.
- 33% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 41% from 2021 to 2024. 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2020) to $1.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 91 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Center Washington, DC | General Purpose | $215,000 |
| Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA | General Purpose | $150,000 |
| Miami Music Festival Springfield, VA | General Purpose | $130,878 |
| UT MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX | General Purpose | $125,000 |
| Wolf Trap Foundation Vienna, VA | General Purpose | $98,456 |
| Saint James School Hagerstown, MD | General Purpose | $80,000 |
| Catholic Charities Washington, DC | General Purpose | $75,800 |
| The Metropolitan Opera New York, NY | General Purpose | $75,000 |
| The Miami Music Festival Springfield, VA | General Purpose | $75,000 |
| Junior Achievement Washington, DC | General Purpose | $57,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The John J Pohanka Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $22,887,990 | $3,169,664 | $2,148,112 | $1,867,734 | 91 | $1,869,234 | $2,930,017 | $1,804,905 |
| 2023 | $21,866,438 | $1,419,184 | $1,555,884 | $1,285,924 | 61 | $1,287,424 | $1,194,652 | $1,586,720 |
| 2022 | $22,003,138 | $1,327,226 | $1,872,841 | $1,382,430 | 63 | $1,383,430 | $993,759 | $1,686,765 |
| 2021 | $22,548,753 | $8,341,497 | $1,669,696 | $1,323,574 | 48 | $1,325,949 | $8,099,729 | $1,473,426 |
| 2020 | $15,876,952 | $1,510,917 | $1,323,074 | $1,094,268 | 68 | — | $673,001 | $1,268,960 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The John J Pohanka Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M 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 grants included support for organizations whose work spans several fields. Saint James School describes its mission as preparing young people for college and inspiring them to be leaders; the Carson Scholars Fund says it rewards students for academic achievement and community service with college scholarships. Levine Music describes itself as a music education center, and the Denyce Graves Foundation says it celebrates historically overlooked musical figures and supports the next generation of classical vocal artists. World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 91 grants totaling $1,867,734. Grants ranged from $100 to $215,000, with a median of $6,042. The largest awards included $215,000 to the Kennedy Center, $150,000 to Gettysburg College, $130,878 to Miami Music Festival, $125,000 to UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, and $98,456 to Wolf Trap Foundation. These grants were listed as for general purposes.
Other 2024 recipients included Saint James School ($80,000), Catholic Charities ($75,800), the Metropolitan Opera ($75,000), Junior Achievement ($57,000), Washington National Opera ($42,500), and Carson Scholars Fund ($40,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Geoffrey Pohanka and Steven Parker as trustees.
The John J Pohanka Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Geoffrey Pohanka
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Parker
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
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 J Pohanka Family Foundation
How much does The John J Pohanka Family Foundation give each year?
The John J Pohanka Family Foundation gave $1.9M across 91 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.3M across 61 grants.
What is The John J Pohanka Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The John J Pohanka Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,042, and its average grant was $20,525, across 91 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The John J Pohanka Family Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does The John J Pohanka Family Foundation give grants?
The John J Pohanka Family Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (25%) and Maryland (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (15 grants), Upper Marlboro, MD (6 grants), New York, NY (5 grants) and Alexandria, VA (5 grants).
Does The John J Pohanka Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The John J Pohanka Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (91 of 91) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The John J Pohanka Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The John J Pohanka Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Kennedy Center ($215,000), Miami Music Festival ($205,878 across 2 grants) and Gettysburg College ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The John J Pohanka Family Foundation?
The John J Pohanka Family Foundation reported $22.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The John J Pohanka Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations whose work spans several fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The John J Pohanka Family Foundation?
The foundation states 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 John J Pohanka Family Foundation's EIN?
The John J Pohanka Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6784266. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The John J Pohanka 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The John J Pohanka Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The John J Pohanka Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-j-pohanka-family-foundation-morg_faa4da157bff44aa84c7ecb11e9f452c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_566784266_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The John J Pohanka Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-j-pohanka-family-foundation-morg_faa4da157bff44aa84c7ecb11e9f452c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 J Pohanka 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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