The Joseph S Bruno Charitable

BIRMINGHAM, AL EIN: 63-0936234

The Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) foundation established in October 1985 and based in Birmingham, Alabama. The foundation is committed to building stronger communities in the greater Birmingham area by providing financial and leadership support to nonprofit organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$18.0M

+4.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$550K

+18.3% YoY

Grant Count

+5.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$14K

+12.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Joseph S Bruno Charitable reported a distributable amount of $921K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation is committed to building stronger communities in the greater Birmingham area by providing financial and leadership support to organizations in the areas of:

Education — particularly preparing children for success in school, supporting school readiness, quality early childhood development and early intervention, and working with families and youth service organizations to ensure academic success and prevent school dropout
Health — promoting healthy behavior, wellness, and prevention; improving access to health care for vulnerable populations; and providing opportunities for families that encourage healthy lifestyles and improved mental and physical health
Community Needs — basic services for at-risk families and children, family literacy and adult education, community improvement, and nonprofit capacity building
Arts & Culture — increasing accessibility to the arts

The foundation also considers programs in philanthropy and volunteerism. The foundation encourages organizations and programs that demonstrate collaboration, sharing of ideas and resources, and matching or other funds from government, other foundations, corporate, or private funding sources.

Grantmaking

The foundation operates on a two-cycle grant schedule:

Average Grant

amount: $14,000–$15,000

Review Cycle

1:**

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation provides funding primarily in Alabama, with a concentration of grantmaking in the greater Birmingham area.

Grant Distribution by State

Alabama $2.1M (99%)

District of Columbia $11K (1%)

States

Alabama District of Columbia

Cities

AuburnBessemerBirminghamFairfieldHomewoodHooverHuntsvilleIrondaleMontgomeryOdenvillePelhamWashington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $18,002,801
Total Revenues: $1,378,078
Total Expenses: $796,428
Total Giving: $549,500

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $17,213,045
Total Revenues: $1,600,000
Total Expenses: $725,000

The foundation has demonstrated consistent asset growth, increasing from approximately $10 million in 2010 to over $18 million by 2024.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$18,002,801	$17,213,045	$16,474,426
Revenue	$1,378,078	$1,597,909	$5,992,002
Expenses	$796,428	$724,534	$932,631
Qualifying Distributions	$549,500	$464,500	$665,100
Net Investment Income	$1,301,464	$1,519,184	$283,418
Distributable Amount	$920,538	$819,696	$771,358

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

152 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from The Joseph S Bruno Charitable

Foundation

Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation Grant

THE JOSEPH S BRUNO CHARITABLE

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs ($100,000), Auburn University Foundation ($40,000), Junior Achievement of Alabama ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AG GASTON BOYS & GIRLS CLUB BIRMINGHAM, AL	CHARITABLE	$12,000
ALABAMA HOLOCAUST EDUCATION CENTER BIRMINGHAM, AL	CHARITABLE	$7,500
AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION OF ROANOKE HUNTSVILLE, AL	CHARITABLE	$10,000
ALABAMA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BIRMINGHAM, AL	CHARITABLE	$10,000
AUBURN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION AUBURN, AL	CHARITABLE	$40,000
CAMP SMILE A MILE BIRMINGHAM, AL	CHARITABLE	$7,500
CHILDCARE RESOURCES BIRMINGHAM, AL	CHARITABLE	$10,000
CHILDREN'S DANCE FOUNDATION BIRMINGHAM, AL	CHARITABLE	$10,000
CREATE BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM, AL	CHARITABLE	$5,000
BIRMINGHAM TALKS BIRMINGHAM, AL	CHARITABLE	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Jennifer Gray — Executive Director

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
BENNY M LARUSSA JR	CHAIRMAN	1	—
ROBERT H SPRAIN JR	SECRETARY	1	—
MARIAN L PHILLIPS	VICE CHAIRMAN	1	—
KAREN PERSINGER	BOARD MEMBER	1	—
MEGAN LARUSSA CHENOWETH	BOARD MEMBER	1	—
THOMAS PERSINGER	BOARD MEMBER	1	—
JENNIFER GRAY	EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	40	—

Recent Activity

Recent developments and announcements

According to the most recent tax filings, the foundation has made approximately 90 grants totaling $1.3 million, supporting 45 unique organizations. Recent grant recipients include Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs, Auburn University Foundation, and Junior Achievement of Alabama.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Joseph S Bruno Charitable fund?

The Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation is committed to building stronger communities in the greater Birmingham area by providing financial and leadership support to organizations in the areas of: • **Education** — particularly preparing children for success in school, supporting school readiness, quality early childhood development and early intervention, and working with families and youth service organizations to ensure academic success and prevent school dropout • **Health** — promoting h…

How do I apply for a grant from The Joseph S Bruno Charitable?

The foundation operates on a two-cycle grant schedule: **Grant Cycle 1:** • Letter of Intent Due: January 31 • Declination Letters & Invitations Sent: February 13 • Applications Due: February 27 **Grant Cycle 2:** • Letter of Intent Due: July 31 • Declination Letters & Invitations Sent: August 21 • Applications Due: September 4 **Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant awards range from $3,000 to $100,000 • Median grant amount: $10,000 • Average grant amount: $14,000–$15,000 • Recent grants in…

Where does The Joseph S Bruno Charitable make grants?

The foundation provides funding primarily in Alabama, with a concentration of grantmaking in the greater Birmingham area.

What size grants does The Joseph S Bruno Charitable award?

In 2024, The Joseph S Bruno Charitable awarded 40 grants totaling $550K — an average of about $14K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Joseph S Bruno Charitable required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Joseph S Bruno Charitable reported a distributable amount of $921K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.