The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation is a private foundation based in Richmond, Virginia. It supports nonprofit organizations in the Commonwealth, primarily for capital projects, with priority given to qualifying organizations in the Richmond area.
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation at a glance
In short: The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation gave $9.5M across 71 grants in 2024 (avg $134K), mostly in Virginia. 46% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $9,537,000
- +33.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 71
- -6.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $134,324
- +43.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $137,592,523
- +4.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (33 of 71, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (97% 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 Mary Morton Parsons Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Register online and submit a Contact Form; organizations invited to proceed submit a full application online. The foundation’s 2024 filing lists a letter and Amy Nisenson as the contact for application materials, with no deadlines or award restrictions stated on the filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Amy Nisenson
Mailing address: 8003 Franklin Farms Drive Suite, Richmond, VA 23219-4037
Phone: (804) 780-2000
Website: https://mmparsonsfoundation.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 Mary Morton Parsons Foundation
Who The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Virginia Museum of Fine Arts ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $5.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
324 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 159 grants of 324 (49%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation makes grants to eligible nonprofits in Richmond and throughout Virginia, and gives priority to qualifying organizations in the Richmond area. It also supports institutions with statewide presence that significantly benefit Richmond and Virginia. In 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to Virginia recipients and 3% to Minnesota recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 71 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 33 of 71 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $182K; repeat grants $93K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 46% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 52% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 144% 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 $6.3M (2021) to $9.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 71 grants totaling $9.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond, VA | Support capital campaign with focus on renovation of the leslie cheek theater | $1,000,000 |
| VPM Public Media Richmond, VA | Build a New Headquarters in Downtown Richmond | $750,000 |
| Cross-Over Ministry Richmond, VA | Purchase and renovate henrico clinic building and renovate richmond clinic building | $605,000 |
| Better Housing Coalition Richmond, VA | Support the Colbrook Development | $500,000 |
| Liberation Veteran Services Inc Richmond, VA | Support construction of phase I of veterans village, a new 38-unit micro-apartment building | $500,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond Richmond, VA | Support the construction of the ronald mcdonald house at vcu children's tower and the new guestroom ronald mcdonal house in richmond | $500,000 |
| Virginia Repertory Theatre Richmond, VA | Support the Great Stages Campaign and Capital Projects | $500,000 |
| Caritas Richmond, VA | Support Dinwiddie Avenue Men's Campus Renovation Project | $365,000 |
| Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Williamsburg, VA | Restore the Powder Magazine | $320,000 |
| Hampden-Sydney College Hampdensydney, VA | Complete a Comprehensive Historic Renovation of Venable Hall | $300,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Mary Morton Parsons 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 | $137,592,523 | $14,165,988 | $10,789,032 | $9,537,000 | 71 | $9,537,000 | $13,127,612 | $6,620,838 |
| 2023 | $131,901,277 | $9,029,148 | $8,074,695 | $7,127,054 | 76 | $7,127,054 | $8,148,551 | $5,977,162 |
| 2022 | $117,530,431 | $6,822,912 | $8,114,486 | $7,184,000 | 72 | $7,184,000 | $5,992,720 | $6,213,417 |
| 2021 | $148,800,362 | $14,325,688 | $7,253,412 | $6,255,000 | 52 | $6,255,000 | $13,611,673 | $6,773,557 |
| 2020 | $130,638,911 | $4,283,252 | $7,427,506 | $6,816,100 | 53 | — | $3,683,895 | $5,619,429 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.6M for 2024 — 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 mission is to support nonprofit organizations throughout Virginia, primarily for capital projects. Its focus areas are arts and culture, civic and community needs, education, environment and conservation, historic preservation, and social services and welfare.
The foundation supports organizations with varied missions. For example, Virginia Repertory Theatre says its mission is to entertain, challenge, and uplift communities through live theatre; Better Housing Coalition says it develops affordable housing in metropolitan Richmond; and CARITAS says it creates a safe space to heal and time to rebuild. Hampden-Sydney College describes its mission as forming good men and good citizens through learning.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 71 grants totaling $9,537,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $50,000. The foundation’s website says awards are generally in the range of $50,000 to $500,000 and typically fund no more than one-third of a project’s cost. Grants are usually made on a challenge or matching basis, and the foundation does not consider multi-year funding.
Among the 2024 awards, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts received $1,000,000 for a capital campaign focused on renovating the Leslie Cheek Theater; VPM Public Media received $750,000 toward a new downtown Richmond headquarters; and CrossOver Ministry received $605,000 for clinic building purchases and renovations. Better Housing Coalition, Liberation Veteran Services, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond, and Virginia Repertory Theatre each received $500,000 for capital projects.
Eligible applicants must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3), not classified as private foundations under Section 509(a), located in Virginia, and seeking capital support in a focus area. Organizations are ineligible if they received a grant payment from the foundation within the previous five years or submitted an unsuccessful application within the previous 12 months. The foundation excludes requests for individuals, endowments, debt reduction, deficits, research, general operating or administrative expenses, and certain other purposes. It requires the grantee’s full board to be contributing to the organization.
Applicants register through the online portal and submit a Contact Form. After reviewing it, the executive director follows up to discuss the proposal; only invited organizations may submit a full application. Application materials include a cover letter, governing board and officers list, IRS determination letter, project and operating budgets, recent audit, and recent IRS Form 990. The website lists spring and fall cycles. The fall 2026 Contact Form and application deadlines—August 28 and September 15, respectively—have passed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Thurston R. Moore, Esq., as president; Charles F. Witthoefft, Esq., as vice president and secretary; Mrs. Palmer P. Garson as treasurer; Mrs. Amy P. Nisenson as executive director; and Edward W. Valentine as director.
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation is led by Amy P. Nisenson, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Amy P. Nisenson
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$80K (2020) → $93K (2024)
Thurston R. Moore Esq.
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward W. Valentine
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles F. Witthoefft Esq.
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Palmer P. Garson
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $93K, to Mrs Amy P Nisenson (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation
How much does The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation give each year?
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation gave $9.5M across 71 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $7.1M across 76 grants.
What is The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation's typical grant size?
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $134,324, across 71 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation that year got $182K on average.
Where does The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation give grants?
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Richmond, VA (42 grants), Williamsburg, VA (2 grants), Henrico, VA (2 grants) and Mechanicsville, VA (2 grants).
Does The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 30% of The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 71) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation's largest grantees?
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Virginia Museum of Fine Arts ($1,000,000), VPM Public Media ($750,000) and Cross-Over Ministry ($605,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation?
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation reported $137.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $9.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support nonprofit organizations throughout Virginia, primarily for capital projects. Its focus areas are arts and culture, civic and community needs, education, environment and conservation, historic preservation, and social services and welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation?
Register online and submit a Contact Form; organizations invited to proceed submit a full application online. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation's EIN?
The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1530891. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-mary-morton-parsons-foundation-morg_a0f13d6607b24fa7ad9c69ef7ac78d42
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_541530891_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-mary-morton-parsons-foundation-morg_a0f13d6607b24fa7ad9c69ef7ac78d42},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Mary Morton Parsons 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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