The MSJ Foundation
The MSJ Foundation is a private foundation based in Fayetteville, New York. Its 2025 filing describes charitable activity supporting organizations whose purposes are devoted to education, medicine, social welfare, arts, historic preservation, religion, and the environment.
The MSJ Foundation at a glance
In short: The MSJ Foundation gave $259K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in New York. 41% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $259,252
- +67.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +70.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,250
- -1.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,034,959
- +39.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (7 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (52% 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 MSJ Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 646, Fayetteville, NY 13066
Phone: (315) 430-6461
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The MSJ Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fayetteville Firemen's Association ($75K). Together the top 10 received $213K.
Grant Size Distribution
72 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 72 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states: New York received 52%, New Hampshire 19%, Pennsylvania 12%, Vermont 6%, and Maryland 4%. The listed grants also included World Central Kitchen in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The MSJ Foundation open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 17 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 53% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 53% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 163% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2020) to $259K (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $259K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville Firemen's Association Fayetteville, NY | General Operations | $75,000 |
| Fleur De Lis Camp Fitzwilliam, NH | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Divided Sky Foundation Ludlow, VT | General Operations | $16,376 |
| Project Home Philadelphia, PA | General Operations | $10,498 |
| Rescue Mission Syracuse, NY | General Operations | $10,482 |
| Francis House Syracuse, NY | General Operations | $10,450 |
| Healthwell Foundation Germantown, MD | General Operations | $10,330 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | General Operations | $10,236 |
| Bunkers in Baghdad Buffalo, NY | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Philabundance Philadelphia, PA | General Operations | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The MSJ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,034,959 | $1,149,481 | $286,165 | $259,252 | 17 | $260,965 | $250,307 | $160,151 |
| 2024 | $2,171,643 | $215,408 | $177,210 | $155,000 | 10 | $156,537 | $194,735 | $154,947 |
| 2023 | $2,133,445 | $99,641 | $203,589 | $185,000 | 13 | $186,537 | $82,589 | $146,198 |
| 2022 | $2,241,020 | $132,421 | $205,084 | $170,000 | 15 | $170,000 | $97,337 | $153,540 |
| 2021 | $2,313,683 | $260,649 | $170,016 | $138,700 | 17 | $138,700 | $229,333 | $167,144 |
| 2020 | $2,223,050 | $198,508 | $73,476 | $50,000 | 7 | — | $156,992 | $142,610 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The MSJ Foundation reported a distributable amount of $160K 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 filing identifies the charitable purposes above but does not state a separate mission. Its 2025 grants included organizations whose own missions address areas such as girls’ camping, homelessness and poverty, hospice care, healthcare affordability, disaster-response meals, hunger relief, support for veterans and military families, and animal welfare. For example, Fleur de Lis Camp says it provides an at-cost camping experience for girls ages 8–15; Project HOME describes work to address homelessness and poverty; and Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association describes its work caring for animals and promoting a more humane society.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $259,252. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $75,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest awards included $75,000 to Fayetteville Firemen’s Association for general operations and $50,000 to Fleur de Lis Camp for general operations. Other listed grants included $16,376 to Divided Sky Foundation, $10,498 to Project HOME, $10,482 to Rescue Mission, and $10,450 to Francis House, each for general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary Beth Kemper, Steven Kemper, and Joseph Kemper as trustees.
The MSJ Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joseph Kemper
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Mary Beth Kemper
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Steven Kemper
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Susan J. Kemper (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 MSJ Foundation
How much does The MSJ Foundation give each year?
The MSJ Foundation gave $259K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $155K across 10 grants.
What is The MSJ Foundation's typical grant size?
The MSJ Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $15,250, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The MSJ Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does The MSJ Foundation give grants?
The MSJ Foundation gives mostly in New York: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Hampshire (19%) and Pennsylvania (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (4 grants) and Syracuse, NY (3 grants).
Does The MSJ Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The MSJ Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The MSJ Foundation's largest grantees?
The MSJ Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fayetteville Firemen's Association ($75,000), Fleur De Lis Camp ($50,000) and Divided Sky Foundation ($16,376), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The MSJ Foundation?
The MSJ Foundation reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $261K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $160K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The MSJ Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing identifies the charitable purposes above but does not state a separate mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The MSJ Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The MSJ Foundation's EIN?
The MSJ Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-1562659. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The MSJ 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The MSJ Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The MSJ Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-msj-foundation-morg_13b8ca9d5ce946879b484745455d5146
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_161562659_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The MSJ Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-msj-foundation-morg_13b8ca9d5ce946879b484745455d5146},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 MSJ 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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