The Oak Hill Fund

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA EIN: 31-1810011 Website

The Oak Hill Fund is a private family foundation based in Charlottesville, Virginia, established in 2002 as a successor to the W. Alton Jones Foundation (founded in 1944). The foundation operates with a mission to promote the well-being of people and the planet through effective and inspiring grantmaking. Named after the family farm in Charlottesville, the organization manages substantial assets and distributes grants across six focused programs organized under two pillars: Healthy People and Healthy Planet.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$83.6M

+2.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.2M

-46.2% YoY

Grant Count

-38.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$30K

-13.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Oak Hill Fund reported a distributable amount of $3.8M 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 foundation's mission is to promote the well-being of people and the planet through effective and inspiring grantmaking.

The Oak Hill Fund currently operates six programs:

Healthy People:

Food Security (by invitation only)
Reproductive Health, Rights, & Justice

Healthy Planet:

Chesapeake Bay & Water Quality
Climate Change & Renewable Energy
Conservation of the Mesoamerican Reef (by invitation only)
Diminished Tree Species

The foundation's grantmaking reflects the values of its founders: sustainable architecture and affordable housing expertise, and commitment to women's reproductive rights and justice. The organization emphasizes intergenerational involvement, with programs evolving as issues, interests, and generations shift while respecting the legacy of previous generations.

Grantmaking

Four of the six programs are open to submissions on a scheduled basis:

Grant Range

$10,000

Average Grant

$31,000-$95,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds initiatives across the United States with particular emphasis on:

Southeastern United States, with emphasis on Virginia
Chesapeake Bay watershed (Pennsylvania and Virginia only for water quality projects)
Mesoamerican Reef region
Charlottesville area for reproductive health programs
Major urban centers including New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

Grant Distribution by State

Virginia $3.2M (30%)

District of Columbia $1.4M (13%)

Maryland $928K (9%)

Colorado $603K (6%)

Tennessee $545K (5%)

Florida $500K (5%)

North Carolina $488K (5%)

Kentucky $390K (4%)

+17 more states

Cities

AftonAlexandriaAmherstAndalusiaAnnapolisAppletonArlingtonAshevilleAthensAtlantaAustinBaltimoreBereaBig IslandBlacksburgBostonBoulderBristolBronxBrooklandville

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets:

$81.5 million (as of 2023)
$83.6 million (as of 2024)

Annual Giving:

$2.2 million to $4.3 million annually (varies by year)
2023: $4,276,200 in total giving
2024: $2,220,789 in annual grants

Revenue:

2023: $3,944,257 in total revenues
2023: $9,622,432 in income

Expenses:

2023: $6,043,044 in total expenses

Giving Rate: Approximately 2.7% of assets

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$83,598,521	$81,520,569	$79,012,609
Revenue	$18,200,917	$3,944,257	$3,930,239
Expenses	$4,698,981	$6,043,044	$6,468,543
Qualifying Distributions	$3,529,394	$5,479,336	$5,784,772
Net Investment Income	$17,519,589	$3,342,875	$3,312,546
Distributable Amount	$3,809,959	$3,864,884	$4,211,477

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

250 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from The Oak Hill Fund

Foundation

Diminished Tree Species Grant Program

THE OAK HILL FUND

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Repro Rising Virginia Foundation ($100,000), Women's Emergency Network Inc ($100,000), James River Association ($85,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
REPRO RISING VIRGINIA FOUNDATION ALEXANDRIA, VA	TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN A PIPELINE FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO SERVE AS ADVOCATES FOR ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM THROUGH THEIR VIRGINIA ADVOCATES FOR ACCESS INITIATIVE. SPECIFIC PROGRAMS INCLUDE: 1) CHANGING MINDS THROUGH STORYTELLING TRAINING PROGRAM; 2) REPRO ON THE RECORD PUBLIC EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES; 3) RISE UP FOR REPRO: STUDENT ADVOCACY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM; AND 4) THE ADVOCATES FOR LOCAL ACCESS INITIATIVE	$100,000
WOMEN'S EMERGENCY NETWORK INC MIAMI, FL	CONTINUED SUPPORT TO SUBSIDIZE THE COST OF ABORTION CARE AND LARCS FOR PEOPLE NEEDING ASSISTANCE IN FLORIDA: $75,000 TOWARDS ABORTION CARE (INCLUDING TRAVEL AND LODGING ASSISTANCE; $25,000 EACH TOWARDS LARCS AND A CASE MANAGER/SOCIAL WORKER TO HELP WITH LOGISTICS.	$100,000
INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS BROOKLYN, NY	TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF CLIMATE, ENVIRONMENT AND JUSTICE REPORTING IN THE SOUTHEAST, WITH A FOCUS ON VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE GOAL IS TO DEEPEN AND BROADEN PUBLIC CONVERSATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY RELATED TO CLIMATE AND ENERGY ISSUES IN THE SOUTHEAST.	$50,000
MOTHERS OUT FRONT BOSTON, MA	TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGES THAT WILL ADVANCE ENERGY DEMOCRACY, WHILE BUILDING SUSTAINABLE LOCAL CAPACITY AND LEADERSHIP. EXAMPLES ARE TO ORGANIZE WITH ALLIES AGAINST ALL PROPOSED FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN VIRGINIA AND ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS BILL.	$50,000
FEEDING GREENE INC THE FOOD PANTRY OF GREENE COUNTY STANARDSVILLE, VA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
VIRGINIA CONSERVATION NETWORK RICHMOND, VA	TO IMPLEMENT A YEAR-LONG PLAN TO FACILITATE DISCUSSION AMONG ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WITH DIFFERING VIEWS ON INDUSTRIAL SOLAR AND HB206, WHICH AIMED TO MITIGATE IMPACTS OF SOLAR DEVELOPMENT ON "PRIME AGRICULTURAL SOILS AND FOREST LANDS" BUT ALSO SLOWED THE DECARBONIZATION OF VIRGINIA'S ENERGY SECTOR.	$20,000
CHARLOTTESVILLE FREE CLINIC CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000
GEORGIAS FRIENDS CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000
SHELTER FOR HELP IN EMERGENCY CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board & Staff:

Todd A. Edgerton – President/Treasurer
Leigh W. Edgerton – Secretary
Jason E. Halbert – Executive Director
Anne K. O'Brien – Program & Grants Manager
Julia P. Schaff – Financial Manager

The organization employs 5 staff members.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
TODD A EDGERTON	PRESIDENT/TREASURER	40	$232,802
LEIGH W EDGERTON	SECRETARY	20	$78,488

Recent Grant Examples

Recent developments and announcements

Recent grantees have included:

Book Trust – $200,000 for literacy advancement programs for Pre-K through 3rd grade students in Title I elementary schools in Denver and the Faison Center

The American Chestnut Foundation – Support for blight resistance research in American chestnut trees through multiple breeding strategies

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Oak Hill Fund fund?

The foundation's mission is to promote the well-being of people and the planet through effective and inspiring grantmaking. The Oak Hill Fund currently operates six programs: **Healthy People:** • Food Security (by invitation only) • Reproductive Health, Rights, & Justice **Healthy Planet:** • Chesapeake Bay & Water Quality • Climate Change & Renewable Energy • Conservation of the Mesoamerican Reef (by invitation only) • Diminished Tree Species The foundation's grantmaking reflects the values o…

How do I apply for a grant from The Oak Hill Fund?

**Grant Activity:** • Annual grants awarded: approximately $2.2 million to $4.3 million (varies by year) • Number of grants: 70-120 grants annually • Median grant size: $10,000 • Grant range: $1,000 to $250,000 • Average grant size: $31,000-$95,000 **Application Process:** Four of the six programs are open to submissions on a scheduled basis: • Reproductive Health, Rights, & Justice • Chesapeake Bay & Water Quality • Climate Change & Renewable Energy • Diminished Tree Species The Chesapeake Bay…

Where does The Oak Hill Fund make grants?

The foundation funds initiatives across the United States with particular emphasis on: • Southeastern United States, with emphasis on Virginia • Chesapeake Bay watershed (Pennsylvania and Virginia only for water quality projects) • Mesoamerican Reef region • Charlottesville area for reproductive health programs • Major urban centers including New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

What size grants does The Oak Hill Fund award?

In 2024, The Oak Hill Fund awarded 73 grants totaling $2.2M — an average of about $30K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Oak Hill Fund required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Oak Hill Fund reported a distributable amount of $3.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.