William M Backer Foundation Inc

THE PLAINS, VA EIN: 13-3579157

William M Backer Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in The Plains, Virginia. The foundation maintains a focus on philanthropic giving within the United States, with particular emphasis on specific regions and cause areas.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$7.5M

+22.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$500K

-32.8% YoY

Grant Count

+10.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$10K

-39.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William M Backer Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $428K 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 grant-making priorities include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily directs funding toward:

Virginia
Kentucky
District of Columbia

Grant Distribution by State

Virginia $1.9M (81%)

District of Columbia $204K (9%)

Kentucky $87K (4%)

New York $73K (3%)

Nebraska $25K (1%)

Illinois $21K (1%)

South Carolina $10K (0%)

California $10K (0%)

+2 more states

States

California District of Columbia Illinois Kentucky Maryland Maine Nebraska New York South Carolina Virginia

Cities

AlexandriaAnnapolisAugustaBerryvilleBoyceBroad RunChampaignCharlestonCharlottesvilleChicagoElmontFremontFront RoyalGeorgetownLeesburgLexingtonLurayMarshallMiddleburgMidland

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total Assets: $7,521,696 (as of most recent IRS Form 990 filing in 2024)

Total Giving: $500,000 (most recent filing year)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$7,521,696	$6,149,216	$6,819,261
Revenue	$1,921,645	$221,098	$563,658
Expenses	$549,165	$891,143	$281,140
Qualifying Distributions	$501,231	$756,517	$221,330
Net Investment Income	$1,820,130	$164,578	$506,880
Distributable Amount	$428,080	$430,098	$517,549

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

233 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Piedmont Environmental Council ($245,800), Campaign Legal Center ($35,000), Grace Episcopal Church ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AFRO-AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF FAUQUIER COUNTY THE PLAINS, VA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$5,000
BACKSTRETCH EMPLOYEE SERVICE TEAM (BEST) ELMONT, NY	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$1,000
BUCHANAN HALL UPPERVILLE, VA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$500
BULL RUN MOUNTAIN CONSERVANCY BROAD RUN, VA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$1,000
CAMPAIGN LEGAL CENTER WASHINGTON, DC	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$35,000
CITIZENS FOR FAUQUIER COUNTY WARRENTON, VA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$2,000
CLIFTON INSTITUTE WARRENTON, VA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$5,000
EARTH JUSTICE OAKLAND, CA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$2,000
FAC FOUNDATION FREMONT, NE	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$5,000
FAUQUIER EDUCATION FARM WARRENTON, VA	CHARITABLE PURPOSES	$1,500

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ANN M BACKER	PRESIDENT	1	—
DAVID MOLTKE-HANSEN	DIRECTOR	1	—
GEORGIA H HERBERT	SECRETARY	1	—
GEORGE GRAYSON	TREASURER	1	—
TREVOR POTTER	DIRECTOR	1	—

Contact Information

Address: 7181 Smitten Farm Lane, The Plains, VA 20198-1930

EIN: 13-3579157

Frequently Asked Questions

What does William M Backer Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation's grant-making priorities include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from William M Backer Foundation Inc?

**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $500 to $450,000. **Total Annual Giving:** $500,000 (based on most recent IRS Form 990 filing from 2024) **Recent Grant Activity:** The foundation awarded $35,000 to the Piedmont Journalism Foundation in 2023 for charitable purposes.

Where does William M Backer Foundation Inc make grants?

The foundation primarily directs funding toward: • Virginia • Kentucky • District of Columbia

What size grants does William M Backer Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, William M Backer Foundation Inc awarded 52 grants totaling $500K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is William M Backer Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, William M Backer Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $428K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is William M Backer Foundation Inc's EIN?

William M Backer Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3579157. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.