Funding Amount

Not stated

Deadline

Deadline not published

Grant Type

Foundation

Deadline history & next window

Cycle
Twice a year
Tracked since
April 2026

From the program guidelines: “NOTE: The Board meets twice a year, usually in late November and late May, to consider grant applications.”

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Required status

  • 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status

Other requirements

  • The David B.

Not eligible / not funded

  • Not eligible: Individual requests
  • Not eligible: Religious organizations
  • Not eligible: The foundation will not make the following types of grants.
  • Not eligible: Any request for funding for these purposes will be denied:Grants to individuals for any purpose.
  • Not eligible: Grants to religious organizations for religious purposes.
  • Not eligible: Grants to international organizations that do not have a qualified domestic § 501(c) (3) representative.
  • Not eligible: Grants to private foundations (other than operating foundations)Grants to endowments or other discretionary funding pools.
  • Not eligible: Grants for dinners, balls, or other ticketed events.
  • Not eligible: Grants for political purposes.
  • Not eligible: Grants for lobbying activities.
  • Not eligible: Grants for purposes outside of the foundation's funding priorities as listed in the prior section.
  • Not eligible: Faculty

Overview

The David B. Jones Foundation Grant supports educational, research, and charitable initiatives in paleontology within the United States. Established in 1998, it offers various funding types, including one-time, multiyear, and challenge grants, focusing on projects that promote the science of paleontology. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations aligned with the foundation's mission, prioritizing programs that engage young fossil hunters and public education through museums. The foundation does not fund individual requests or religious organizations.

NOTE: The Board meets twice a year, usually in late November and late May, to consider grant applications. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Those seeking funding for summer programs should plan accordingly.
It was established in May 1998 to make grants to domestic 501 (c)(3) organizations in furtherance of educational, research, and charitable activities working in the science of paleontology who primarily promote those activities within the United States.
Grants
The foundation makes grants in the following forms:
One-Time grants: single-year grants used for a specific purpose.Multiyear grants: commitments for funding a project or program to be paid in increments over a period of time no longer than five years.Start-Up Program grant: encourage and support the development of a new program. Challenge or Matching grants: require the recipient to provide a percentage of the funding to implement their project or program.

Eligibility

The David B. Jones foundation makes grants to qualified 501 (c)(3) charitable organizations that address the foundation’s mission in paleontology.

Ineligibility

The foundation will not make the following types of grants. Any request for funding for these purposes will be denied:Grants to individuals for any purposeGrants to religious organizations for religious purposesGrants to international organizations that do not have a qualified domestic § 501(c) (3) representativeGrants to private foundations (other than operating foundations)Grants to endowments or other discretionary funding poolsGrants for dinners, balls, or other ticketed eventsGrants for political purposesGrants for lobbying activitiesGrants for purposes outside of the foundation's funding priorities as listed in the prior section.The Foundation does not fund faculty or staff salaries.  Requests for funding have increased dramatically, and projects with excessive budgets are less likely to be funded.

What David B Jones Foundation actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2024

Grants in 2024
27
Total given
$1.26M
Median grant
$39K
Range
$3,500–$203K
  • By dollars: South Dakota 18%, Montana 12%, California 10%. Top recipient cities: Saint Paul, MN; Denver, CO; Claremont, CA.
  • 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
  • 46% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.

Example grants

  • Mammoth Site of Hot Springs South Dakota Inc · Hot Springs, SD

    Mammoth Site Intern Program

    $203K

  • Museum of the Rockies · Bozeman, MT

    Cretaceous Crossroads and Discover Science!: A Paleontological Education Initiative

    $145K

  • Regents of the University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MI

    Mammalian evolution in dynamic environments across the K-Pg boundary in the Bighorn…

    $86K

  • Board of the University of Alabama · Tuscaloosa, AL

    Training the next generation of curators and collection managers via impactful museum…

    $85K

  • Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Found · Los Angeles, CA

    Dinosaur Institute Summer Internship in Fossil Conservation at the Natural History…

    $70K

IRS Form 990-PF, 2024. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

Focus Areas & Funding Uses

Fields of Work

  • Paleontology
  • Nonprofits
  • Science research
  • Education

Categories

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