Davis Family Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $55,153,500 (2023)
Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: $2,500 - $44,500,000
Geographic Focus: Primarily Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Georgia
Assets: $1,355,021,251

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 468, Hanover, MD 21076-0468

Phone: 410-579-3509

Application Policy: Does not accept unsolicited requests for funds

Overview

The Davis Family Foundation was established in 2002 as a private independent foundation in Maryland. With substantial assets exceeding $1.35 billion, the foundation distributed approximately $55.2 million in grants during 2023 across 41 awards. The foundation is led by James C. Davis, chairman and co-founder of Allegis Group (the largest staffing firm in the U.S.), and his wife Kim Davis. The foundation focuses primarily on education, including Roman Catholic education, as well as philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services. The foundation operates with a preselected grantmaking model, funding organizations chosen at the discretion of the trustees rather than through an open application process.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with public application processes. Instead, grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organizations.

Grant Range: Individual grants range from $2,500 to $44,500,000, with 41 awards made in 2023 and 32 awards in 2022.

Priority Areas

Education: The foundation's primary focus is on educational institutions, with particular emphasis on:

Roman Catholic education at all levels (elementary schools, high schools, universities)
Higher education, especially institutions in Maryland and Pennsylvania
Educational access and opportunity programs

Sample Grant Recipients (from historical filings):

Villanova University: $2,520,000 (2008); $50,000,000 (major gift to business school)
Cristo Rey, Baltimore, MD: $422,188
Malvern Preparatory School: $221,000
St. Anastasia's School, Newtown Square, PA: $150,000
Mother Seton Academy, Baltimore, MD: $50,000
Calvert Hall College High School, Baltimore, MD: $35,000

Human Services: Support for organizations serving communities in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Georgia

Philanthropy & Grantmaking: Support for other philanthropic organizations and initiatives

Social Justice: The foundation has demonstrated commitment to social justice causes, with a documented $10 million commitment to social justice organizations

What They Don't Fund

As a private foundation with a preselected grantmaking approach:

Does not accept unsolicited proposals
Does not make grants to individuals
Focuses primarily on Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Georgia (organizations outside these regions unlikely to be considered)

Governance and Leadership

James C. Davis - President and Director

Chairman and co-founder of Allegis Group (founded as Aerotek in 1983)
Villanova University trustee and alumnus ('81 VSB)
Neither James nor Kim Davis receive compensation from the foundation

Kim Davis - Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director

Co-founder of philanthropic initiatives with her husband
Active partner in the family's educational philanthropy

The foundation operates with a family governance structure, with the Davis family maintaining direct control over grantmaking decisions. The foundation distributes approximately 96-97% of its expenses toward charitable causes annually.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly indicated that it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded based on:

Trustee discretion and personal knowledge of organizations
Long-standing relationships with institutions
Strategic philanthropic priorities identified by the Davis family
Direct outreach from the foundation to potential grantees

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As grants are made to preselected organizations, there is no standard application-to-decision timeline.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation operates on an invitation-only model where trustees proactively select grantees rather than reviewing applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the preselected nature of grantmaking.

Application Success Factors

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, their documented grantmaking patterns reveal clear priorities:

Catholic Education Connection: The foundation shows strong preference for Catholic educational institutions, from elementary schools through universities. Organizations with Catholic missions and educational programming align well with the foundation's documented giving.

Mid-Atlantic Geographic Focus: The overwhelming majority of grants support institutions in Maryland and Pennsylvania, with some presence in Georgia. Organizations in these states, particularly the Baltimore area and southeastern Pennsylvania, are more likely to be in the foundation's sphere of interest.

Institutional Scale and Impact: The foundation makes grants across a wide range—from $2,500 to multi-million dollar gifts—suggesting they support both small community-based programs and large institutional initiatives. The $50 million gift to Villanova Business School demonstrates capacity for transformational philanthropy.

Personal Connection to Leadership: James Davis's role as a Villanova trustee and his company's Maryland base suggest that organizations with existing connections to the Davis family, Allegis Group, or institutions in their network may be more likely to receive consideration.

Educational Excellence and Access: Recent grants to Cristo Rey schools and Mother Seton Academy (both serving economically disadvantaged students) alongside elite preparatory schools and universities suggest the foundation values both educational excellence and access/opportunity.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No Unsolicited Applications: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or applications. Traditional grant-seeking approaches will not be successful.
Relationship-Driven Grantmaking: Grants appear to be based on personal relationships, board connections, and organizations already known to the Davis family through their business and philanthropic networks.
Catholic Education Priority: Roman Catholic educational institutions from elementary through university level represent the foundation's clearest funding priority based on documented grants.
Geographic Concentration: Focus your efforts on other funders if your organization is outside Maryland, Pennsylvania, or Georgia.
Wide Grant Range: The foundation makes both small grants ($2,500) and transformational gifts ($50 million), indicating flexibility in grant size based on the project and relationship.
Strategic Philanthropy: The foundation's substantial assets and selective grantmaking suggest highly strategic deployment of resources to institutions aligned with the Davis family's values and interests.
Alternative Pathways: Organizations seeking support should focus on building relationships within the Catholic education sector in Maryland/Pennsylvania and exploring connections through the Allegis Group network rather than submitting applications.

References

Date accessed: December 22, 2025