Jean T and Heyward G Pelham Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered and the filing gives no route in other than an invitation.
- Its giving spans university architecture endowments and scholarships, schools, theatres and arts, medical and community health, environmental groups and social-service charities, so a group working in those fields has a basis to consider it, while groups outside them have nothing in the filing to point to.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants to organisations fall between $3,000 and $100,000, but its largest was $300,000, so that band is typical rather than a limit, and half of its 152 grants were $15,000 or less, which makes a request near that median a sensible size.
- Across its three most recent filings, 69% of its grant dollars to organisations in its latest filing went to organisations it had also funded earlier, so an existing relationship with the foundation counts for a great deal.
- No geographic focus is stated, so no area is a condition of applying.
Overview
Jean T and Heyward G Pelham Foundation is a US private foundation based in Wilmington, DE.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The filings show grants to universities and university foundations for architecture endowments and scholarships, as well as to schools and other educational organisations. They also show grants to theatres, arts festivals, arts centres and museums; medical and community-health organisations; environmental and conservation groups; and social-service charities. Many grants are recorded as general and unrestricted support, while others support scholarship and endowment funds, capital campaigns, facilities and named programmes. Recipients include charitable organisations and educational institutions, alongside a public school district. The giving record includes institutional endowments and scholarships as well as broader support for cultural, health, environmental and community organisations.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 69% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 152 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 3%
- The largest single recipient received 25% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 69% of grant dollars went to organisations Jean T and Heyward G Pelham Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 48 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $15,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Clemson University Foundation · Pelham Foundation Endowment for Architecture Scholars fund$300,0002024 tax year
- Furman University · Jean Timmons Pelham Endowed Scholarship fund$200,0002024 tax year
- Duke University · Garden Gateway Capital Campaign$100,0002024 tax year
- Furman University · Support of Renovation and Expansion of Timmons Arena$100,0002024 tax year
- University of Maryland Medical System Corporation · Roslyn and Leonard Stoler Center for Advanced Medicine$100,0002024 tax year
- Duke University · Jean & Heyward Pelham Scholarship Fund$100,0002024 tax year
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation · General & Unrestricted$75,0002024 tax year
- Signature Theatre · General & Unrestricted$75,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- William H Pelham — Trustee
- Richard T Pelham — Trustee
- Ann P Cullen — Trustee, Chairperson
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,984,790 | $1,819,800 | $32,802,141 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,736,016 | $1,526,112 | $38,383,828 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,978,477 | $1,645,500 | $42,038,100 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Jean T and Heyward G Pelham Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE
Applying to Jean T and Heyward G Pelham Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE