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MCS Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$5.4M
000

MCS Charitable Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5,401,050 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only/trustee discretion)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies significantly; recent example: $190,000+ to single organization
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Arizona and Texas, with emphasis on San Antonio area
  • EIN: 26-3016128

Contact Details

Address: Paradise Valley, AZ (administrative); San Antonio, TX (1826 N Loop 1604 W, Suite 260)

Application Status: Does not accept unsolicited applications - grants made to preselected charitable organizations only

Director of Charitable Giving: Julie Jumet

Overview

The McS Charitable Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in memory of Mary Carol Sheets Gregory (1949-2022), who passed away in May 2022. The foundation honors her legacy of exceptional generosity toward animal welfare, veteran support, and educational organizations throughout her lifetime. With total assets exceeding $157.9 million (2024) and annual charitable disbursements of $7.1 million, the foundation has grown significantly from its earlier years when it distributed approximately $968,000 in grants (2020). The foundation operates through trustee discretion, making grants to preselected organizations that align with Mary Carol Sheets' core values and passions. The foundation maintains a committed approach to multi-year partnerships, as evidenced by their annual giving arrangements with selected beneficiaries.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, grants are awarded at the discretion of trustees to organizations that align with the foundation's core mission areas. Grant sizes vary significantly based on organizational need and project scope.

Recent Grant Example:

  • Hunkapi Programs (Scottsdale equine therapy farm): $190,000+ annual partnership including:
    • $140,000 for horse stable facility rebuilding
    • $27,000 for First Responder Program
    • $25,000 for fundraising gala support

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on causes that reflect Mary Carol Sheets' passions:

  1. Animal Welfare: Support for animal rescue, shelters, equine therapy programs, and organizations providing second chances to animals
  2. Veterans & First Responders: Programs supporting active-duty military, veterans, firefighters, police officers, and EMTs
  3. Education: Educational initiatives and programs
  4. Christianity: Faith-based organizations and initiatives

Known Grantees:

  • Hunkapi Programs (equine therapy for veterans and first responders)
  • BAMC Fisher House (supporting families of wounded service members at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio)

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or fund organizations outside their preselected beneficiaries.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees/Officers:

  • Jan Jumet (Trustee) - Compensation: $325,000
  • Mary Carol Gregory (Founder/Trustee, deceased May 2022) - The foundation was established in her memory
  • Julie Jumet (Director of Charitable Giving)
  • Sarah Saenz (Staff)

The foundation was created to honor Mary Carol Sheets Gregory, who was described as "a wonderful friend to all who knew her" and someone who valued generous friendship and adventure. She was married first to Chuck Sheets for over 25 years (died 2007) and later to Dean Gregory (died 2018). Mary Carol demonstrated deep commitment to animal welfare throughout her life, mostly adopting from shelters to give animals a second chance.

Quote from Leadership: Julie Jumet, Director of Charitable Giving: "We could not be more excited about the partnership to come," regarding the foundation's alignment with Hunkapi Programs' mission.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

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

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion to organizations that align with the foundation's mission areas (animals, veterans, education, and Christianity). The foundation initiates partnerships with selected beneficiaries based on mission alignment and organizational needs.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation maintains a focused approach to grantmaking through annual partnerships with selected organizations. Based on available information:

  • Julie Jumet, Director of Charitable Giving, evaluates potential partnerships for mission alignment with Mary Carol Sheets' legacy values
  • The foundation prioritizes multi-year commitments with tailored annual donations addressing organizations' most pressing needs
  • Organizations working in equine therapy, veteran support, animal welfare, and education that demonstrate clear alignment with the founder's values may be of interest
  • The foundation appears to have connections to both Arizona (Paradise Valley/Scottsdale area) and San Antonio, Texas, suggesting geographic preference for these regions

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available - decisions made at trustee discretion.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, based on documented grantmaking patterns:

Mission Alignment is Critical:

  • Organizations must clearly align with Mary Carol Sheets' core values: animals, veterans, education, and Christianity
  • The foundation explicitly seeks organizations that reflect "Sheets' passion for animals, education, veterans, and Christianity"

Partnership Approach:

  • The foundation favors annual partnerships with tailored giving: "annual donations tailored to address the farm's most pressing needs to ensure continuity and resilience in serving those in need"
  • Multi-faceted support demonstrated in Hunkapi Programs grant covering capital improvements, programming, and fundraising

Recent Funding Example: Hunkapi Programs received over $190,000 for three distinct initiatives combining animal welfare (horse stable rebuilding), veteran support (First Responder Program), and organizational sustainability (gala support), demonstrating the foundation's preference for comprehensive support packages.

Geographic Focus: Evidence suggests preference for Arizona (particularly Scottsdale/Paradise Valley area) and San Antonio, Texas-based organizations.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications - all grants are made to preselected organizations through trustee discretion
  • Mission Alignment Essential: Organizations must clearly align with animals, veterans, education, and/or Christianity to be considered
  • Multi-Year Partnerships Preferred: The foundation favors ongoing annual commitments rather than one-time grants
  • Significant Grant Capacity: With $7.1 million in annual charitable disbursements and assets exceeding $157 million, the foundation has substantial resources
  • Comprehensive Support: Recent grants show willingness to fund multiple aspects of an organization's work simultaneously (capital, programming, fundraising)
  • Geographic Preference: Focus appears to be Arizona (Scottsdale/Paradise Valley) and San Antonio, Texas areas
  • Relationship-Based Giving: Contact with Julie Jumet, Director of Charitable Giving, would be necessary for any potential partnership discussions

References

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