Deborah Joy Simon Charitable Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- This foundation gives only by invitation and states it does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity without an existing connection should not approach it cold.
- All nine of its recorded grants to organisations run from $600,000 to $6,000,000, with a median of $2,000,000, so any realistic request sits at a substantial scale rather than a modest one.
- In its most recent filing, 58% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had already funded the year before, which points to a relationship-led pattern of repeat giving rather than an open, competitive process.
- Its recorded support has gone to a college's financial aid, faculty, programmes, capital and annual giving, to a pledged campaign contribution, to federal, state and local campaign work, to impact journalism and to monitoring and correcting misinformation in the media, and to a zoo campaign, so its interests are specific rather than general.
- Given it does not accept unsolicited requests, grant writers without a prior relationship or invitation should not spend time preparing an approach.
Overview
Deborah Joy Simon Charitable Foundation is a US private foundation based in Carmel, IN.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (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
Recorded grants have supported a college’s financial aid, faculty, programmes, capital and annual giving; a pledged campaign contribution; federal, state and local campaign work; impact journalism; monitoring and correcting misinformation in the media; and a zoo campaign. Recipient types in the filings include an educational institution, organisations undertaking campaign work, journalism and media groups, and a zoological organisation. The filings describe specific gifts rather than a general statement of priorities or eligibility, so this summary is confined to the purposes and recipients disclosed.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Pennsylvania, New York and District of Columbia.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 58% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 9 grants to organisations were $2,000,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 52% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 58% of grant dollars went to organisations Deborah Joy Simon Charitable Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 6 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $1.8M (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Regents of Mercersburg College · Contribution for financial aid, faculty support, program support, capital, unrestricted annual giving and current-restricted gifting.$5,000,0002023 tax year
- Future Now Institute · Contribution relating to the support of the process of setting up, implementing, and reporting for federal, state and local campaigns across the united states.$2,000,0002023 tax year
- Planned Parenthood Federation of America · Contribution relating to the foundation's second pledge payment in support of the resolute campaign.$2,000,0002023 tax year
- American Independent Foundation · Contribution to support commitment to impact journalism.$1,500,0002023 tax year
- Media Matters for America · Contribution to support the comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the u.s. media.$1,000,0002023 tax year
- Indianapolis Zoo · Contribution to support the indianapolis zoo for the campaign for our zoo, our community, our world.$600,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Deborah Joy Simon — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $9,467,437 | $9,000,000 | $81,393,433 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $12,512,308 | $12,100,000 | $86,874,717 | Filing for 2023 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
Registers and filings
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At a glance
Applying to Deborah Joy Simon Charitable Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- Carmel, IN
Applying to Deborah Joy Simon Charitable Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Carmel, IN