J P Humphreys Foundation Inc - Grant Information & Application Details

Quick Stats

Assets: $35 million (2024)
Annual Giving: $1.9 million (2024)
Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
Decision Time: Not applicable (preselected organizations)
Grant Range: $25,000 - $1,500,000
Geographic Focus: National (U.S.)

Contact Details

Mailing Address:
J P Humphreys Foundation Inc
PO Box 1090
Joplin, MO 64802-1090
In Care Of: ELC Capital LLC

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Phone and email contact information are not publicly available.

Overview

The J P Humphreys Foundation Inc was established in 1981 in Missouri, created from the fortune of TAMKO Building Products founder E.L. Craig. Named for Craig's son-in-law, J.P. Humphreys (who served as TAMKO's president from 1960-1993), the foundation is now led by his daughter Sarah Humphreys Atkins. With assets of approximately $35 million and annual distributions of $1.9 million, the foundation operates as a private grantmaking organization focused on libertarian and free-market policy organizations. The foundation maintains strong connections to think tanks, policy research institutions, and educational organizations that promote economic freedom, limited government, and free-market principles. In 2024, the foundation made 25 grants with a median gift of $50,000.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with no formal application process. All grants are made to preselected charitable organizations. Recent grant activity shows:

Major Policy Grants: $500,000 - $1,500,000 (typically to DonorsTrust and similar donor-advised fund organizations)
Think Tank Support: $100,000 - $1,000,000 (to established policy research institutions)
Educational Organizations: $25,000 - $174,000 (to free-market educational foundations)
Documentary/Media: $150,000 (to organizations producing free-market content)

All grants are distributed on a trustee-discretion basis with no fixed application deadlines.

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses exclusively on organizations that advance:

Free-Market Economics: Think tanks and research centers promoting classical liberal economic principles
Public Policy Research: Organizations focused on limited government and individual liberty
Economic Education: Institutions teaching free-market economics and entrepreneurship
Constitutional Law: Organizations defending constitutional rights and federalism
State-Level Policy: State policy networks promoting market-oriented reforms

Recent Grant Recipients (2023-2024)

DonorsTrust/Donors Trust: $500,000 - $1,500,000
Cato Institute: $1,000,000
Foundation for Economic Education: $174,000 - $250,000
Moving Pictures Institute: $150,000
Atlas Network: $100,000
Competitive Enterprise Institute: $100,000
Kansas Policy Institute: $100,000
Mercatus Center (George Mason University): $100,000
State Policy Network: $100,000
The Federalist Society: $100,000

What They Don't Fund

Based on their giving patterns, the foundation does not fund:

Organizations outside the libertarian/free-market policy sphere
General human services or direct charity work
Arts and culture programs
Environmental or climate change initiatives
Progressive or left-leaning policy organizations
Religious organizations
International development (focus is domestic U.S. policy)

Governance and Leadership

Current Board Members (all serve without compensation):

Sarah J. Humphreys Atkins - President, Secretary, and Treasurer
Daughter of J.P. Humphreys and current president of the foundation. She also sits on the board of trustees of the Capital Research Center, a right-leaning think tank. She manages the foundation's grant-making activities.
Paul S. Atkins - Vice President and Director
Sarah's husband and current SEC Chairman (sworn in April 2025 under President Trump). He previously served as SEC Commissioner from 2002-2008 and founded Patomak Global Partners. He sits on the board of the Cato Institute.
David C. Humphreys - Director
Son of J.P. Humphreys and current President/CEO of TAMKO Building Products (family business). He has stated he considers himself "a libertarian with no allegiance to a particular party" and that his political views "were influenced greatly by my parents' evolution from Eisenhower Republicans to committed libertarians."
Debra G. Humphreys - Director
Family member serving on the board.
Timothy R. Whelan - Director

Foundation Philosophy:

David Humphreys has described the family's libertarian orientation, noting their evolution from traditional Republican politics to committed libertarian principles. The foundation's late namesake, J.P. Humphreys, served on multiple libertarian organization boards during his lifetime, including the Moving Pictures Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Foundation for Economic Education, Atlas Network, Future of Freedom Foundation, Citizens for a Sound Economy, and Free to Choose Network.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The J P Humphreys Foundation does not have a public application process. According to their official documentation: "The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are awarded through trustee discretion. The board selects organizations that align with the foundation's libertarian and free-market philosophy. Grants are not made in response to applications but rather through proactive identification of organizations that advance the foundation's mission.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation operates on a trustee-discretion model where the board identifies and approves grants throughout the year without formal deadlines or decision cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications, so there is no application success rate to measure.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - since the foundation does not accept applications, there is no reapplication process. Organizations seeking funding must already be known to and selected by the foundation's trustees.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept applications, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, organizations that receive funding share the following characteristics:

What Funded Organizations Have in Common

Established Track Record: All recipients are well-established organizations with national reputations in the libertarian/free-market policy space. The foundation does not fund startup organizations or untested initiatives.
Ideological Alignment: Organizations must demonstrate a clear commitment to classical liberal principles including free markets, limited government, individual liberty, and constitutional governance. The foundation's giving history shows exclusive support for libertarian and conservative policy institutions.
Policy Impact Focus: Recipients typically focus on research, education, and advocacy that influences public policy at the state or national level. Direct service organizations are not funded.
Network Connections: Many recipients are interconnected through the broader libertarian philanthropic network, including organizations where J.P. Humphreys or family members have served on boards.
Academic or Research Orientation: The foundation favors think tanks, research centers, and educational institutions over advocacy-only organizations.

Organizations Most Aligned with Foundation Priorities

Based on giving patterns, the foundation shows the strongest alignment with:

Established libertarian think tanks (Cato Institute, Mercatus Center)
Free-market educational organizations (Foundation for Economic Education)
Constitutional law and policy groups (Federalist Society, Competitive Enterprise Institute)
State policy networks promoting market-oriented reforms
Documentary and media organizations producing free-market content

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No Public Application Process: This foundation exclusively funds preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited proposals. There is no application to submit.
Ideological Focus is Non-Negotiable: The foundation funds only libertarian and free-market policy organizations. Organizations outside this ideological sphere will not be considered.
Established Organizations Only: The foundation's giving pattern shows exclusive support for well-known, established institutions with national reputations. Emerging organizations are not funded.
Board Connections Matter: Many funded organizations have direct connections to the Humphreys family through board service or the broader libertarian philanthropic network.
Large, Strategic Grants: The foundation makes a relatively small number of grants (25 in 2024) with significant dollar amounts, favoring strategic investments in high-impact organizations over broad-based giving.
Family Foundation with Clear Mission: As a family foundation with strong libertarian convictions dating back to the founders' political evolution, the giving philosophy is deeply rooted and unlikely to expand beyond current focus areas.
If Your Organization Isn't Already Known: Without a public application process, organizations seeking support would need to build relationships within the broader libertarian philanthropic community and establish a track record that would bring them to the foundation's attention through other channels.

References

InfluenceWatch. "J. P. Humphreys Foundation." Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/j-p-humphreys-foundation/
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "J P Humphreys Foundation Inc - EIN 431244445." Accessed January 9, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/431244445
Grantmakers.io. "J P Humphreys Foundation Inc. Profile." Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/431244445-j-p-humphreys-foundation-inc/
Tax Exempt World. "J P Humphreys Foundation Inc - 501C3 Nonprofit." Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.taxexemptworld.com/organization.asp?tn=983270
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. "Paul S. Atkins Sworn In as SEC Chairman." Press Release, April 21, 2025. https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025-68
Biz 417. "David Humphreys Leads TAMKO in Joplin Missouri." May/June 2018. https://www.biz417.com/issues/may-june-2018/david-humphreys-tamko-joplin-mo/
IRS Form 990-PF filings for J P Humphreys Foundation Inc (EIN 43-1244445), tax years 2021-2024.