E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation

• This is a foundation with clearly defined funding categories rather than open-ended giving, so check your fit against its stated areas: graduate theological education, performing arts activity within Richmond city limits, museums with permanent collections seeking to purchase, conserve or exhibit Asian art, exhibitions of Western art in the People's Republic of China, projects supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons of faith, and, for pre-selected charities only, community health nursing; its geographic focus is given as United States; Richmond; Conover; Temple; Tupelo; Russellville; Riverside; Worcester; Philadelphia.
• For a typical request, aim around the median grant of $25,000, bearing in mind most grants to organisations fall between $9,500 and $75,000, though the largest grant made was $1,000,000.
• Applications must be a written letter application, not emailed, submitted in duplicate with numbered pages and a contact name and address, by the fixed deadlines of 31 January for the spring meeting or 15 July for the autumn meeting.
• With 75% of grant dollars to organisations going to those it had also funded in the two preceding filings, this looks like a relationship-led funder that favours its existing grantees, so new applicants should apply in good time and not expect a quick single approach to succeed.
• The foundation states it does not fund private secondary education, individuals, local religious congregations, or large public charities such as the American Red Cross, American Cancer Society or United Way, so organisations in those categories should not apply.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• Johns Hopkins Universitiy · Costs of renovation of and addition to pinkard building
  $1,000,0002024 tax year
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Foundation · Establish a department at the museum to be called "e. rhodes and leona b. carpenter conservatorship of chinese painting".
  $500,0002024 tax year
• Southern New England Conference Of The United Chur · General charitable and religious purposes
  $295,0002024 tax year
• Southern New England Conference Of The United Chur · General charitable and religious purposes
  $285,0002024 tax year
• Virginia Repertory Theatre · Help with (i) operating costs of its 2023-24 season ($175,000), and (ii) capital campaign for a new home for the theatre's children, families and school programming ($500,000). theatre may allocate operating cost support to the capital campaign
  $250,0002024 tax year
• City of Russellville · Help with the purchase of inclusive/handicapped accessible playground equipment
  $250,0002024 tax year
• Johns Hopkins University · Endowed gift to be held in perpetuity for a professorship beaing the name of the leona b. carpenter chair in health equity and social determinants of health.
  $250,0002024 tax year
• Richmond Ballet · To help with general operating expenses for fiscal year 2026
  $215,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

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.